comments, criticism and suggestions are strongly encouraged.

Q6) how ‘Print Media’ is so important in Pakistan society after the development of “electronic Media”? Argue in detail.

Mass media : diverse technologies are used to communicate information to the mass by employing the process of mass communication. It includes print media, electronic media and more recently social media.


Traditionally, for centuries information has been disseminated to the wider public by the use of print media including newspapers, books, journals, magazines etc. However, in the recent times, advancement in science and technology have revolutionized the base of information sharing and electronic media has emerged as a strong competitior to the print media. Electronic media uses electricity or electromechanical waves to help the audience get an access to content. However, in Pakistan, print media is still very strong.
Importance of print media in Pakistan
Recently, a private research company MEMRB conducted a survey and found that 14 million Pakistani read newspaper atleast once a week. This finding is at par with the international publication, top 10 of everything in 2011, which confirmed that Pakistan is in the list of ten countries with the highest circulation of newspapers. In Pakistan, newspapers are dominated by jang whereas, daily dawn is the most popular English newspaper.

Why print media?

There are many social, cultural and humanistic factors responsible for the strong selling of newspapers in Pakistan.

a) Newspaper culture: print media has played an important role in the creation of Pakistan in the form of zamindar, inqilab, hamdard, tehzib ulakhlaq etc. as a result, it has developed roots in the country. Still, there are many families which start their day in the morning with newspaper reading.

b) Power outages: Pakistan is witnessing worst energy crises with unscheduled loadshedding in rise. In such circumstances, people cannot rely on electronic media as a source of information. But newspapers can still be used to provide information.

c) Portability: electronic media depends upon electricity. Not all electronic media equipments can be carried along anywhere and everywhere. However, newspapers can be carried to any place.

d) Genuine news: electronic media faces a lot of competition. In order to win the mad race, they do not bother to verify news and just broadcast it from anywhere. On the other hand, newspapers have some policy and they often print news that is authentic and duly verified.

e) Quality of news : audience usually complains that the quality of news of electronic media is declining day by day. On the other hand, readers usually find printed information more reliable .

f) Cost effectiveness : Pakistan is a developing country. A large majority of the population lives below the standard level. In such conditions, it is not easy for everyone to buy electronic appliances such as Telivisions, computers or even radios. In addition, they have to get electricity connections, internet connections. Overall, newspapers are found to be way too cheap for the consumers than electrical appliances.

g) Repetition: print media has an advantage over electronic media that a news broadcasted on tv, radio cannot be repeated again, but a news printed can be read and re read again till it becomes absolutely clear.

h) Easy on eyes: surveys conducted have concluded that print media is easier to perceive that electronic media. Generally, people report of heaviness and burden on eyes due to watching excessive tv or internet.

i) Deluge of information: newspaper editiors often prioritize news items and present them in an orderly manner with reference to their relevance. On the other hand, tv channels, internet or radio do not classify news on the basis of priority. Audience usually feels a deluge of information storming them all over.

j) Less distraction: due to the advertisements, electronic media offers many distractions to the audience. But the newspaper readers can easily read the whole newspaper without any break and diversion from advertisement or breaking news.

k) Satisfaction: biologists and psychologists have conducted many researchers on print media and electronic media. Studies have shown that people do not feel full satisfaction even after watching tv, listening to radio or surfing internet for hours. They still miss the process of “reading”.

Critical analysis: progress and advancement is a continuous process. Earlier man heard news through the word of mouth, then came print media, followed by electronic media and subsequently social media. However, print media still has a huge impact on individual’s lives. People still consider it to be an authentic, good quality satisfying source of information.