Why Print Media?

Kryzyl Mae C. Cuyno

Print created individualism and rationalism in the sixteenth century. Print media indicates that
literacy is spreading and communications are improving and it is affirmed that the communication
revolution has in no way subtracted from the influence of the press and printed media. How different
people or groups will read the same content depends on their social background. Many times newspapers,
activists' journals have played the role of watch-dog and acted as a catalytic agent to hasten the process of
social and economic change. They have been playing the role of watch-dog when they report about teams,
scandals, corruption, improper implementation of development Schemes, programs or projects. Billboards
and newspapers have contributed to steering public opinion in a particular direction. Although people tend
to resist newspaper influences, it does certainly exist, particularly in the long term sense of reinforcement
of opinions already held. Newspapers and billboards are same with minor differences, though they bring
out more editions in terms of content and ideological bias. That is, the criteria used by all newspapers and
billboards in selecting the content for publications are the same.
In Philippines, print media have been the active participants in our political process. It has
frequently set the national agenda on domestic and foreign policy issues. They have served as valuable
check on executive power in the absence of a strong opposition and have provided indigenous
enrichment. With the globalization, foreign media also entered into the country. Foreign billboards,
newspapers and magazines are, happily visible and available all over the country, but there is surely a
difference between mere availability and being published in Philippines. Majority of the billboards,
newspapers and magazine houses are located in big cities and the editors or writers are mostly the elites
of the cities. This results in to almost negligible reporting on rural affairs or development. Even urban
slums and lower strata hardly get coverage in the print media.
Availability of various types of printed media has provided readers with wider choice for
selecting the printed medium as well as the content. As far as development or extension work is
concerned, print media such as booklets, pamphlets, folders, leaflets, circulars, wall newspapers have
played important role in communicating with target groups of farmers, homemakers, rural groups, etc.
These media have helped development workers in making their advisory work more interesting. These are
either read or listened to by their target groups. They help in convincing and motivating people about the
new ideas. Newspapers today have acquired strength in features, photographs, graphics and quality of
paper used. The newspapers have been able to stand with magazines by publishing supplements in areas
of general interests along with their regular editions. This is due to revolution in printing technology. Print

media like magazines are affected adversely due to onslaught of television. The news stories of magazines
become obsolete, when published fortnightly or monthly. Magazines are required to constantly try to
create new identity for themselves. Press role in a developing country like Philippines is to aid in the
process of economic and social transformation and to accelerate it. It can do so by being more relevant by
reaching out to the vast multitude living in the countryside. The print media in Philippines has yet to
make attempts to reach out to the large population of neoliterates whose number is growing fast and to
convert them into readers. Development and social content is the first priority for these groups rather than
sensational and selling political news and articles.
In distance education programmes also print media are the most important medium. This
applies to all conventional correspondence courses as well as courses of open university. Print media have
proved largely effective in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. The functions served by the
print media in earlier times were limited, but now day's newspapers have shown impact in persuading
people to support particular candidate, policies and programs. Advertisements in print media also perform
this function. They get coverage in their front or editorial pages. At the same time some newspapers and
billboards provides favorable or unfavorable coverage of institutions, candidates and issues. This function
is alive and well served by the various parts of the newspapers which are devoted to news. Billboards,
newspapers and magazines today are performing the function of entertainment also by including human
interest stories, puzzles, comics, recipes, advice columns, sports, film and television and so on.
Today's journalism is more of pragmatic nature and business oriented. Therefore, print media in
Philippines held beliefs and status bringing about change and development. Showed how the credibility
of the press could suffer due to lack of freedom. Print broke down reality in to discrete units, logically and
casually related, perceived linearly across a page abstracted from the wholeness and disorder and
multisensory quality of life. It has proved that the telecommunications explosion have actually
substantiated the permanence of the written word. For last four centuries, printed world has ruled
unchallenged in shaping and expressing public opinion. That monopoly has not ended with the
development of radio, television and video. But the printed word still plays an important role behind the
curtain in the form of the scripts or software for these media.