Don’t have the exact date but print media first appearing in the form of newspaper dates back to the 17th century.

Over the centuries that it has existed it has faced many challenges but has come out of many a crisis and still to some extent flourishes in many parts of the world.

Personally, I cannot imagine a good morning starting without a cup of tea and a newspaper. Digital media no matter how sleek, modern and attractive it may be is still far behind as far as I am concerned in giving me the early morning news briefing that a printed newspaper can provide.

There are other advantages. A printed version gives you the licence to read sections that you prefer without having to scroll with one finger while ensuring that you do not drop any tea on whatever gadget you are using and ending your adventure right there and then.

A very distinct advantage is having the news stories carefully planned across various sections so everyone in the household can read according to their own taste. In some households, husband and wife have an unwritten agreement. One reads the headlines and follow-up stories and the other more interested in local news seeks out the local news page so the newspaper serves the interests of all readers evenly.

I joined an evening newspaper as a student reporter in the 70s. In those days students had great priority and were much better organized having a definitive say in matters political.

Student union elections in all colleges and universities were held on the same day and the city wore a festive look with all the colourful and innovative banners, posters and bill boards put up by various parties and candidates. My responsibility was the special issue my newspaper published on this day. That used to be a Herculean task as in those days modern print machinery was seldom found in a newspaper.

In use were old machines where operators would assemble words by hand and then tie them with a thread to be put in machines that would than do the printing. This was not a front line newspaper but the supplement would sell like hot cakes as in those days digital had not yet made its appearance though there was talk of one day finding newspapers on tablets which sounded like a fairy tale. It has been quite a journey since then.

The real journey of printed newspapers started during the 17th century and initially these were localized containing local gossip and events. This reminds me that even in Karachi there was once the famous Zuberi Gazette full of gossip and published from an anonymous location without disclosing name of its publishers.

Much awaited every month by the family. Signs of print media can also be traced back to ancient civilizations. This was in the form of clay tablets and papyrus scrolls that were used to record information. In the 15th century the real revolution in print media came about when a gentleman by the name of Johannes Gutenberg developed what is now known as the printing press. This was the turning point in the development of print media.

The printing press paved the way for the creation and mass production of printed materials. The rapid and economical production of books and other forms of written material, in turn, contributed to an increase in literacy and the dissemination of information. The rest is history with print media dominating the landscape which it still does in many parts of the world.

A real jolt to the print media came during the Covid pandemic crisis. Circulation of daily newspapers which was at a high at 55.8 billion in the US dropped to a staggering 24.2 billion but there has been a turnaround, recent research shows that print media advertising is expected to reach $32.6-billion in 2024.

Also magazine readership has remained steady within the past decade, even during the decline of newspaper circulation. Some studies have actually found 91% of adults were still reading magazines, and print media advertisements were also considered to be more trustworthy than digital.

Print media is still a popular mode of news and views in Pakistan, a country where apart from the print media in Urdu and English there is also print media in regional languages in the four corners of the country. I had helped a friend with his election efforts in the last elections and was surprised to find the number of various newspapers in his constituency that I had never heard of before and were reputed to influence different parts of his constituency. To those who think print media is on its way out I say think again. While digital media is in some areas losing its credibility print media is once again eyeing the space it vacates.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024