"Why every home must get a newspaper"
The Statesman Siliguri|December 19, 2024
Print journalism is in a state of crisis. The circulation of newspapers in India seems to have stagnated in relation to population growth, meaning the proportion of people reading printed news has dropped.
SRINIVAS MADHAV

More readers are turning to free online news sources and circulation growth is failing to keep up with demographic expansion.

Given India's vast population - nearly ten times that of Japan - it is concerning that India has only as many newspapers with over a million in circulation as Japan. If this decline in print journalism is not addressed, it could as well pose a serious threat to the fundamental values of our democracy. The potential consequences of this decline are too grave to ignore.

There is no such thing as free news, just as there is no such thing as a free lunch. Free online news is not truly free; it comes with hidden costs, such as algorithms - similar to those on social media - that prioritize sensationalist stories, fuelling misinformation and polarization.

'Brain rot', named Oxford Word of the Year 2024, is defined as "the supposed deterioration of a person's mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging." The usage of the word saw an increase of 230 per cent in its frequency from 2023 to 2024.

Oxford University Press's announcement of the Word of the Year sparked debate about the potential negative impact of excessive online content consumption on mental health, particularly in children and young people.

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Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE STATESMAN SILIGURIVer todo
Ashwin might have made difference at SCG: Gavaskar slams mid-series retirement
The Statesman Siliguri

Ashwin might have made difference at SCG: Gavaskar slams mid-series retirement

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The Statesman Siliguri

Stalemate in Brisbane leaves World Test Championship race in the balance

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The Statesman Siliguri

Bumrah rewrites history, eclipses legendary Kapil Dev

Jasprit Bumrah established himself as India's most successful pacer in Australia in Test format after surpassing the legendary Kapil Dev on Day 5 of the Brisbane Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Wednesday.

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The Statesman Siliguri

High time somebody from NCA talks about Shami, says Rohit Sharma

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December 19, 2024
The Statesman Siliguri

All eyes on MCG as India, Oz share honours in Gabba Test

Series remains locked at 1-1 after persistent rain forces third clash at Brisbane to end in a draw

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The Statesman Siliguri

From exile to anthem

The feeling a reader is left with while reading a Marinaj poem is best described by the word 'whisper' from the title of the book itself - \"Teach me how to whisper\".

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The Statesman Siliguri

Voices against patriarchy

This anthology offers rare insights to challenge the impunity for violence against women in South Asia: VRINDA GROVER

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The Statesman Siliguri

India's growth momentum has picked up after Q2 slowdown: Jefferies

The improvement in India's economic growth after the slowdown in the July-September quarter is visible as movement indicators like fuel consumption, vehicles tolled and air traffic have strengthened, Jefferies said in a note on Wednesday.

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1 min  |
December 19, 2024
The Statesman Siliguri

Disha eyes larger slice of ₹30,000 cr optical retail pie, joins hands with ZEISS

Disha Eye Hospitals, the leading eye care hospital chain of Eastern India, has now teamed up with ZEISS, a global leader in optics and optoelectronics, to tap the fast-growing optical retail market in India, which is valued at Rs 30,000 crore and growing at 8 per cent annually.

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The Statesman Siliguri

Net direct tax collections spike by 16.45 per cent to over ₹15.82 trillion

The net direct tax collections for this fiscal year so far have recorded robust growth, rising by 16.45 per cent year-on-year to over Rs 15.82 lakh crore, according to the latest government data.

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