AVOID straining your eyes and “never say die” are what I understand of the writing by NST group editor Rashid Yusof (Jan 4).
Readers want to read brilliant, biting and dazzling stories of interest.
Though many businesses are cutting back on their use of paper and some are even converting to “paperless offices” such as the Malay Mail, as an educator, I still prefer the hardcopy.
Though there are handheld personal reading devices, many prefer hard copies of their favourite newspapers and magazines over digital articles to get the latest information.
Reading a printed newspaper provides the reader with a flow of information that’s impossible for books to keep pace with.
Newspaper delivers comprehensive information on a variety of topics.
Very few other information sources provide the scope and detail on so many separate and interconnected events.
The information found in newspapers can assist you in important life decisions.
Local newspapers provide insight into events that affect your community in a way that national news outlets cannot.
For years, educators have re cognised the value of newspaper articles as a resource to supplement traditional textbooks.
News stories can be used to demonstrate parallels between current events and historical lessons, and teach educational lessons, and are fresh material for writing assignments.
By teaching students the importance of media in our lives, educators produce a sharper and better informed electorate, which is one of the reasons so many institutions of higher learning require their educators to include media-related assignments in their syllabi.
Many publications offer student-discount subscription rates to encourage readership in that demographic.
If you attend college or a trade school, check to see if the magazine or newspaper you want has a student discount. The savings are often substantial.
If you miss a news story on television, read it in a newspaper. While some print readers prefer the speed of web articles, they stick to their print publications for the simple reason that it’s one less thing that they have to do on their phone or computer.
I used to send my writings to NST and other media. Some were published and some not.
I tried very much to persuade my students to write to newspapers but they responded that one needs to be a professor, a Tan Sri or a scholar as priorities are given to them.
They even ask me how much the paper pays me. You may have heard that newspapers don’t pay as well as magazines. In some cases, that’s true.
On the positive side, when I use what I have written to the newspapers in class, the material helps students to look at things in a bigger scope and improves critical thinking skills since it covers a wide range of topics.
Newspapers are more current than textbooks. There is a lot of information that can boost the performance of students.
Newspapers can be good tools to teach students how to come up with a project the way papers do. They are very helpful in language improvement if read frequently. They help improve general knowledge as they reflect the current status of the country.
Newspapers can also enhance literacy.
AZIZI AHMAD
Educator, Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Bahasa Antarabangsa, Kuala Lumpur