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St. Cloud State University
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Commentary
Media bombards students with news
By Carol Seavey
Published:
Monday, February 3, 2003
Carol Seavey -- Staff Essay
I was recently on a panel of four students discussing young people's newspaper reading habits.
I was excited to be on the panel because it was a great way to be introduced to about 100 professionals in the field.
But, it turned into more of a negative thing. I knew what we were going to say. However, the newspaper editors, publishers and writers attending were shocked that even journalism students don't read the newspaper. One man even got up and questioned our dedication and passion for journalism, saying he would never hire us.
I was shocked that they were shocked. Even if we don't read the entire newspaper, it doesn't mean we don't know what's going on in the world. We are constantly bombarded with media that includes news updates like television, radio and the internet.
Let's consider how much news can be heard in one day. You turn on the radio on the way to class. In addition to the usual morning talkshow games and trivia, they often talk about quirky news, give frequent updates and announce big news.
Then, it's off to class, where, unless your professor lives in a cave, you will probably discuss the effects of some current event or another.
After class, you walk through Atwood, where a variety of kiosks display information either for or against a current issue (or they just try to sell you a cell phone, but that could definitely fall in the business section of the newspaper.)
If you stop for lunch on campusthere will most likely be some discarded newspapers. You flip through it, briefly, reading the headlines and maybe stopping to read an article that interests you.
It's off to the library to do homework (and check your e-mail for the third time today). When you log into your e-mail account, the latest headlines from CNN flash across the screen.
After a long day of classes, homework and parttime work, you turn on the TV for a moment of relaxation before bed. Conan is on and he's joking about what else? Current events.
The fact that I can get news basics without reading the entire newspaper is a great rationale.
However, if I want details, I will go back to the newspaper or the web pageand read the story, when I get time. I always want to know more about stuff that effects students or the community.
It's also easy to get caught up in the college world. That makes it tough to keep up with national and world news, which, if you don't read every day can be very confusing.
I have to admit that if I have any questions or confusion about national news I ask my dad. He has attained a lot of useful information through life experiences and reading the newspaper everyday. He reads more of it than most people, for about an hour each day, in addition to watching the news (sometimes he watches both the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. news). When I have time, I'm going to read the newspaper everyday, too.
There was also some confusion as to how much of the paper you have to read for it to be considered reading the newspaper. As a journalism student, flipping through and reading the headlines and just one or two other articles is not reading the newspaper. But, for normal, non-obsessed people, it is. People look at the paper but few read it cover to cover.
I'm not saying that I don't want to read the newspaper. Really, I do. But, seeing as I work at the University Chronicle 40 hours a week (for less than a dollar an hour, I might add), go to school full time (for which I rarely have time to read textbooks) and work part-time, I cannot commit two hours each day to read the paper. When I have some free time I do read the newspaper, if not two different ones, cover to cover.
It's not that I'm not passionate about journalism, if I wasn't I wouldn't be working for pennies and letting it eat away my study time. Between scanning the paper and other media sources, I find out what's going on in the world. But, for now, I ain't got time to read.
