DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Synthesizing Print and Digital

 

Throughout the 21st century, reading has undergone an evolution from print to digital.  A great example of this evolution can be seen among readers of the New York Times.  The world-renowned newspaper began in 1851, being sold for the small amount of one cent.  Today, the New York Times has not only evolved into a five dollar newspaper but it has also jumped onto the digital bandwagon by becoming available online and throughout various digital resources.  Attempting to merge both digital and print methods together, the newspaper company has decided to include free access to digital versions when a print subscription is made.  Although most readers choose one method as their only method of reading the New York Times, reading in both print and digital can be effective and in fact should be practiced simultaneously.

           

The traditional and previously preferred form of reading the New York Times is print.  Reading in print connects the reader with the text in a more intimate way than reading the same text in a digital format.  Through print, the reader can mark up the text exactly how they want to.  The flexibility of marking up print text makes note taking particularly easier on print materials.  As a student this is one of the main reasons why I choose to purchase my textbooks from a bookstore as supposed to buying the online version on my iPad.  By purchasing print copies of books, I have the ability mark up anything I want in whichever style I choose. This same theory can be applied to reading the New York Times.  When holding the actual newspaper in your hands, the reader becomes more connected to the article. In other words, the reader has the ability to fold and mark up the paper however they want, allowing their concentration to be fully focused on understanding the text.  In fact, studies show that readers who read the New York Times in print remembered more than their digital reading counterparts. 


One of the reasons behind this theory is that print newspapers do not include annoying ads that can be distracting and in turn alter the reader’s perception of the article.  Another benefit that results from reading the New York Times in print is its ability to make its readers more informed.  In the print newspaper, many articles are divided and located on two different pages.  When the reader goes to look for the second half of their article, they have the serendipity of stumbling across other articles that they may find interesting.  Through this process of serendipity, readers become more informed than those who are reading the same article through a digital version.

           

The new and more commonly seen way of keeping up to date with the New York Times is digital.  Although reading the newspaper in print is preferred among most, the convenience of being able to read top stories on your phone, iPad, or computer overcomes the preference.  Reading through digital versions brings a whole new experience to readers.  Using digital means, readers are able to search the definition of a word in the text with a simple tap on the screen.  The automatic connection to dictionaries makes it more convenient for readers to fully comprehend what they are reading.  This is a crucial feature that I personally find meaningful.  In my personal experience reading the New York Times in print, I found that if I didn’t understand a word I would simply skip over it and continue reading through the article.  However, whenever I was reading on my iPad and came across an unknown word, I would simply tap the word and have the definition pop up conveniently on the side.  Another major advantage of reading digital versions of the New York Times is the ability to edit the text to your liking. 


For example, on the iPhone, iPad, and computer, the reader has the ability to zoom in and out from the text making the article more legible.  Digital formats also allow readers to multitask.  Multitasking is an ability that is crucial to the society we are currently living in.  By reading the New York Times on your phone, you can conveniently access text messages, phone calls, and emails through the same device you are using to read the articles.  This is something you could not do while reading the newspaper in print. 


It is evident that both print and digital versions of the New York Times can give readers different interpreting experiences while reading articles.  Focusing on the positives of each method, one can see that each method offers unique insights into reading.  Instead of trying to find the better option, readers should focus on gaining optimum understanding from their reading by using both methods simultaneously. 

 

Works Cited

"Benefits of Reading e-books Online." Web. 27 Apr. 2013. <http://www.e-

           booksonline.name/reading_e-books_online.html>.

 

Shafer, Jack. "Print vs. Online." Slate. 19 08 2012: n. page. Web. 27 Apr. 2013.

           <http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/press_box/2011/08/pri

           nt_vs_online.html>.

 

 "The New York Times". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.

           Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2013

           <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/412546/The-New-York

           Times>.

 

Ballantyne, Coco. "Online v. Print Reading: Which one Makes us Smarter?." Scientific

           American. 23 12 2008: n. page. Web. 27 Apr. 2013.

          <http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=online-v-print-

           reading-which-one-ma-2008-12-23>.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.