Impact on Jaffna University Students’ Newspaper Reading after the Proliferation of Websites

Abstract

Newspapers have always been a source of information and news for all ages. However, with the proliferation of internet and websites, students’ choice of getting news and information has changed. The new media has expanded the horizons for news and information gatherers, but the focus of this study remains newspapers and internet. It has also become an academic debate that University students do not read newspapers and prefer other sources for news and information. This survey is designed to find out how many students read newspapers and how many surf websites. As newspapers carry vital information that is not available on internet, therefore we will also find out what is the students’ preference of getting news details; newspapers or internet. In this study we will also try to find out the impact of these internet websites on newspaper readers. Findings proved that reading among students has improved. Newspaper reading in classrooms should also be encouraged. By this way non-readers will also adopt the reading habit. Although online availability of newspapers has improved the numbers reading the papers, the print form of the newspaper has seen a significant decline.