Newspaper Woes

As a child, somethings which adults do seem so far-fetched that you can never really wrap your head around them. One such thing was reading the newspaper. How could someone indulge in something so drab on a daily basis as a ritual? To add to that, was the incessant need to make your child read the newspaper especially the hallowed "Editorial page". This page seemed to be an epicentre of all the knowledge the newspaper had to offer. Well, this knowledge eluded me, for the editorial seemed like the vapidest page of the entire newspaper. As I grew (nothing new here, most do) my relationship with newspapers rarely changed. What did change was my parent's insistence on reading the newspaper - it intensified. I kept reading (skimming, to be honest) on, without making much sense of it till one day I did.

Newspapers are not a new thing. Ancient Rome had their Acta Diurna, Victorian England had their news pamphlets. While the newspapers then usually served a functional purpose, somewhere down the line an aspirational value also came to be attached to reading them When that happened, can't really be deduced but that's how it is today. I feel it is the latter which makes the newspaper so tedious for the young, who are yet to conform to the aspirations of the society. So does that mean we, as Pink Floyd put it leave them kids alone.  Well not really, what we need is help the young get answers to some Whys, Whats, and Hows. If we have those we can then figure out if newspapers actually help us out in those regards. Just like to watch a movie you got to switch to a movie channel, similarly if in those pages of a newspaper there are some things which might help you, you should go for it. Rather than imposing the newspaper, it would be better to understand why reading a newspaper is actually beneficial. 

To sermon on the mount should have said that the "aware" shall inherit the earth, for that is how it's mostly been. throughout history, it's been the aware who've been employed with kings, dictators, military generals, parliamentarians and have evoked a sense of reverence from the masses. And if there is one thing newspapers do really well is make you aware. In a globalised world order, something which happens in a distant corner of the world of your own country can have a ripple effect on your life as well. Being aware is being prepared, being prepared is being prudent and being prudent, well that's always good isn't. 

You might ask if being prepared is what matters, then with the numerous apps, I could consume all the information you need in short quick formats, so why the fuss about the newspaper. Well, you've got a point there, in fact, you can and you should use the internet to stay abreast with the world. But a newspaper in it's the very style of reportage goes more beyond than just making you aware. It helps you inculcate a habit of reading and comprehending passages, improves your sense of analysis and helps you build concentration. These skills when honed on a daily basis, give you immense return, which helps you not just in your school, college but also work and personal life. 

Today in the world of GREs GMATs CATs, it is absolutely necessary to get a grasp on English and develop a functional aptitude for the language. When people ask me, how to develop a good spoken or written English and my answer is pretty much always the same - pick up a newspaper. Why I say the newspaper and not a book. Well for starters the newspaper is like a buffet wherein all you have to do is start reading and it is as near to a one-stop solution as we can hope to get. A book, on the other hand, is like an ala-carte affair. There are usually two ways people think about English - the phraseology and the vocabulary - a newspaper helps you develop both. 

At this point if you've finally, decided to shun the evasive attitude and start your morning with a newspaper finally, the question arises how does one start with the paper. My suggestion is to go slow. Cherrypick the parts you like and find interesting. There is no compulsion that you ought to appreciate the Editorials or the centrepiece. It could be anything, from the daily commentary on your favourite football club's performance in last night's game or a movie review or even indulge in sudoku or Garfield comic strips. Just get in the habit of reading well-written pieces which have been written by experts and edited by professional editors. These would not only make you aware but also get you in the habit of reading long articles at a stretch. In this day and age when concentration spans are plummeting, it would serve you well to not have the attention span of a squirrel. 

Once the wheels get rolling, the very thing which earlier was an impediment in reading the newspaper - it's strange aspirational value - now bolsters you on. Often times, we shun most processes because the progress is very slow, fortunately with this habit it is not so. You will start to notice a tangible change in the way you read, write and analyse. It might seem like fiction but it is not. 

So now back to the day, I did make sense of the newspaper. Well the 15-year-old me, unknowingly,  had developed a habit which was to always keep him good stead. And today as a 22-year-old I can vouch for it unequivocally. It is often the small things which make the biggest impact and set you up for bigger and better things. Newspaper Reading is one of them. If you are a kid reading this, then don't worry if you find the newspaper incredibly recondite at first, it happens to the best of us, give it some time. If you're an adult reading this, then help your younger siblings or children or kids around you, develop this habit. The biggest gift you could give someone is just a little nudge on the right path