Notes INTRODUCTION TO PRINT MEDIA

1 MODULE - 2 NotesPrint MEDIA 48 MASS COMMUNICATIONI ntroduction to PRINT Media5 INTRODUCTION TOPRINT MEDIAIn the previous module, you have learnt about different forms of mass MEDIA , as you know is one of them. PRINT MEDIA is one of the oldest andbasic forms of mass communication. It includes newspapers, weeklies,magazines, monthlies and other forms of printed basic understanding of the PRINT MEDIA is essential in the study of masscommunication. The contribution of PRINT MEDIA in providing informationand transfer of knowledge is remarkable. Even after the advent of electronicmedia, the PRINT MEDIA has not lost its charm or relevance.

2 PRINT MEDIA hasthe advantage of making a longer impact on the minds of the reader, withmore in-depth reporting and studying this lesson, you will be able to do the following :zidentify the different forms of PRINT MEDIA ;zdiscuss the history of early printing;zdescribe the evolution of newspapers in India;zdifferentiate between PRINT and electronic NEWSPAPERSP rint MEDIA generally refers to newspapers. Newspapers collect, edit andprint news reports and articles. There are newspapers published in the eveningalso. They are called - 2 PRINT MediaNotes 49 MASS COMMUNICATIONI ntroduction to PRINT MediaWhy do people read newspapers ?

3 They read newspapers for a variety ofreasons. Let us consider a few while going to the city you might have seen an accident. Twobuses had collided and by the mere sight you could make out that manypassengers must have been killed or injured. You were busy with your dailyengagements and forgot about the accident. Only today morning you recalledthat incident. You were curious to know more about it. You wanted to knowhow many passengers were killed or will you look for these details?In a newspaper, of course. So you would pick up a newspaper and read allabout the accident.

4 Fig : News of a rail accidentRamu and Ravi were planning to go for a movie. Both got pocket moneyfrom their parents and permission to go for a film. Ramu asked Ravi whetherhe knows the names of films playing in different theatres in the City. Raviwas also not sure about it. So they picked up a newspaper. The paper gave allthe details about films shown in different cinema halls in the - 2 NotesPrint MEDIA 50 MASS COMMUNICATIONI ntroduction to PRINT MEDIA Fig : Cinema theatre listYou must have seen such columns in the newspaper. They appear underthe title entertainment.

5 So you look into the newspaper for is a resident of Bhopal. He wanted to visit his uncle in Delhi. As hewas busy during the weekdays, he was free only during weekends. Beforebooking the tickets, he wanted to know about the train timings. He used tosee that the local newspaper carries a column on train timings. So hepicked up that paper and decided on the train in which he should reserve - 2 PRINT MediaNotes 51 MASS COMMUNICATIONI ntroduction to PRINT MediaYou must have seen such columns in newpapers. They give you suchinformation.

6 So you are reading the paper for information newspapers play a very important role in our daily life. We read thenewspaper for HISTORY OF PRINTINGHave you seen a palm leaf? There was a time when people used to write onpalm leaves. This was before the discovery of paper. Some of the oldmanuscripts written on palm leaves are preserved in our National ManuscriptLibrary in Delhi. Fig : Old manuscript on palm leaves Fig : Railway timings listMODULE - 2 NotesPrint MEDIA 52 MASS COMMUNICATIONI ntroduction to PRINT MediaThe Chinese were the first to invent the art of printing.

7 They made woodenblocks to PRINT letters. This was started during the period of the Tang Dynastyin 600 AD. The oldest known surviving printed work in a woodblock is aBuddhist scripture of 684 AD. It is now exhibited in a calligraphy museumin Tokyo, the capital of first printed book published in China was the Buddhist text, the DiamondSutra by Wang Chick in 868 AD. Some copies of the Buddhist scripturesprinted in 1377 are preserved in museums in China. Fig : Buddhist Text of 1377 Can you imagine a world without paper ? Nowadays paper has become anintegral part of our life.

8 We read papers in the morning, write on note booksmade of paper, send letters on paper, use paper boxes to carry things and soon and so forth. You have learnt in an earlier lesson how this paper the Egyptians made paper by 3500 BC, it came to Europeonly by the 11th century. The first paper mill in Europe was set up in Spainin printing came to Europe by 1300. It is believed that JohannesGutenburg of Germany had developed printing technology around also invented an oil-based ink for printing. He printed the Biblein 1450. It was in the Latin language and had 1282 pages.

9 He used movableprinting blocks for the - 2 PRINT MediaNotes 53 MASS COMMUNICATIONI ntroduction to PRINT MediaPrinting technology came to India in 1556. It was the Jesuit priests whobrought this technology to our country. The first book printed in India was inPortugese language in Old Goa. It was Doctrina Christa by St. Francis Xavier. Fig : Doctrina ChristaThe invention of printing has revolutionised mass communication. Booksare printed in large numbers and circulated in many countries. No otherinvention has had such an influence in the history of QUESTIONS Write the names of any three national dailies.

10 (i) ..(ii) ..(iii) ..2. Who invented the art of printing ? What did they use for printing?3 When and where was the first paper mill started? THE FIRST NEWSPAPERW hich was the first newspaper published in the world? It is very difficult topoint out a single newspaper as the first one. During the Maurya period,MODULE - 2 NotesPrint MEDIA 54 MASS COMMUNICATIONI ntroduction to PRINT Mediakings used to circulate news to the people as proclamations. In ancient Rome,Acta Diurna, or government announcements, were published regularly. Theywere inscribed in metal or stone.