Comparison of News of Radio, Television and Newspapers

DIFFERENCE OF NEWS OF RADIO, TELEVISION AND NEWSPAPERS

Sources of mass communication are divided into following three types :
1. Audio Source
2. Visual Source
3. A Mixture of Audio and Visual

1. Audio Source :
Audio sources are such sources through which messages are received by hearing sense, e.g.. radio, tape-recorder etc. Experts say that our brain can preserve only 11% of a message received by ears. A big advantage of audio source is that no special conditions are needed. We can hear the voice which is reached to our ears.

Radio :
Radio is the representative of audio source of mass communication. Radio broadcasts its news after half an hour. Radio news have following special features:
1. It is the fastest mean of communication as it gives news after half an hour.
2. Only important news are included in Radio news bulletins because it has short duration.
3. News are broadcast at a particular time. If we missed them, we cannot listen, because they are not repeated.
4. Simple language is used to keep in mind a large number of uneducated people. Due to its simple language, everyone can easily understand Radio news.
5. Repetition creates bad effect on listeners, so it is avoided while making Radio news bulletin.
6. Facts and figures are given briefly because details cannot understood by hearing once. It is tried to give brief description of such news.
7. News are broadcast as it is, without including any dramatic touch.
8. A newscaster reads news of radio. So a listener is not needed to leave his important tasks. He can listen news by switching on a Radio transistor kept in his workplace.
9. Only selected and important news are provided to listeners.
10. Radio news are brief, comprehensive and objective. All aspects of a story are covered.
11. Radio has its own policy to broadcast a news and this policy is in favour of national interests. No news goes against this policy.
12. Radio is under government control. So all news are slanted in favour of government.
13. News are broadcast in different languages.
14. Duration of Radio news bulletins is short. Selected and brief news are broadcast. Only two and a half column of a newspaper are read in a bulletin.
15. Radio is easily accessible to a poor man. It is cheaper than the other sources.
16. It covers less space and can be kept on a table. Pocket-sized transistor Radio sets are also available in market.
17. Blind persons can also listen Radio news, and become well awared to current affairs.
18. Radio news cannot be used for reference because we have no record of them.
19. We cannot verify these news.

2. Visual Source :
Visual sources are such sources, which are related to sight. It is more effective than only hearing source. We can reproduce it through language. Following are the visual sources of communication:
a. Written Material
b. Pictures
c. Signs and Symbols

Newspapers :
Newspapers represent the visual journalism. We receive message from a newspaper through reading it. Newspapers are playing an important role to be well informed a person. Different news are given in a newspaper. There is a large number of news present in a newspaper. Following are the important features of news printed in a newspaper :
1. It is the lowest mean of transmitting news, because it‘is published after twenty-four hours. On the other hand, communication through Radio and TV is faster than newspapers.
2. All types of news and events are covered in newspapers. People take interest specially for regional news.
3. We Can listen to Radio and watch TV in a specific time only but we can read newspaper in leisure hours. It is remained before us all the time.
4. Interest of reader is kept in mind while selecting news for a newspaper. It is for the circulation of a newspaper.
5. A national paper is published at least twelve pages daily. So news are given in detail. It is not possible in short bulletins of Radio and TV.
6. A news can be prominent by giving it headline or by using margin or box around  a news. Different colours, pictures and brackets are also used to do so.
7. Headline and intro are given in newspaper so a reader comes to know about the event.
8. News received from a newspaper are called space covering, while news come from Radio and TV do not cover any space.
9. A person should be educated for enjoying a newspaper while in Radio and TV news, education is not compulsory.
10. Policy of a newspaper does not affect on news published in it. Newspapers show their policy only in editorials. On the other hand, Radio and TV work under government control.
11. There is element of curiosity and sensationalism in news published in newspapers.
12. Newspapers can be a source of history. It can be kept in record. Radio and TV could not be helpful in this matter.
13. Newspapers give detailed news but they do not bother about their truth.
14. We cannot do any work while reading a newspaper. It is done by giving full attention to newspapers.
15. It is a costly medium. We get newspaper by spending money.
16. Column, features and other articles are presented only in newspapers.

3. A Mixture Of Audio And Visual :
Senses of hearing and seeing both are involved watching television. We can remember more than 50%, what we see on television. It is correctly called a combination of time consuming and space covering media.
World has become a global village through fast and correct information delivered by TV. Events happened all over the world are telecast with the help of its film. It becomes the most effective medium of communication. Now we see the peculiarities of news transmitted by television :
1. It is the most effective medium of mass communication by having both audio and visual senses.
2. TV news are telecast in a simple, easily understandable and descriptive method. There is a consistency in details of TV news.
3. Unnecessary details are edited due to lack of time. Minimum duration of a TV news bulletin is five minutes and maximum is news bulletin of thirty minutes. Only prominent aspects of a happening are given.
4. A very important news is given and news having less importance is edited.
5. Correct information is transmitted through TV, so its credibility is more than newspapers.
6. Details are given through movable pictures. Viewers think that they are also a part of that event. These films remain interest of a viewer.
7. News are produced in a very short span of time. All important aspects are given in a comprehensive way.
8. Repeat telecast is a facility to those viewers who have missed news. They can watch television according to their timetable.
9. Method of presenting a news is, to some extent, dramatic. It does not effect on correctness of news, but it is just to maintain interest of a viewer.
10. Many people can watch TV at a time but newspaper is read by only one person.
11. TV news are not space covering. We need not to keep them in our house.
12. Name of city or country is given in all the media of communication.
13. TV news are formed in a decent way. Sometimes, in newspapers such obscene words are used which are opprobrious to read loudly.
14. We can’t keep record of a news for reference.
15. Electricity is the basic need for watching television.