Print Media and Broadcast media perform very
important functions in today’s world. They both supply us information, which
range from the latest news updates to the latest commodities on the market.
Print media and broadcast media supply us with information that we would
otherwise not get access to.
What is a print media?
A print media is a news organization such as
newspapers and magazines that produce news and stories that are meant to be
read.
What is broadcast media?
A broadcast media on the other hand is a news
organization that supplies people with news in a format that can be heard or
viewed. Examples of broadcast media are the radio and television.
Difference Between Print Media and Broadcast Media
1.
Print media reaches its audience
through a visual medium only, whereas broadcast media reaches its audience
through audio and audiovisual means.
2.
The length of news differs
significantly in both print and broadcast media. In a newspaper for example,
journalists can write into great details about a news event, whereas in
broadcast media, it is not the same. With broadcast media, journalists are
limited time during which news has to be given. The journalist telling the
story of an event in print media has the opportunity to elaborate on the story
but a reporter in the broadcast media usually gives a summary of the news
event.
3.
The control the audience of the
print media has over that of the broadcast media is greater. For example readers
reading a newspaper or magazine can decide which information they want to read,
whereas in broadcast media, the listener or viewer cannot choose what he wants
to view or hear. A newspaper reader can skip pages he does not want to look at.
For example if I am reading a newspaper and come across advertisements, I can
easily skip these pages and move on to the next pertinent one. This however is
not the case when listening to the news on the radio or watching the news on
the television. In broadcast media, the audience is forced to listen or watch
the advertisement.