Instagram, X, TikTok. These days, there are many places to get news from, and it seems like the world is at our fingertips. But what about the good old-fashioned newspaper? The feeling of the paper on your fingertips and the smell of the fresh pages – nothing compares to it. However, it seems that we hardly see anyone reading the newspaper these days. Except at UP, where we get everyone’s favourite paper, PDBY, regularly delivered to us by smiling faces across campus. Whether it is to find out what is happening in sports or to see if someone has finally shot their shot at you (your time is coming, I promise), everyone loves the day the new issue comes out. Everyone on campus is dying to know what is going on, and we have got you covered. But in an age where everything is digitised, why even keep printing physical newspapers?
There are mixed opinions on whether physical media is dying. PDBY’s Head Copy Editor Hannah Roberts believes that physical media is finding new ways to exist. Students seem to appreciate and enjoy having a free source of printed media that is handed to them. However, PDBY’s Editor-in-Chief Carel Willemse accepts that there has definitely been a decline in the presence of physical media. As people become more environmentally conscious and digital media becomes more accessible, physical media does seem to be losing its popularity. However, Willemse believes that student publications may be the last to die. But why is it so important to keep it alive?
First and foremost, physical media was here first. Before the smartphone, we still lived with our heads down. Only back then, they were in books, magazines, and, of course, the newspaper! There are many reasons why physical media is important. There is great value in having a physical publication, which is why PDBY has never considered letting go of physically printing each issue. It gives us a much-needed break from our screens and the endless void of social media, but it also gives us a sense of ownership. It gives us something that is ours and belongs to us, where we are free to annotate, flip through, and carry wherever we want. PDBY’s Features Editor Gabriella Hobson says, “In a time where AI is so overwhelming and promotes instant gratification, I think a break away from digital media is crucial.” She remarks that “there is something special about having to wait until the next piece of information [has been] released or uncovered”. Physical media forces us to search for answers and really take our time to digest what we are consuming rather than immediately moving onto the next video or “hot take”.
Physical media also comes with an amount of permanence that digital media simply does not have. You can delete tweets and edit posts, but once something physical is out there, it is out there forever. This also encourages us to take our time when we create something and forces us to be more responsible with our platform. Because physical media is harder to erase or edit, we create work we can take accountability for. Of course, errors are always made, and PDBY prides itself on publicising corrections of anything inaccurate that has made it to print. However, it is much easier to hold people accountable for words that are put to paper.
Having a permanent archive also provides a reliable snapshot of a specific time period. PDBY has its own archive of past issues, which serves as a blast from the past. You get to see what the atmosphere was like and what people cared about during a particular era of time.
Physical media provides a tangible archive of history and human existence. “Media is the fingerprint of human beings and our collective experience,” PDBY reader Lenaé Neels explains. She believes that we have a duty to keep physical media alive both by making it and consuming it. This is an important sentiment – as much as we, as PDBY, love the work that goes into making each new edition, we would be nothing without our readers. Nothing compares to the excitement across campus from students who care about what is going on in the world and in our university. Having a campus newspaper allows us to connect with one another. And distributing is a great form of rejection therapy.
What is also great about having a physical newspaper is that you get to keep it forever. Each PDBY staff member could show you their own personal archive of every issue they have worked on, but even the students make sure to take care of each paper. Whether it be hanging up articles that they resonate with on their wall or simply holding onto the paper, we all take great care of our papers because they are just that special. Danielle Oosthuizen, Head of Visual Media, describes seeing her and her artists’ work in the paper as a “religious experience”. On-paper journalism provides a reliable account of history, and it is vital that we keep it alive and appreciate the artistry that goes into it. Entertainment journalist Mazviita Pasi expresses, “The publication process involves a lot of steps and many hands and actors, so getting to see the final result feels rewarding.”
According to a poll on PDBY’s Instagram page, 96% of students love having a physical newspaper that gets delivered to them personally. The “P” in PDBY stands for Print, and our paper is not going anywhere any time soon. Physical media will never be replaced. PDBY will continue to be a reliable source where you can get the latest news, stories, games, and a bit of gossip. So if you keep reading, we will keep writing.
