Newspapers in Education contributing to the educational process in the Columbia Basin

There used to be a time when I’d go home after a hard day at work, turning an empty screen into stuff you’d want to read, flip on the tele and let Dan Rather tell me what’s happening in the world.

Now if you’re saying “Dan who?” you’re probably part of the digital age generation getting your news from the Smartphone or some online source.

According to an American Press Institute survey, younger people may be slightly less attentive to news on a daily basis, but they are more attentive to breaking news. Young adults are more than twice as likely to follow up in-depth on breaking news as they are to report going in-depth in the last week on any news story.

The American Press Institute survey went so far as the break it down by age, Republicans versus Democrats, ethnic backgrounds, education levels and even tax brackets. I’m in the business and I’m not that interested. But the basic question is, “Where are you getting your news?”

I’d like to think it’s reading the newspaper, but what do I know? I’m the only guy at the airport that isn’t poking on his cellphone while walking down the concourse. I’m not all that interested in thumbing through the apps while I’m waiting for the tech to change my oil change. I actually check out books at the library or read the newspaper.

Yeah, I’m a news man, so I’m a little bias. But I do see the Columbia Basin Herald’s support of Newspapers in Education as a contributing factor to the educational process in the Columbia Basin. The NIE program is a national program aimed at keeping students engaged in their local, state and national news while promoting the importance of print newspapers.

Locals will be golfing for a good cause today, raising money to provide more than 1,000 daily newspapers into the Moses Lake, Ephrata, Quincy, Othello, Warden, Royal City and Mattawa school districts. Last year, the scramble-format tournament raised more than $14,000 to help fund the NIE program. Organizers hope to build on that momentum to help students across 11 school districts in the Columbia Basin receive daily newspapers in the classroom.

The mission is to help with the educational process in a world filled with technological gadgets and a growing list of information sources. Students who use the newspaper in school show significantly more interest in local government, neighborhood events and current issues in foreign affairs.

Studies also show that children who frequently read newspapers are more likely to be reading other sources of information. In a three-year study, NIE student groups showed significantly superior gains in spelling and vocabulary in their classrooms.

I believe in the printed word.

I’m still getting used to the idea of digital media … Facebook, Twitter. Just because it comes up on a Google search doesn’t mean it’s accurate. But the times they are a changin’ and here’s a few things I found interesting in the American Press Institute survey.

The survey data did provide a broad challenge to the notion that younger adults in the digital age are uninterested or are turning away from news about the world. Across a range of metrics — frequency, enjoyment, variety of topic interests, and more — younger adults are high news consumers. But there are some important differences by age.

Younger people may be slightly less attentive to news on a daily basis, they are more attentive to breaking news.

Americans age 60 and over are more likely than the youngest adults (age 18-29), to say they enjoy keeping up with the news, although significant majorities of both groups do so.

It seems to follow, older Americans watch, read, or hear the news more often than the youngest. Adults age 18-29 are significantly less likely than adults age 30-39, 40-59, and 60 and older to say they consume news at least once a day.

Wherever you find it, make news consumption a daily habit.

Rodney Harwood covers sports and business for the Columbia Basin Herald.