Difference between Print Media and Electronic Media

In mass communication, media refers to the means of mass communication that help spread information or news related to different sectors like sports, education, entertainment, politics, etc., to a large population in a short period of time. Print media and electronic media are two of the major forms of mass media. Let us see they differ from each other!

Print Media:

Print media is one of the oldest means of disseminating information. It is a popular form of advertising that uses physically printed media like newspapers, magazines, books, leaflets, brochures etc. Print media has the ability to reach a wider section of people. It is produced by printing, a process which reproduces text and images on paper using ink in a printing press. In other words, it uses printing technology and methods to spread news, messages, information among the people. The three main types of print media include:

I) Newspapers: It provides correct and authentic information in the form of news, articles and advertisement in a regular manner and presents them in an attractive way to grab readers? attention.

II) Magazines: A magazine generally contains feature stories, interviews, interpretation, research and analysis related content and generally gives emphasis on a particular topic such as fashion, automobiles, health, etc.

III) Books: It comes in different forms such as textbooks, storybooks, literature, etc.

Electronic Media:

Electronic media refers to all means of sharing information, except the print media, such as radio, television, internet etc. It is a media that can be shared on electronic devices for the audience viewing and can be broadcasted to the wider population. It is a powerful version of media that has visual appeal and is more convincing as people can listen to the radio, see live pictures of events on television, can view or read text or images on smart phones etc. Electronic media remains active 24X7. You can watch news channels any time of the day to get news updates or can watch live programs or events on televisions, smart phones etc.

Based on the above information, some of the key differences between print media and electronic media are as follows:

Print Media	Electronic Media
It is one of the earliest forms of media.	It is a more advanced form of media.
Print media tends to retain its form, e.g. a book contains the same information throughout its life.	Electronic media can be edited, e.g. people can edit information, videos, songs, texts and then send to other viewers.
It is slower than electronic media as printing newspaper, books, magazines, etc., takes a lot of time.	It is much faster than print media as writing and uploading a story that has happened just a few moments ago may take only a few minutes.
It is not available 24X7, rather at regular intervals, e.g. daily newspaper, weekly or monthly editions of magazines, booklets etc.	It is available 24X7, e.g. news channels broadcasting news 24X7.
Its main types include newspaper, magazines and books.	Its main types include radio, television, internet etc.
The reach of print media is limited, e.g. it covers a particular region, city or state etc.	The reach of electronic media is worldwide; it can send information across the world.