Before the advent of social media and even radio and television, newspapers were the main source of information. Actually, the ancestors of the modern-day newspapers were handwritten news sheets which were circulated in Venice as early as the year 1566. The first printed newspapers were made in Germany in 1609, these later spread to England and the rest of the world thereafter.
The fact that the newspaper is still an important source of information up to this day is a testament to how integral it has become in our lives. In as much as technological development has meant that there are other sources of news, every morning I still find myself looking for my daily fix of business news from the papers.
However, getting a physical copy has not always been easy depending on which part of the country I am which has been a bit disappointing. This has changed with the launch of e-papers in collaboration with Safaricom. Currently, one can access the newspapers on their site, USSD by dialing *550# or via the My Safaricom App.
Here are some of the reasons why you should get yourself an e-newspaper subscription;
Accessibility
Depending on where you are in this beautiful country of ours, it can either be hard or easy to get access to a newspaper. This is because some of the places are so remote that they hardly get newspapers not to mention other necessities. As such if you find yourself in such an area you will have to go without your favorite newspaper.
However, with the launch of the e-newspaper, you can be able to read your paper from anywhere in the country provided there is network. All at the touch of a button, heck you don’t even have to leave your bed to get the newspaper!!
Price
Given the current state of our economy, a majority of us have become price sensitive in that we are making every coin count. As such, the pricing of the e-newspaper at Ksh. 20 per day is within the reach of many as opposed to the price tag of Ksh. 60 for the physical copy.
Also, the fact that downloading the e-paper on the My Safaricom App does not consume any data is likely to drive more people to buy the papers.
Timely
The e-newspaper ensures that you receive the paper at the earliest possible time, essentially, you can get it as soon as it is uploaded even if it is 1 am in the morning. This is as opposed to having to wait till morning so as to get a physical copy of the same.
Variety
On My SafaricomApp, you can get a variety of newspapers to choose from depending on your taste and preference. One can be able to access The Standard, Nation, Business Daily, The Nairobian, People Daily and The Star.
At times, depending on your locality, you might find that the dealer does not have a certain publication due to high demand ama the delivery van is late. However, on the App, there are no such stories, here you will always get your fix of gossip, business or national news.
No Clutter
Buying a physical newspaper is all well and good but the downside is that It leads to clutter. If your folks were fans of reading papers, I am sure you can remember the heap of old newspapers that they used to keep in a corner for whatever reason.  As such, if you love your newspaper as much as I do, the best way to read it is online whereby you don’t have to deal with clutter thereafter.