newspaper Newspapers, which record history in progress, exert great influence on the contemporary communities as well. Although some of such influence can be misleading, in general, I believe newspapers help people understand the world and themselves better. It is undeniable that newspapers serve as the harbingers for alarms of problems on a societal or global level. Take global warming for example, it is not the research paper but the news of the melting iceberg on the Antarctic that attracted the world’s attention. In fact, more and more in-depth reports and news coverage on the topic of reducing the emission of carbon dioxide have been continually raising people’s awareness of the raising threat of greenhouse gases, which has already become a common knowledge thanks to newspapers. Other examples like the using of plastic bags, obesity and the effect of smoking among others, all get across to the social mass via newspaper in the first place. Moreover, newspapers never fail to broaden people’s minds. The news of terrorists’ attack provides a warning to people who fail to see the disorder and danger of our world, and the news of water on Mars make people wonder about the existence of aliens. Such news drives us out from our everyday lives and make us share concerns with other people around the world. There are, however, some downsides brought about by newspapers. Not everyone of us needs to know the bloody truth of the world, especially the kids. However, some gruesomely detailed reports on crimes and scandals can lead to resentments and faulty imitation and that can result in more bad news, which can turn out be a vicious circle. But with stricter censorship on the contents of the newspaper, this should pose no threat to people at all. In conclusion, I think newspapers are the lighthouses for people sailing on the sea of civilization. With the right information and knowledge provided by newspapers, people can see themselves better in the social background, and make the world a better place eventually.