Community Impact Editor of the Dayton Daily News, Nicholas Hrkman, agreed to write an introductory piece to explain to the students what and why newspapers matter as an important information source. An end-of-semester survey revealed satisfaction with this novel use and exposure to using the DDN as a learning tool. Student Gwendolyn Crosby-Baskin agreed and stated, “What stood out for me is the maternal and infant mortality rate, especially for black women. . .and the infant mortality rate locally”. She would recommend continuing using the DDN as an additional resource, adding that the previous college she attended did not offer this.
Another student, Ved Pathak, agreed the articles selected did “. . .help me to gain more knowledge about the subject matter of Asthma, Measles, and Maternal and Child Health”. He also added a definite recommendation, “. . .because it really helps enhance your knowledge on the subject and can make you understand the problem on a more relatable basis”.
What We All Learned
A newspaper can help fill the gap between already published textbooks and periodicals. Providing students with current, objective, and accurate information is paramount to turning out well informed, observant graduates for any future career, especially public health and medical practitioners. As my students’ responses seem to support this observation, I will continue to use this teaching tool. To this end, their DDN and my experiences have been further enhanced by having accessibility to a daily newspaper. That’s what a newspaper strives to do. Daily.
Jerry A. O’Ryan MPH RCP RRT, is an Adjunct Instructor in Public Health for Sinclair College. He is an author/editor of several medical textbooks and journals.
Local, fact-based journalism builds connections that strengthen the community and the region. The Dayton Daily News offers group subscriptions to high schools, universities and businesses. Contact Barbara.Kedziora@coxinc.com to learn more.
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