Newspapers versus tv

Both in Britain and the USA there has been an appreciable de­cline in readership. To meet the public demand for more feature material, some publishers have started adding "lifestyle" and "home living" sections to their papers to make them more like magazines.

In regular opinion polls people say that it is now television which provides them with most of their information about the world. Television news is dramatic and it is immediate. Despite this television has not killed newspapers. It seems that we need both, al­though perhaps the role of newspapers in the television age has changed.

Discussion points:

a. As media. TV and newspapers are different: one visual, the other written. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each medium as a way of looking at the world?

b. "Television has not killed newspapers." Do you agree? If so. are you surprised that it has not done so? Can you explain why it has not?

с Most people get most of their news first from television, usually the evening news programmes. How does this affect newspapers and what they print for reading the next morning? List as many ways as you can think of in which newspapers could change be­cause of TV.

Exercise 17 a. Learn the collocations with the words 'news' and 'press', be sure that you know how to translate them:

~ news ~

~ editor; ~ media; ~ space (in a newspaper); ~ analyst; ~ bias; ~ coverage; international ~ ; local ~ ; national ~ ; political ~ ; sensational ~ ; shocking ~ ;

to announce ~; to break ~; to broadcast ~; to colour / to distort / to twist ~;

to control / to cover up / to suppress / to censor / to gag ~ ;

to cover ~ ; to make the ~; to spread ~; to emphasize / to highlight ~; to focus on ~.

~ press ~

foreign ~ ; free ~;'gutter ~ ; yellow ~ : quality ~ ;

to get a good / bad ~ ; to censor / muzzle / to gag the - ;

~ coverage; ~ campaign; ~ release; ~ conference; ~ censorship; ~ freedom.

b. Give the English for the following:

освещение новостей прессой; скрывать информацию; особо выделить какую-либо информацию;

получить положительное освещение в прессе; сообщать новость; искажать информацию;

подавлять средства информации; предвзятость в изложении новостей; грязная пресса;

редактор отдела новостей; новостная полоса в газете; приукрашивать новости; подвергать прессу цензуре; передавать новости; средства массовой информации, специализирующиеся в

освещении новостей.

с. Fill in the gaps with appropriate word combinations from those above.

1. Governments that limit ________________are accused of ______the press.

2. On privacy, the prime minister is as opposed to_______as the newspapers.

3. The chances of a privacy law______the Press are now 'a lot less than they were a few days ago'.

4. The tabloid newspapers - or _______ press as they are known in Britain - have always been a source of fascina­tion to media watchers.

5. The news _______ was shocking.

6. The news was ________ but still the Times_______ it in a rather moderate tone.

7. The excitement of the________' job is the news story that ________unexpectedly.

8. Many believe that the______________in the Sun is too much _______.

9. It is difficult for the media_______the growing number of crises throughout the world.

10. The editors were urged by the government either to keep from _______ the_______news or to ________ it a little.

Exercise 18

Match the newspaper expressions on the left to their descrip­tions on the right and then use the expressions to complete the sentences below.

1. obituary	a. small adverts about films, plays, things for sale, etc.
2. gossip column	b. news about the country the paper is published in
3. feature	с exclusive story, especially an exciting one
4. home	d. (often critical) stories about the social activities and private life of famous people
5. masthead	e. story of general interest
6. banner headline	f. top of front page carrying the name of the paper
7. scoop	g. article about the life of someone who has recently died
8. classified	h. headline in an extremely large print

1. The Sun's________is 'Come Home Dead'.

2. The discovery of Goebbels diaries was yet another Sunday Times________that left our competitors gasping.

3. London has its own evening paper, the Evening Standard, which provides Londoners with news and ________, cover­ing events in the capital.

4. ... the Observer's front page headline — under its new royal blue_______.

5. Among the_________ stories covered in British papers is the continuing legal row over the finances of the country's National Union of Mineworkers.

6. MGN's step was considered as an attempt to get its share of the regional newspaper's advertising cake, particularly __________.

7. May I add a personal note to your excellent _______ of Charles Abell. Throughout his career he was faced with challenges but never hesitated to take firm decisions.

8. Having failed at show business he ended up in journalism. By the mid-thirties he had his_________. Broadway was his beat.

Exercise 19 Obtain a copy of a British or American newspaper, and make its review saying:

a. whether the newspaper is national, regional or local;

b. whether it is a broadsheet or a tabloid;

с for which readers, in your opinion, the newspaper is designed;

d. how regular it is;

e. which sections the newspaper contains. Look for: the editorial. domestic and foreign news, features, pictures, sport, readers' letters, advertising, entertainment (crossword, puzzles, car­toons, TV programme, etc.), some other sections;

f. what proportion of the paper they take up;

g. if you find it interesting and if you would read this newspaper regularly.

Exercise 20

Study the collocations with the words 'public' and 'social', trans­late them into Russian:

a.

i. public office; public figure / man; public policy; public school; public debt; public bill;

ii. public relations; public opinion; public order / peace;

iii. public ownership; public spirit;

iv. public library; public lecture;

v. public service(s);

vi. public protest; public hearing (in court);

vii. public enemy; public health; public school (Br.)

b.

i. social order; social activity; social event;

ii. social science; social security and insurance; social welfare;

iii. social evil; social services; social unrest; social integration;

iv. social benefits;

v. social life / party / evening.

Exercise 21 Choose the right alternative public or social:

a. Fill in the spaces with the right word.

1. In a free society, newspapers are a_______forum.

2. The commonest air pollution comes from the cigarette smoke polluting many_______places.

3. Shaw was an outstanding speaker at the numerous _______ meetings and debates which were part of London _______life.

4. The Romans made bathing an elaborate________occasion.

5. In 1943 a workable version of a ball point pen developed by J. Biro hit the writing_________.

6. There is a world of difference between________schools in GB and the U.S.

7. A_________school for an American means the elementary school in which education is free, for an Englishman it means a very expensive school which prepares its pupils for univer­sities to take high_________position after graduation.

8. The _________ attitude to smoking has dramatically changed, the amount of tobacco consumed has decreased.

9. Every land has its own_________customs and traditions.

10. The committee brought out the draft of________reforms.

11. The economic growth of a country is connected with its system.

12. The authorities are responsible for the_________order dur­ing the rally.

b. Translate the sentences.

1. В авторитарном государстве власть не волнует общест­венное мнение.

2. Предполагается, что общественные деятели посвящают себя служению народу и обществу.

3. Отношение общества к социальным реформам выяснится путем опроса общественного мнения и должно быть пре­дано гласности.

4. Общественный порядок поддерживается государствен­ной, службой - полицией.

5. Общественный строй определяется тем, кто находится у власти

6. В министерстве иностранных дел обязательно есть пред­ставитель, отвечающий за связи с общественностью.

7. Известно, что М.Л. Кинг был выдающимся обществен­ным деятелем.

8. Каждый государственный деятель утверждает, что он заботится о благосостоянии общества.

9. Многие дипломаты считают присутствие на светских мероприятиях своей скучной обязанностью.

10. Такие реформы могут привести к волнениям в обществе.

Exercise 22 Translate the sentences into English using the emphatic structure.

1. Именно религиозные различия и становятся причиной многих войн.

2. Защита интересов своей страны - вот главная задача ди­пломата.

3. Урегулирование отношений должно осуществляться только посредством переговоров.

4. В своей работе вы должны руководствоваться лишь национальными интересами.

5. Именно хорошие личные отношения между лидерами стран способствуют поддержанию дружеских отноше­ний.

6. Конфликт произошел из-за возникновения непонимания политики соседней страны.

7. За заголовки отвечает редактор отдела новостей.

8. Именно скандальные новости обеспечивают огромные тиражи популярным газетам.

Exercise 24 Fill in the banks in the text with the words given below.