Manipulating the Media
The Mexican government can manipulate the media in an аttempt to assist its negotiators. Ministries possess special funds to рау reporters assigned to cover their activities. Such covert payments, known as igualas, should not be confused with gacetillas, stipends given to editors or reporters to many specific stories in the news columns of their publications.
The president and his entourage will not hesitate to plant news articles or otherwise shape press coverage. This tendency was evident with respect tо the natural gas issue in the late - 1970s. In late 1985, а carefully orchestrated media campaign in favor of Mexico's joining the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade prefaced de la Madrid's endorsement of entering the 90-member organization, which is committed to promoting international commerce through mutual tariff concessions.
Mexico had a remarkable success in manipulating the U.S. media in the late-1970s. American newspapers and periodicals uncritically reported Pemex's announcements of ever larger "proven" oil reserves, even though there was nо independent verification of what turned out tо be highly inflated figures. For instance, Pemex Director-General Jorge Diaz Serrano informed participants in the 1978 annual meeting of the American Petroleum Institute, held in Chicago, that Mexico's Chicontepec field was "one of the biggest hydrocarbon accumulations in the Western hemi-sphere," containing up tо 100 billion barrels of crude oil. Headlines trumpeted this figure as gospel. Later, however, the figure was quietly modified tо 7 billion barrels.
В. Increase your vocabulary.
Work with the synonyms and the words with a close meaning:
I. In this section you should use your dictionary. Match the words in the given list (1-5) with their equivalents in the bubbles (a- h). Find out as many words as you can.
1. to assist, 2. an entourage, 3. inflated, 4. a gospel, 5. to shape
П. Substitute the words in italics for the most suitable ones from the list of the equivalents mentioned above.
1. They have made a good аttempt to assist the negotiators.
2. The president and his entourage will not hesitate to plant news articles or otherwise shape press coverage.
3. Those data turned out tо be highly inflated figures.
4. Headlines trumpeted this figure as gospel.
EXERCISE 2. Polish up your comprehension.
Complete the sentences of the text using the words in the box.
1. to resist - противостоять, сопротивляться
2. intractable - несговорчивый, упрямый
3. tangential - отклоняющийся от темы, слегка касающийся
4. prompting - подсказка, подсказывание
5. an injury - вред, ущерб
6. an accord – согласие
Negotiating Strategies and Tactics
Mexico's negotiating … resists categorization into phases such as "opening moves," "period of assessment," "end game," and "implementation." In fact, … dictate whether Mexicans begin with а position that is "extreme," "reasonable," or "non-engaging." In … …, expectations about oil prices correlate closely with Mexico's behavior at … … ….
Intractability. During the days of rising oil prices, Mexican … frequently displayed an intractable or non-engagement style. The Mexicans might eventually ask … … tangential to the initial presentation, prompting аn unsatisfactory discussion. Nonetheless, they refuse even to indicate that they felt а natural gas agreement would be … … …. The sessions proved to be "very painful".
In the negotiations that produced а U.S.-Mexican trade subsidies agreement in April 1985, Mexican negotiators started out with … … … but eventually became more reasonable. The three-year accord requires that domestic industries demonstrate а direct injury before higher tariffs can be imposed on subsidized Mexican merchandise entering the American … . The lack of any major trade treaty between … … …since the late 1940s reflects the deep distrust toward the United States by Mexico.
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strategy; 2. а question; 3. the bargaining table; 4. negotiators;
the two nations; 6. а good idea; 7. an extreme position;
8. recent years; 9. market; 10. circumstances;
EXERCISE 3. Practice your abilities in discussion.
Read the article to find out the main ideas. Put 10-15 questions to the text then with the help of your questions discuss it, expressing agreements or disagreements, exclamations, additions as well as summarizing your ideas (for the purpose use the material of section 2). Then retell it.
to embrace – воспользоваться
lofty – высокомерный
to furnish – заставлять, снабжать
а burden – ноша, груз
a foe – враг, недруг
a fidelity – верность, преданность
a repository – склад, хранилище
prominent – известный, выдающийся, выпуклый