Explain the words and word combinations in English.

Стр 1 из 9Следующая ⇒

Факультет Международных отношений

Пособие по английскому языку для студентов 2 курса (4 семестр)

(Уровень: Advanced, Upper-Intermediate, Intermediate)

Mass Media

Санкт –Петербург

20 1 8

Text 1 Types of Media

Read the following text. Translate the underlined passage(s) into Russian.

News and entertainment are communicated in a number of ways, using different media. The media include print media such as newspapers and magazines, and electronic media such as radio and television. The word media is most often used to refer to the communication of news, and in this context means the same as news media. Media and mass media are often used when discussing the power of modern communications.

Programmes or reports are transmitted or broadcast live in a live broadcast, with events seen or heard as they happen, or recorded for broadcast later. There is, of course, a lot of competition between broadcasting and publishing organisations. Most TV, radio networks and newspapers look forward to increasing the size of their audience, or their ratings. High audience figures attract more commercials to be shown in commercial breaks between programmes or advertising published in newspapers and magazines.

Multimedia is the combining of TV, telecommunications and computers to provide information and entertainment services that will be interactive. Users are able to interact with the programmes and influence what they see.

The press usually refers just to newspapers, but the term can be extended to include magazines. Newspapers are either tabloid, a format usually associated in the English-speaking world with the popular press, or broadsheets, associated with quality journalism.

Tabloids are sometimes referred to as the gutter press by people who disapprove of them. Tabloids often have large circulations and even bigger readership. Papers such as these are often referred to as mass circulation papers.

Text 2 Newspapers in the UK

Before you read think

- Do all newspapers provide reliable information? Why?

- What British newspapers do you know? What kind of information do they provide?

Read the following text. Translate the underlined passage(s) into Russian.

All newspapers in Britain, daily or Sunday ones, can broadly be divided into the quality press and the popular press.

The quality newspapers are also known as “heavies” and they usually deal with home and overseas news, with detailed and extensive coverage of sports and cultural events. Besides they also carry financial reports, travel news and book and film reviews.
The popular press or the “populars” are also known as tabloids as they are smaller in size being halfsheet in format. Some people also call them the “gutter press” offering news for the people less interested in daily detailed news reports.

They are characterised by large headlines, carry a lot of big photographs, concentrate on the personal aspects of news, with reports of the recent sensational and juicy bits of events, not excluding the Royal family. The language of a tabloid is much more colloquial, if not specific, than that of quality newspapers.
Here is a possibly witty though true classification of English newspapers:

“The Times” is read by the people who run the country;

“The Mirror” is read by the people who think they run the country;

“The Guardian” is read by the people who think about running the country;

“The Mail” is read by wives of the people who run the country;

“The Daily Telegraph” is read by the people who think the country ought to be run as it used to be;

“The Express” is read by the people who think it is still run as it used to be;

“The Sun” is read by the people who don’t care who runs the country as long as the naked girl at page three is attractive.

In Britain today there are four nationwide quality papers: “The Times”, “The Daily Telegraph”, “The Guardian” and “The Independent”. “The Daily Mail”, “The Daily Mirror”, “The Sun”, “The Daily Express” and “The Daily Star” are usually considered to be “populars”.

In general, however, English people themselves, though slightly sniffy and condescending about their “populars”, underline that the quality of newspapers in Great Britain of late is much better than 20 years ago. They argue that it is much lower if they take the example of “The Times” newspaper, which was taken over by Rupert Murdoch in the early eighties. He is the owner of News International and is among the people who have control over the press. Rupert Murdoch also owns “The Sun”, which is, as it has already been stressed, a very low quality newspaper. To increase readership into “The Times” he gradually increases a lot of techniques in it similar to those he introduced in “The Sun” paper.
Most people in Great Britain perceive the press in Great Britain as objective, since they claim that there is no overt censorship, no overt bias in reporting the news, and that there is a wide choice of newspapers apart from the national dailies.

There are a lot of different regional daily papers in Britain as well. One can mention the following “The Scotsman” and “The Yorkshire Post”. There are also local weekly papers and many London and local papers delivered or distributed free and paid for entirely from advertising. Thus in Britain one can find newspapers of every political colour, from the far left to the far right. There are several socialist newspapers on sale each week, for example, “Socialist Worker”, and many others. Most people are satisfied that there is a free and objective press. They say that the British press is also investigative, uncovers scandals in the governments, and if they are not satisfied with what they read in “The Times” and think it is not true, they have the opportunity to go and pick up another newspaper and compare reportings.

Exercises

1. Give equivalents of the following:

печатные средства массовой информации, передача новостей, вести прямую передачу, телесеть, стремиться увеличить читательскую аудиторию, телереклама, развлекательная программа, влиять на программы, широкоформатные газеты, качественная журналистика, неодобрительно относиться к грязной прессе, большой тираж, высокомерный, заголовок.

Complete the sentences.

publish, publisher, publication, publicity, to publicize, public

1.My favourite paper has had to cease__________ for 17 days because of a printers' strike.

2. Some distinguished politicians try to avoid unwanted___________.

3. By______________their style of life some famous personalities try not to be forgotten.

4. The primary challenge a daily newspaper____________faces is the cost of producing his paper.

5. The earliest known newspaper in Britain was_________in 1513.

6. The newspaper had___________an apology and pay a fine for its unchecked__________.

7. The behaviour of the royal family is always a matter of intense___________curiosity.

8. The____________of these papers felt that there was a need for something new and different to fill a gap in the market.

9. By providing a window on the world, newspapers make________facts that would otherwise remain hidden or unknown.

Text Translation

The Times

Большую часть своей истории The Times была самой влиятельной ежедневной газетой Британии. Газета была неотъемлемым чтивом для руководящего класса страны. Газеты была основана в 1785 году Джоном Уолтером. Первое название газеты The Daily Universal Register было изменено на The Times в 1788 году. К середине 19-го века газета получила среди своих читателей название The Thunderer за свои устрашающие передовые статьи. Газета была известна обзором мировых событий (это была первая газета, которая включала в себя международную корреспонденцию). После периода своего упадка, газета выжила под руководством главного редактора Уильяма Хэйли в 1960-70-х гг. Этот период был ознаменован для газеты известным и противоречивым слоганом: Top People Read The Times (Высшее общество читает Таймз). The Times как и ее сестрой The Sunday Times владеет международный магнат прессы Руперт Мердок. Газета печатается в Лондоне и выходит с тиражом около 400 000 – 450 000 копий.

Text 3 Dowdy German Media Aunt Gets a New Suit

Read the following text. Translate the underlined passage(s) into Russian.

Die Zeit's editor aims to regain the paper's status as a forum for lively intellectual debate

Like so many German institutions, Die Zeit, the esteemed liberal weekly newspaper, has become somewhat flabby and complacent. The " old aunt" is certainly still accorded the begrudging respect typically reserved for an ageing relative. But it is also a touch dowdy, too long-winded and not listened to as much as in the past. According to Roger de Weck, the paper's newish, youngish editor, this is about to change. " The old aunt is getting new clothes, " says Mr de Weck, who was drafted in by Die Zeit's owners, the publicity-shy Hoitzbrinck group.

His task is to oversee the rejuvenation of a paper which is older than the Federal Republic and which in its 1960s and '70s heyday had a profound impact on political debate in the former West Germany.

Mirroring shifts in German society at large, Die Zeit was caught by surprise by the great changes which accompanied the fall of the Berlin Wall, and never quite regained its sense of purpose. The biggest shock for it has been the way Germany's intellectuals have become increasingly marginalised in public debate.

The paper's new clothes went on display last week. A redesign by the American newspaper designer Mario Garcia has given Die Zeit a lighter look, which means an increase in the type size and a lot more white space between the lines.

A table of contents has been added - a welcome addition to a paper renowned for its bulk and its expanses of text. Splashes of red here and there add a flirtatious touch. And the word " knowledge" has replaced " trade" in the paper's sub-title.

This last change might appear rather slight. But it gives an indication of the Swiss-born, 44-year-old Mr. de Weck's more important plans for Die Zeit: the transformation of the paper's editorial content and tone.

Articles will be shortened and the prose made more terse. But at a time when there is more information available than ever before Mr. de Weck reckons marketing expertise and competence is the best way of earning money and getting more readers.

The 450, 000 people who currently buy the paper every Thursday come from Germany's highly-educated classes.

On the commercial side, the paper is the leading carrier of academic recruitment advertisements.

Such company may certainly be civilised. But in recent years the paper has become, as many of Die Zeit's younger journalists admit, and even boring. Mr. de Weck acknowledges this, but says he has started to implement changes to make it a forum for intellectual debate and ideas to reform Germany's ossified institutions.

He has set up a " reform workshop " of journalists drawn from the political, business and " knowledge" departments. Elsewhere, younger journalists have been promoted, with older ones encouraged to try their hands at more regular reporting again. The aim, Mr. de Weck says, is to play a more active role in the parts of society agitating for change in Germany.

On the commercial side, the goal is to boost the circulation of Die Zeit to 470, 000 by the end of the year. Currently, it has a turnover of DM 150m (£ 50m) and makes a small (undisclosed) profit.

While the political, business and social establishment is still inert, Mr. de Weck senses that particularly among the young there is hunger for reform and change.

" There is actually a lot happening on the ground, but it is being held up by ageing institutions. We want to put ourselves at the forefront of reform. "

Die Zeit is a good testing ground for Mr. de Weсk's thesis. In the German newspaper world Die Zeit is known as the place where journalists only ever leave feet first. Many of the staff who helped establish Die Zeit's reputation when both the paper and the country at large faced material hardship unimaginable in affluent Germany today are still on board.

But such age also brings with it experience and respect. One of the journalists most identified with the paper for the last 40 years is Countess Marion Donhoff. The octogenarian scion of an east Prussian aristocratic family, she is one of Germany's best known thinker-scribes and a familiar face on the international policy wonk circuit. Her colleague on the editorial board, Helmut Schmidt, the former chancellor, brings the clout of statesmanship.

The challenge facing Mr de Weck over the next few months is to retain such gravity while ushering in a much needed breath of fresh air. Like the society it claims to mirror, Die Zeit will need to show it has embraced change and embarked on a new and exciting course, and persuade readers that the changes unveiled this week are not a case of too little too late.

Exercises

1. Give equivalents of the following:

Редакционная коллегия; приносить незначительную прибыль; тираж; еженедельная газета; редактор; маркетинговая экспертиза; оглавление; канцлер; оборот; содержание; объявление о вакансии; уважаемое издание; создать репутацию; попробовать себя в чем-то; отражать события; вносить изменения; быть готовым к чему-либо; расцвет; подзаголовок; оказывать влияние на; быть в первых рядах; журналисты; обновление газеты; жажда реформ; чувство собственного предназначения; статья; форум для дискуссий; претендовать; поле для испытаний; увеличить тираж; размер шрифта

2. Find as many synonyms as you can:

to boost circulation; to mirror; an esteemed newspaper; hunger for reform; to be about to do smth.; to implement changes; to establish reputation; a scribe; rejuvenation of a newspaper; to be at the forefront of reforms; to have impact on; profound impact; to embark on

3. Translate into English:

1. Расцвет этого издания пришелся на середину 90х; тогда его читали чуть ли не в каждой семье. 2. Не думаю, что вам удастся купить это пособие, его тираж слишком мал и его практически невозможно найти. 3. Сегодня телевидение и электронные СМИ имеют больше влияния на общественное мнение, нежели радиовещание и печатные издания. 4. Считается, что стремление к новым реформам более свойственно молодым политикам. 6. Политика нашей редакционной коллегии состоит в том, чтобы наша газета стала форумом для обмена мнениями и идеями по самому широкому кругу вопросов. 7. Этот раздел уже устарел, ему необходимо существенное обновление. 8. После понижения по службе, ему пришлось опять заняться подготовкой обычных репортажей.

Complete the sentences.

(a) own, owner, ownership

l. Rupert Murdoch is the largest single newspaper_____________.

2. Until 1986 a private family____________the Daily Telegraph.

3. After various changes in the ___________the newspaper Today was sold to Rupert Murdoch.

4. There are a number of newspapers in the country_________by individuals.

5. ___________of the press in Britain is in the hands of individuals or a few large publishing groups.

(b) (un) cover, coverage, cover (up)

1. It is difficult for the media__________the growing number of crises throughout the world.

2. The issue_____________needs serious consideration.

3. Much of the Times’ prestige rests on its excellent in-depth__________ of national and international issues and political events.

4. Most readers were attracted by the colourful____________of the book.

5. Our readership prefers intelligent___________without bias.

6. By investigative journalism newspapers can______________hidden facts that need, in their view, to be made public.

1.Some reporters try___________other people's damaging personal secrets to sell them to tabloids.

2. At present__________run for two and a half minutes.

3. Most__________revenue is generated in peak time from 6 to 11 pm.

4. Why not a paper without __________? E.W. Scripps started any of them but the Industrial revolution and a mass consumption society forced___________into his papers.

5. The primary challenge a daily newspaper publisher faces is the cost of producing his paper that goes on every day regardless of how much or how little__________each issue carries.

6. The goal of ___________is to get their message into every household of the area as cheaply as possible.

Text Translation

The Observer

The Observer – это самая старая британская воскресная газета, основанная в 1791 году. После 1814 года она была первой газетой в мире, которая использовала иллюстрации. Газета разделена на три части ( The Observer, Observer Business и Observer review), плюс цветной журнал, который прилагается к газете. У газеты сложилась репутация серьезной газеты с ответственными репортерами, дельными комментариями и обзором литературы, а основными ее читателями являются представители образованного среднего класса. Газета издается в Лондоне, тиражом около 550 000 копий.

The Guardian

Британская ежедневная газета была основана в Манчестере в 1821 году, и первым ее названием было The Manchester Guardian. В 1959 году газета была переименована в The Guardian, а с 1961 году стала издаваться в Лондоне, также как и в Манчестере. Эта качественная газета является собственностью целого траста, а не отдельного собственника, и поэтому имеет репутацию независимой газеты. The Guardian отличается своими отличными политическими комментариями, обзорами, а также женской страничкой. Газета ориентирована на “левых” в политических взглядах и читается преимущественно представителями либерально настроенного среднего класса. Тираж этой газеты- более 400 000 копий.

Text 4 The American Press

Read the following text. Translate the underlined passage(s) into Russian.

Most daily papers in the USA are of the “quality” rather than “the popular” variety. Among the 20 newspapers with the largest circulation only two or three regularly feature crime, sex and scandal.

It is often said that there is no national press in the United States as there is in Great Britain, for instance. In one sense this is true. There are no official or government-owned newspapers in the USA. There is no state censorship, that is, courts or judges cannot stop a story from being published or printed. Most daily newspapers are distributed locally or regionally.

However, the influence of a few large metropolitan newspapers, most notably the New York Times and the Washington Post, has increased so that these papers come close to constituting a national press. Both papers syndicate their staff-written stories to regional newspapers all over the country.

The Wall Street Journal was the country's first national daily and is the largest. It specializes in economic and financial issues.

The New York Times is a journal with a relatively long and respected history. It is read by about one million people in the US and is ranked as 'the world's top daily’. USA Today was launched only recently, in 1982. This paper claims over five and a half million readers.

Two other newspapers also representing American journalism in the areas of national and international news and mentioned among papers of international excellence are the Christian Science Monitor and the International Herald Tribune. The former is smaller in size and readership than the other papers. The latter is partly owned by the New York Company and the Washington Post Company. About 40 % of its articles come directly from those two American papers, and its main office is in Paris. Printed simultaneously in ten major cities in the world, it calls itself 'The Global Newspaper'. It offers political and financial news about many countries, especially the United States, Western Europe, and the Far East.

Most American newspapers rely heavily on wire copy from the two world's largest news agencies, the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press International (UPI). Neither of them is owned, controlled or run by the government. They have thousands of subscribers - newspapers, radio and television stations and other agencies, which pay to receive and use the news and photographs in more than 100 countries in the world.

The trend toward concentration of ownership is defended on the ground that large-scale organizations can provide the funds, knowhow, and management to keep a newspaper profitable and competitive.

The American press, especially in recent decades, has insisted on objectivity and detachment in news reports. Opinion is excluded from news columns and is presented on separate editorial pages, which feature unsigned editorials and include opinions signed by readers, contributors, and syndicated columnists. Government and media often engage in confrontations when reporters disclose classified information or pursue investigative reporting to uncover injustices and corruption within American institutions. As far as the readership level is concerned there has been a considerable decline. Newspapers have had to cope with competition from radio, television and the Internet. Nowadays, it is they which provide Americans with news.

Exercises

1. Give equivalents of the following:

освещать события, распространять газеты, представлять собой национальную прессу, специализироваться по экономическим и финансовым проблемам, первый и последний (из перечисленных), печатать одновременно в нескольких крупных городах, в основном полагаться на, предоставлять / оказывать финансовую помощь, поддерживать газету в прибыльном и конкурентоспособном состоянии, конфликтовать, вскрывать факты несправедливости и коррупции, значительный спад, справляться с конкуренцией, обеспечивать новостями.

Complete the sentences.

(a) edit, edition, editorial, editor

1.___________give the paper's opinion about the news of the day.

2. The people in charge of newspaper content are_____________.

3. The first ____________conference of the day takes place in the_________office.

4. In a quality paper, one of the most important articles is an__________usually written by an________

5. ___________is a particular copy, or a number of printed copies, issued at the same time.

6. A newspaper is published in several_____________.

7. Picture____________must maintain relationships with paparazzi.

DISCUSSION.

1.What is the difference between the British and American press?

2.What does profitability and competitiveness of a newspaper depend on?

3.Why are editorials generally published unsigned?

4.Should journalists be involved in investigative reporting?

CNN

Cable News Network, almost always referred to by its first letters CNN, is a major U.S. cable news network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first station to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television network in the United States. While the news network has numerous affiliates, CNN primarily broadcasts from its headquarters at the CNN Centers in Atlanta, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.

After an introduction by Ted Turner, the husband and wife team of David Walker and Lois Hart anchored the first newscast. Since its debut, CNN has expanded its reach to a number of cable and satellite television networks, several web sites, specialized closed-circuit networks (such as CNN Airport Network), and a radio network.

The network has 36 bureaus, more than 900 affiliated local stations, and several regional and foreign-language networks around the world. The network's success made a bona-fide mogul of founder Ted Turner and set the stage for the Time Warner conglomerate's eventual acquisition of Turner Broadcasting.

A companion network, Headline News (originally called CNN2) was launched on January 1, 1982 and featured a continuous 24-hour cycle of 30-minute news broadcasts. Headline News broke from its original format in 2005 with the addition of Headline Prime. The added Headline Prime programs featured confrontational personalities like radio talk-show host Glenn Beck and former Fulton County, Georgia prosecutor Nancy Grace.

CNN is sometimes referred to as CNN/U.S. to distinguish the North American channel from its international counterpart, CNN International. Its news gathering resources are second only to Britain's BBC News in the number of employed news journalists and worldwide news bureaus.

As of June 2008, CNN is available in over 93 million U.S. households. Broadcast coverage extends to over 890, 000 American hotel rooms, and the U.S broadcast is also shown in Canada. Globally, CNN programming airs through CNN International, which can be seen by v iewers in over 212 countries and territories.

The first CNN broadcast went live on June 1, 1980. By providing around-the-clock news reports and updates, the network became an alternative to the traditional morning and evening news cycle that had dominated television news since its inception. CNN gained further prominence with its exclusive live coverage of the Gulf War in 1991, which brought global attention to the network. A sister channel, Headline News (originally called CNN2), launched in 1982, and CNN International debuted in 1985. Since CNN's debut, more than 70 television networks have launched with 24-hour news coverage.

CNN's main slogan is " The Most Trusted Name in News.", which explicitly implies that they position themselves as the most reliable sourse of information.

Text 6 TV reporters stand their ground with Katrina coverage

Before you read. Think over the following questions.

-When covering dramatic events what should reporters focus on: the factual account or in-depth analysis of causes and consequences?

-Do you think reporters’ scrutiny of government’s policy could influence decision-making process?

For first time since Sept. 11, cable and network news actively challenge administration

Aggressive reporting of the woefully slow government response to Hurricane Katrina has prompted some experts to believe TV news is finally waking up from a post-September 11, 2001, slumber.

Questioning the administration's response to the terrorist attacks and the subsequent invasion of Iraq was deemed unpatriotic in some circles, and that was reflected in the sometimes timid broadcast news coverage.

So when even Fox News, the cable network widely seen as a conservative alternative to the so-called liberal media, asked tough questions after Katrina and characterized the emergency response as inept, we knew change was in the air.

" There was a disconnect between what they (the government) were saying and what we were seeing on the ground, " said Jerry Burke, executive producer at Fox News. " We had seen some of that kind of disconnect in Iraq but not as much as with Katrina. They even used some of the same terminology, saying, 'You're looking at it through a straw, ' meaning we were just seeing a small part of the whole picture. But we had enough reporters on the ground to see otherwise."

Fox's Shepard Smith, who has been widely praised for tough reporting during Katrina, zinged the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the White House when he pointed out that survivors trying to flee New Orleans were being stopped and turned back at a bridge checkpoint. " Over there, there's hope, " Smith said, his voice rising. " Over there, there is food and water. But you cannot go from here to there. The government will not allow you to do it. That's a fact."

And there was the famous exchange between ABC's Ted Koppel and former FEMA director Michael Brown in which Brown insisted, several days into the crisis, that he had no idea that life inside the New Orleans Superdome had become violent and squalid. Koppel's disbelief turned to palpable outrage when he bellowed, " How could you not know that? It's been reported for days now."

Last week, after FEMA told news organizations they would not be allowed to show dead bodies during recovery missions, CNN sued for permission and won. The initial ban was similar to the Pentagon's policy of restricting photos of soldiers' flag-draped coffins as they returned from Iraq.

But death is a reality of war and natural disasters and thus an integral part of any coverage. Nobody expects TV to show graphic images of the dead, but early on there were scenes of bodies floating face-down in the floods and slumped beside buildings.

So, has Katrina spawned a genuine mood shift in TV news?

" I don't think Katrina is the turning point so much as 2005 is the turning point, " said Matthew Felling, media director of the Center for Media and Public Affairs, a nonprofit research group that studies the media. " It's an accumulation of things. In Iraq, it's the reality versus the perception and the whole debate of whether we're in the last throes of the insurgency or in for a dozen more years. The momentum has been building toward the media regaining its sea legs." Occasionally aggressive reporting has morphed into advocacy, but Felling draws a careful distinction between the two. " Advocacy is calling for action, " Felling said. " Aggressive reporting is calling for answers."

Though reporters were helping arrange Katrina reunions in front of the cameras on an almost hourly basis, Fox's Burke insists his reporters were busy " seeing and reporting. They weren't there to hand out blankets and water. They're witnesses." Burke must not have seen Geraldo Rivera helping rescuers load children onto a helicopter.

The broadcast networks have all but ceded breaking news coverage to cable news. NBC, ABC and CBS devoted newscasts and prime-time specials to the hurricane, but constant coverage has been nonexistent. Considering the boost in ratings for all news outlets during the past couple of weeks, the broadcast networks might wish they had done more. NBC News has been the clear winner, increasing its evening news lead over ABC by nearly 10 percent. And last week's " Dateline NBC" was the No. 1 program, with more than 20 million people watching.

On the cable side, second-place CNN has gained the most in the past two weeks, about 70 percent more in total viewers. Fox, which is still the No. 1 cable news network, doubled its ratings with about 4 million viewers a day compared with CNN's 3 million.

The big news story of New Orleans is winding down. It will be replaced in the weeks and months to come by occasional updates of human interest, blame, scandal and political fallout. Whether the new assertiveness of reporters will diminish remains to be seen.

" What I hope is the legacy of the Katrina coverage is better coverage of policy decisions, " Felling said. " The press corps covers policy makers in D.C. and gets lulled by talking points. But those policy decisions have real-world impact, which we saw in full force on the Gulf Coast. If we can connect the dots a little more between policy and effect, then we've earned our stripes as journalists."

Exercises

1. Give equivalents of the following:

Отражать (события); освещение (событий); зрители; находиться перед объективами; рейтинг; увеличить разрыв между; пропаганда; поворотный момент; неотъемлемая часть; выпуск новостей; журналисты (собират.); прайм-тайм; экстренный выпуск; вдвое повысить рейтинг; репортаж с места событий; подвергать резкой критике; ограничение на демонстрацию чего-либо; подавать в суд на; сообщать о новостях; кабельная сеть; исполнительный продюсер; репортер; смена настроений; реакция на; ставить под сомнение; резкий рост рейтинга; диалог; СМИ

2. Find as many synonyms as you can:

To zing; coverage; to break news; boost in ratings; to cover; advocacy; to restrict; to increase one’s lead over smb; integral part; on the ground; to sue for; tough reporting; turning point; news story; exchange

Complete the sentences.

Text Translation

Последний островок свободной прессы

1.1. В стране, где государство до сих пор считает СМИ придатком исполнительной власти, ежедневная газета может исчезнуть почти бесследно: без криков протеста, прощальных обращений к читателям, сувенирных номеров. 31 марта вышел последний номер молодой газеты " Русский курьер" с тиражом 35 тыс. экземпляров, известной своими ярыми нападками на администрацию Путина. Газета прекратила свое существование, вызвав недоумение многих наблюдателей.

Алексей Симонов из Фонда защиты гласности сказал: " В один прекрасный день прибыл генеральный директор и заявил, что газета закрывается. Никто не предупредил ни журналистов, ни читателей".

Однако Игорь Яковенко, бывший редактор газеты и глава Национального союза журналистов, сказал, что причина была вовсе не загадочной.

" Она была чисто коммерческой. Убытки были больше прибылей, которые, в свою очередь, были меньше, чем рассчитывали учредители". По его словам, он предупредил журналистов и учредителей за несколько месяцев, но не мог предупредить читателей, пока учредители не приняли решения 31 марта. Закрытие газеты, которая в течение некоторого времени была одним из самых непримиримых критиков Кремля, произошло почти без шума в стране, где большинство СМИ являются подручными государства. Но исчезновение " Курьера" было первым в ряду мелких кризисов в московских либеральных печатных изданиях, создающих угрозу того, что настанет такой момент, когда смолкнет последний голос, критикующий правительство в центре политической жизни России.

С тех пор как администрация Путина взялась за дело в конце 2002 года, немногие крупные московские издания – такие таблоиды, как " Московский комсомолец" и " Комсомольская правда" (тираж 1, 4 млн), – отклоняются от политической линии, приемлемой для Кремля. Когда на администрацию Путина нападают более серьезные издания, такие, как " Известия", последствия могут оказаться тяжелыми.

По сообщениям, Кремль был в ярости, когда на следующий день после захвата школы в Беслане " Известия" опубликовали фотографии кровавой бойни, в результате которой погибло 330 человек, половина из них – дети. Издатель газеты, консорциум " Проф Медиа", принадлежащий миллиардеру Владимиру Потанину, заставил главного редактора Рафа Шакирова уйти.

Несмотря на эти проблемы, небольшое количество печатных СМИ, называющих себя " либеральной прессой", до недавнего времени выходило беспрепятственно. Они занимают специфическую нишу: их тираж слишком мал для того, чтобы их материалы могли рассердить Кремль, тогда как интересы бизнеса, подпирающего их баланс, часто отражаются на объективности освещения событий. Но хотя они и могли бы быть влиятельнее и заслуживать большего доверия, их голоса и позиция жизненно важны для россиян, а также для местной и зарубежной прессы, стремящейся читать между строк двусмысленные высказывания Путина и понять правду о непрозрачной политической реальности столицы.

Но последние недели оказались ужасными для многих из этой крошечной группы, в которую входит примерно шесть газет с суммарным тиражом, редко превышающим 1, 1 млн в стране с населением 144 млн.

Еженедельник " Московские новости" (тираж 63 тыс.), который финансировали миллиардеры, связанные с нефтяной империей ЮКОС, почти потерял главного редактора в результате внутренней распри. Ее главный финансовый источник, акционер ЮКОСа Леонид Невзлин, тоже задался вопросом, стоит ли финансировать газету, которая постоянно терпит убытки.

Популярная " Газета", аудитория которой выросла почти в четыре раза с момента ее появления в 2001 году и достигла почти 726 тыс., на прошлой неделе лишилась главного редактора Михаила Михайлина из-за " разногласий по поводу будущего газеты". Ходят слухи, что у " Независимой газеты" (тираж около 55 тыс.) скоро могут возникнуть финансовые проблемы. " Новая газета" и " Новые известия" пока выглядят здоровыми.

Всему виной коммерческие причины, говорит эксперт по СМИ Андрей Рихтер. " У нас выходит 40 тыс. изданий, слишком много для такой маленькой страны". Он добавил, что в газетах меньше " политических денег", так как " большинство политических решений принимает телевидение. В России сейчас меньше выборов, а значит, меньше политической борьбы".

Симонов добавляет: " Проблема в том, что либеральные газеты живут за счет богатых спонсоров, не предпринимая серьезных усилий, чтобы сделать бизнес доходным". Он отметил, что, как и в Британии, таблоиды приносят доход, а остальные должны бороться за деньги в ситуации, когда многие " интеллектуальные читатели" обращаются к интернету, где доступ к информационным сайтам, часто перепечатывающим газетные статьи, быстр и дешев. Рекламодатели не заинтересованы в сотрудничестве с либеральными газетами, ориентируя свою работу на пропутинскую деловую элиту, отметил он.

Коллапс либеральной прессы отчасти повторяет судьбу ее политического эквивалента: либеральные партии практически исчезли из парламента, а левые и правые альтернативы, создаваемые Кремлем, могут вытеснить их и из избирательных бюллетеней.

Критики Кремля, подобно бывшему влиятельному лицу, а ныне миллиардеру в изгнании – Борису Березовскому, считают, что кризис " гораздо глубже", чем коммерческие проблемы, и является прямым результатом давления на СМИ со стороны администрации Путина.

" Власти лишили журналистов возможности писать то, что они хотят, не боясь последствий, – заявил он. – Им угрожают, их убивают. В результате появилась жесткая самоцензура, самое худшее, что может быть".

Березовский отрицает слухи о возможных сокращениях в " Независимой газете", заявляя, что намерен и дальше поддерживать ее, " несмотря на убытки", которые составляют около " миллиона долларов в год". Он добавил, что занимающий критическую позицию " Коммерсант" (тираж 117 тыс.) остается доходным, и он планирует начать издание аналогичной газеты на Украине, где " оранжевая революция" создала " новые свободы и огромный привлекательный рынок".

В то время как Кремль неуклюже реагирует на революции в ближнем зарубежье, именно горстку либеральных журналистов будут считать топливом любой будущей " революции" в России. Если бы в Грузии, на Украине и в Киргизии не было свободных СМИ, старые режимы никуда бы не делись.

Даже при нынешнем спаде роль либеральной прессы по-прежнему важна. Редактор " Газеты" Михайлин объясняет свой уход переводом издания на формат A3 и некоторыми решениями издателя – в частности, касающимися рекламы, – " снизившими прибыль". Но он утверждает: " Аудитория либеральных газет растет". Он добавил, что после непопулярной реформы льгот и избирательной реформы многие россияне " не могут понять, почему такие шаги возможны. Они начинают обращаться к прессе, пытаясь понять, что происходит".

Но, возможно, Кремль стремится уничтожить именно эту способность электората, недовольного тем, что принесла ему российская управляемая демократия, судить и критиковать. Симонов заявил: " Наше государство защищает не прессу, оно защищает граждан от прессы".

стр No

В стране, где государство до сих пор считает СМИ придатком исполнительной власти, ежедневная газета может исчезнуть почти бесследно. 31 марта вышел последний номер молодой газеты " Курьер" с тиражом 35 тыс. экземпляров, известной своими ярыми нападками на администрацию. Газета прекратила свое существование, вызвав недоумение многих наблюдателей.

Представитель Фонда защиты гласности сказал: " В один прекрасный день прибыл генеральный директор и заявил, что газета закрывается. Никто не предупредил ни журналистов, ни читателей".

2. Однако, бывший редактор газеты и глава Национального союза журналистов, сказал, что причина была вовсе не загадочной. " Она была чисто коммерческой. Убытки были больше прибылей". По его словам, он предупредил журналистов за несколько месяцев, но не мог предупредить читателей, пока окончательное решение не было принято. Закрытие газеты, которая в течение некоторого времени была одним из самых непримиримых критиков правящей партии, произошло почти без шума в стране, где большинство СМИ работают на государство. Но исчезновение " Курьера" было первым среди либеральных печатных изданий, создающих угрозу того, что настанет такой момент, когда смолкнет последний голос, критикующий правительство в центре политической жизни.

ESSAY: Write an essay of about 250 words on one of the following topics:

1.The government and politicians should control the mass media.

2.There cannot be free mass media.

3.All mechanisms for censoring content are not acceptable.

ADDITIONAL ARTICLES

VOCABULARY LIST

Printed Media

1. newspapers

2. magazines

3. journals

4. supplement;

5. national

6. local

7. daily

8. weekly

9. monthly

10. broadsheets

11. quality press

12. tabloids

13. yellow press

14. gutter press

15. printing house

16. printed media

17. press;

18. circulation

19. copy

20. to issue

21. to publish;

22. editor

23. editorial office

24. regular reporting

25. reporter

26. staff reporter

27. free-lance correspondent

28. reporter on the ground/spot

29. columnist

30. contributor

31. editorial page

32. editorial staff

33. editorial board

34. press tycoon

35. mogul

36. baron

37. Fleet Street

38. article

39. column

40. paragraph

41. headline

42. heading

43. caption

44. table of contents

45. sub-title

46. coverage

47. to cover

48. editorial

49. feature article

50. laudatory article

51. obituary

52. gossip column

53. advertising

54. advertisement

55. ad

56. advertiser

57. recruitment ad

58. readership

59. target audience

60. to subscribe to;

61. subscribers

62. subscription

Факультет Международных отношений

Пособие по английскому языку для студентов 2 курса (4 семестр)

(Уровень: Advanced, Upper-Intermediate, Intermediate)

Mass Media

Санкт –Петербург

20 1 8

Text 1 Types of Media

Read the following text. Translate the underlined passage(s) into Russian.

Text 2 Newspapers in the UK

Before you read think

- Do all newspapers provide reliable information? Why?

- What British newspapers do you know? What kind of information do they provide?

Read the following text. Translate the underlined passage(s) into Russian.

All newspapers in Britain, daily or Sunday ones, can broadly be divided into the quality press and the popular press.

“The Times” is read by the people who run the country;

“The Mirror” is read by the people who think they run the country;

“The Guardian” is read by the people who think about running the country;

“The Mail” is read by wives of the people who run the country;

“The Daily Telegraph” is read by the people who think the country ought to be run as it used to be;

“The Express” is read by the people who think it is still run as it used to be;

“The Sun” is read by the people who don’t care who runs the country as long as the naked girl at page three is attractive.

Exercises

1. Give equivalents of the following:

Explain the words and word combinations in English.

high audience, commercial breaks, advertising, the power of modern communications, newspapers of every political colour, juicy bits of events, overt censorship,

3. Translate into English:

1. Ежедневный тираж газет в Англии - более 14 миллионов экземпляров.

2. Газеты в Великобритании можно подразделить на серьезные, рассчитанные на серьезного читателя, и популярные, предназначенные для нетребовательного читателя.

3. Я знаю, что это серьезная и уважаемая газета, но читать ее совсем неинтересно.

4. В популярных газетах особое внимание уделяется сенсационным событиям, особенно если они касаются какой-либо известной личности.

5. Никто не верит, что я нашел эту работу по рекламному объявлению в газете.

6. Многие СМИ создают аккаунты в социальных сетях — это еще один способ увеличить читательскую аудиторию и количество подписчиков.

7. Качественные газеты обычно широкоформатные. Солидные газеты обслуживают читателей, которые хотят получить подробную информацию о широком спектре домашних и зарубежных новостей.