People working for newspapers

Model: A journalist writes or reports news either for a newspaper, radio or television.

1) a reporter 2) the editor 3) a correspondent 4) a columnist 5) a tycoon

a) decides what goes in a newspaper or magazine b) finds interesting news stories and writes about them c) owns the newspaper d) writes a regular column in a newspaper or magazine e) sends reports from a particular part of the world or about a particular subject

Exercise 13.Match the newspapers with the definitions.

Kinds of newspaper

Tabloid and broadsheet refer to the size of the newspaper – tabloids are smaller than broadsheets. However, when we talk about tabloids and broadsheets, we are really talking about the popular and serious press.

The Press means newspapers and journalists: “The Press seems to have turned against the Government recently.”

1) national paper

2) local paper

3) daily paper

4) broadsheet

5) tabloid

a) a paper that you can buy every morning

b) a paper that’s sold throughout the country

c) a paper produced in one town

d) a serious paper that reports world events

e) a paper containing sensational stories about the private lives of rich and famous people.

Exercise 14. Read the text and do the activities that follow it. Memorize the basic terminology.

Text 3 newspaper reporting

Journalism is a report of things as they appear at the moment of writing, not a definite study of a situation. Historically the journalist carries out two main functions: reporting the news and offering interpretation and opinion based on news.

It is no secret that different newspaper publications differently influence the reader. It depends on the level of the skill of the journalist himself or the type of the topic being covered.

One can often hear some reporters who have just started their career in journalism asking this question: how to conduct an interview? There are hardly any rules because each interviewee is different. In most instances, the journalist’s problem is how to get the interviewee to start talking. The opening questions are of special importance. The reporter should not ask questions that call for only yes-or-no response. Another problem is how to keep on talking. Some interviewers take copious notes, others trust their memory and take notes only about the exact names, places and figures.

Newspapers and magazines publish a great deal of stories, not only news items or political stories, but stories of humourous or some other type. Such essay-type articles may be called human interest stories. Human interest stories are often written in the form of an interview, or as some journalists say, a “profile” is given. Profile-type stories may be characterised as “personality sketches” reading which one learns much about interesting aspects of somebody’s life. Other everyday topics covered by newspapers are stories on crime, medicine and law. Besides, newspapers carry many items on sports, celebrities, as well as stories on science, art and technology.

conduct an interview – брати інтерв’ю

interviewee – особа, яка дає інтерв’ю

interviewer – особа, яка бере інтерв’ю, інтерв’юер

essay – нарис

human interest story – стаття для всіх

profile-type story – нарис про сучасників

personality sketch – замальовка

NOTE that the ending -or, -er indicates one who grants; -ee indicates one who receives. Words using these endings also include: employer (роботодавець) – employee (службовець, працівник).

Exercise 15. Answer the questions in writing.

1. What is journalism?

2. What functions does a journalist carry out?

3. What are the main problems of young journalists?

4. What do newspapers and magazines publish?

5. What articles may be called human interest stories?

6. In what form are human interest stories often written?

7. What reports are rather popular?

8. What other every day topics do newspapers cover?

Speaking Task. Use the question exercises after the basic texts as a plan to speak on the newspaper structure and reporting.

Exercise 16.Choose the part of the paper you would look in if you wanted to find out about the following.