Read and translate the text.
Text D. Radio and television
Tell about the press of the USA.
Read and translate the text.
Text C. Press of the USA
Tell about British periodicals
Read and translate the text.
Text B. British periodicals
In Great Britain there are about 130 daily and Sunday newspapers, over 2,000 weekly issues and some 7,000 periodical publications. The newspapers in Great Britain are divided into two main groups: quality papers and popular ones. Quality newspapers are the following: “The Times”, “The Guardian”, “The Financial Times”, ‘“The Daily Telegraph”.
The quality newspapers are addressed to educated readers. “The Times” is the most authoritative newspaper of the Establishment. “The Guardian” appeals to well-educated readers who are interested in intellectual values. “The Daily Telegraph” is a newspaper of middle-class readers. “The Financial Times”, printed on a pink paper, is read by businessmen. The popular papers are smaller in size. They contain articles on private lives of outstanding persons, different kinds of “gossips”, and a lot of pictures.
The most popular newspapers of this kind are the following: “The Daily Mail”, “The Daily Express”, “The Daily Star”, “The Daily Mirror”.
There are also newspapers which are published on Sundays and so-called evening papers.
Among the most popular editions are the following periodicals: “The Washington Post”, “The Los Angeles Times”, “The Boston Globe”, “The Christian Science Monitor”, “The New York Times”.
Newspapers in the USA are published in 34 different languages. It is often said that there is no “national press” in the USA as there is in Great Britain. There are no official or government-owned newspapers in the USA. There is no state censorship in the United States of America. The majority of daily newspapers are distributed locally or regionally. The newspaper “US Today” is the evidence of the attempt to create a truly national edition.
American newspapers get much information from the same source as all newspapers in the world. Two world’s largest news agencies are: AP (Associated Press), UPI (United Press International).
At present radio and television are considered to be one of the major sources of information in the world. The first radio (wireless) was invented by Popov In 1895 in Russia. Television is not as old as radio. It opened a new epoch in the development of mass media. Nowadays it is impossible to overestimate the role of radio and television. There are numerous radio broadcasts and TV programmes (programs). People like listening to the radio on the beach and at home, while driving a car or just walking along the street. The main kind of radio entertainment is music. Sportscasts and newscasts are also of great interest for those who are fond of listening in.
Television is an integral part of our life and one of the most characteristic features of modern civilization. The word “Television” comes from the Greek word meaning “far” and the Latin word meaning “to see”. So, the word “television” means “to see far”. Television has got a great number of advantages and drawbacks (disadvantages). On the one hand it is television which helps us to enrich our knowledge and receive the information concerning different branches of human activity. On the other hand we often devote too much time to looking in and we are often annoyed by endless advertisement and thrillers.
We have got the opportunity to watch various telecasts: summaries of local, national and international news, quiz shows, game shows, talk shows, educational programmes, feature films, soap operas etc.
There are two main companies organizing broadcasting in the UK:
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority). The BBC receives its income from the government. The IBA takes control of private companies which earn money from advertising. Nowadays in the USA there are four major radio and TV companies: ABC (American Broadcasting Company), CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System), MBC (Mutual Broadcasting System), NBC (National Broadcasting Company). People are united into one global community with the help of every mass media. Every day we read newspapers and magazines, listen to the radio and watch TV. People give preference to this or that broadcast or telecast, newspaper or magazine according to their taste, interests, profession and educational level.