Magazines as a means of mass communication in English. Mass Media

Topic in English: Mass Media. This text can be used as a presentation, project, story, essay, essay or message on a topic.

Download Topic in English: Media

Mass Media

Main functions

Mass Media has become an important part in the life of our society. It includes the press, radio and television whose main functions are to inform, to educate and to entertain.

Television

I believe millions of people can’t live without TV; it’s an integral part of everyone’s life. Even if we don’t watch it, it can be switched on just for the background. The same thing is with radio. We listen to it whenever we have meals or do work around the house. Radio broadcasts are valued mainly for their music programs. As for TV, there is a great variety of programs from which one can choose in order to satisfy his interests in the best way. Our television provides so much information that sometimes we are even lost in this stream. We get to know about social, economic and political events that take place in our country and in the whole world. We learn about new discoveries in science and about problems concerning different spheres of our life. There are lots of shows, films and games that are entertaining and exciting and help us to relax at the end of the working day.

Newspapers

Newspapers are also able to supply people with any kind of information. They comprise articles about the latest international and national events, all kinds of rumours, advertising, fun stories, biographies of well-known people and so on. There are newspapers and magazines for people of all age groups where one can read all kinds of news, events and reports on education, sports, cultural life, entertainment and fashion.

Advertising

One more important thing which is worth mentioning is advertising. Mass Media is one of the best ways to promote various goods and to help people to understand what they really need.

Reading news in English is the most natural and sure way to advance in the language. For those who are interested in specific publications or websites, Puzzle English has prepared a selection of British and American newspapers that will help you learn the language.

At what level should I start reading?

Teachers usually advise starting reading at the Intermediate level and above. But often reading, writing, speaking and listening skills develop unevenly, so you need to focus on your own feelings - do you understand the essence of what you read or do 80% of the words and constructions seem incomprehensible to you?

If you can’t wait to start reading news in English but don’t have enough knowledge, you can practice in the News Review and Words in the News sections on BBC Learning English, which offer short news items with simple constructions and vocabulary. Another option is a joint project of the British newspaper The Guardian and onestopenglish.com - where articles are rewritten for each level from Elementary to Advanced and there are ready-made studies with test questions for checking. Puzzle English teachers also conduct master classes on reading newspaper materials.

Where to look for news in English

News in English from a wide variety of publications and media companies can be found on Google news (to switch to English, you need to go to the “Language and Region” section and select one of the pairs - English/UK, USA, Canada, Ireland, etc.) or Yahoo News.

1. BBC News

One of the world's largest television and radio corporations. The main content is video and audio production, the BBC News website is an excellent source of international news. Correspondents work all over the world, so the BBC can always find detailed information and analytics about events not only in the UK and Europe, but also in other countries.

BBC news texts are well structured and written in clear language. The articles describe not only the essence of the events, but also contain information from direct participants, experts, and BBC correspondents in the region. The reader is given not just a short set of facts, but a complete picture of what happened, especially when it comes to central topics (Top Stories).

Absolutely all BBC content is free, including podcasts, the BBC News app (text and audio) and video files. The only negative is the lack of transcripts of podcasts, but this is compensated by the multimedia nature of the site - most topics are presented in several formats at once - text, video and audio.

2. Sky News

Private British news channel. The site publishes news notes and short videos, including with subtitles. But in terms of variety of materials and depth of coverage, Sky News is inferior to the BBC.

The main content focuses on what is happening in the UK and its interaction with the world. Like most news media, there is a World section, which covers world events. All content is free. Minus - the channel's live broadcast is not available in Russia.

3. Fox News, CNN

Much of the content of these American media corporations is devoted to global and local events in the United States and related international issues. There are sections for entertainment and international events.

6.Reuters

The world's largest news agency. Unlike its main competitor, it publishes a large amount of materials of various types into the public domain. Despite her economic specialization, she publishes news and articles on general topics. Like most news media, they are sorted under the headings Business, World, Politics, Tech, Life and Video.

In addition, there is a free application.

The news is structured and written in a strict informational style. For language learners, this presentation helps to understand the essence of the event without a dictionary, as well as learn a lot of useful expressions.

Minus - somewhat dry style of presentation, business orientation.

Those interested in economics and business will find The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, which has a section on Russian economics and finance, Bloomberg and The Economist. They post some of the content on the website, the rest is available by subscription.

7. The Guardian

A great alternative to The New York Times and Reuters. The newspaper is British, but covers international topics quite widely; there is a special section about the USA. The articles are very lively, interesting and have a variety of topics - from high art to advice on personal life. The Languages ​​and English and creative writing sections have been created especially for language lovers.
The writing style can be complex, especially when it comes to columns, but in regular news articles the language is quite clear, although more complex than in the BBC or tabloids.

There is a paid subscription, but even the volume that is available for free is quite enough to keep up to date with events. You can install a free application with a pleasant addition in the form of a weekly selection of fascinating longreads.

8. The Daily Telegraph and The Independent

One of the oldest British publications. The main content is about what's happening in the UK, but there are also international news sections.

To access The Telegraph articles you need to register, but you can do this through social networks.

The Independent features an easy-to-read style, an engaging LifeStyle section, and all materials are available for free and without registration.

Disadvantage - the articles are aimed at readers living in the UK.

Both newspapers offer apps, and The Independent even has two - a daily and a weekly.

9. The Daily Mail

Popular British tabloids are also called housewives' reading material.

The slogan of one of them - News, sport, celebrities and gossip - accurately reflects the essence of such newspapers. You should not look there for serious news, analytics and articles about art.

What is there is an easy and lively language with numerous phraseological units and even slang, details of scandals from the world of politics and show business, rumors from the life of the British royal family.

Disadvantages - periodically shocking pictures of crime victims, terrible diseases or mutant people from Indian villages pop up.

Pros: clear presentation and completely free content, including applications.
The Daily Mail has a variety of sections from politics to international news (Female, Health, Travel, Science). There is even a section about Russia.

All articles are quite voluminous and oversaturated with photographs, videos and social network widgets, but each is preceded by an announcement from a list of short and understandable phrases describing the essence and most impressive facts of the material.

In addition to The Daily Mail, the four most famous British tabloids include

Mass Media (4)

Nowadays information communication is an important part of our life. It goes without saying that mass media has become an integral part of modern people's life. People live with a constant necessity of getting new information. How can they satisfy their need? They may communicate with one another or just use the immense space of means of communication. People need information in order to keep up with the whole world around them - with vogue, new trends of life, discoveries and inventions. We live to learn news; we breathe and live with this.

Let's concentrate on one of mass media branches - television. As we know, it appeared much later than such kinds of mass media as radio, newspapers and magazines. Nowadays almost everyone has got at least one TV-set at home. Television now plays an important role in our life. It takes a steady place in our daily timetable. However, watching television has two sides: not only advantages but also disadvantages.

On the one hand, TV keeps people informed of current events; TV gives us wonderful possibilities for education. We can choose any program according to our interests, mood and needs. There is a great amount of channels which are specialized in various spheres. It can be the sphere of politics, news, sports, animals, feature films, soap operas, art, talk-shows, cartoons, educational programs, music, fashion and many others. Such channels as "History", "Discovery", " Animal Planet", "365", enrich our knowledge in different fields. There are also channels which offer to our attention some educational programs for children and adults, for example "Happy English" - a program focused on teaching the English language, "Memory " - a program which offers a number of exercises for children in order to develop their memory.

The second advantage of watching television is that it gives families an opportunity to spend some time together. Nowadays adults are often too busy to give enough attention to their children. When they come home from work in the evening, so tired and exhausted, - the only possible way to relax for many is just lay on the sofa in front of TV In such situations it"s high time to choose a family comedy and see it together with your spouse and children. So, watching TV helps us to relax and forget about it all - work, worries and problems that are on our mind.

Moreover, television is a great source of entertaining. Every day there is a wide choice of films and serials on TV - detectives, dramas, comedies, action films, thrillers, horrors, cartoons and others. If you have some spare time, switch on your TV-set and see a good movie with famous and talented actors or actresses, like Johnny Depp, Robert De Niro, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts or Dakota Fanning. Nowadays you are not limited in your choice, for even if there is no film you"d like to see in a TV-programme, you can always see it on DVD or download it in the Internet. Besides, sometimes television is the only opportunity to watch concerts of world-famous celebrities, like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Pink, Britney Spears or Justin Bieber.

However, watching television has its negative side. It is well-known that television may turn to be harmful for our health. Spending too much time in front of a TV screen may affect our eyesight badly. There are many cases when children become TV-addicted. Every spare minute they try to switch the TV on. Their progress in studies suffers due to the fact that children try to do their homework as fast as they can in order to have more time for watching TV.

Moreover, nowadays some TV programs and films include a lot of violent scenes that can have a negative influence on a child's psychic development.

Another disadvantage of television is an enormous amount of advertising. Firstly, it makes people buy some useless or unnecessary things. Bright and beautiful ads don't reveal any drawbacks of the products they advertise. So, it often turns out that goods the quality is far worse than expected. Secondly, many ads deal with the pearl of beauty - a very slim and tall girl. The result of it may be the fact that children become too much concentrated on their appearance, which may lead to depression or to the feeling of inferiority.

Finally, many children nowadays would rather spend a day glued to a TV-set than go outdoors to play with their peers.

Undoubtedly, we need TV, for it is one of the main and most convenient means of mass media. However, taking into account all its merits and drawbacks, we must try to organize our time in the right way so as not to become a TV slave.

Media (4)

Information communications are very important. Of course, the media have become an integral part of modern life. People have a constant need to obtain new information. But how can they satisfy this need? They can communicate with each other or use extensive means of communication. People need to receive new information in order to be aware of what is happening in the world around them - to have an idea about the world of fashion, about new life trends, discoveries and inventions. We live for, breathe and eat news.

Let's take a closer look at one of the media - television. As you know, it appeared much later than media such as newspapers, radio and magazines. Now almost everyone has a TV in their home. Television plays an important role in the lives of modern people. Watching television takes a permanent place in our daily schedule. However, like everything in our lives, television has its pros and cons.

On the one hand, television informs people about current events and provides excellent educational opportunities. We can choose any program according to our interests, mood and needs. There are a large number of channels that cover different areas of our lives: politics, news, sports, the animal world, feature and animated films, TV series, art, talk shows, music, fashion and much more. Channels such as History, Discovery, Animal Planet, 365 enrich our lives with knowledge in various fields. Other channels offer us various educational programs for children and adults (for example, Happy English - a program aimed at teaching English, Memory - a program that offers a number of tasks for training children's memory).

Another benefit of television is that it gives families the opportunity to spend time together. Adults these days often work too much. And when they come home in the evening, tired from work, the only way to relax for many is to lie on the sofa in front of the TV. In such a situation, it’s time to choose some funny comedy and watch it for parents and children together. Thus, television helps us relax after hard work and take our minds off the problems that bother us.

Television provides us with a good opportunity for entertainment. Every day the program includes a huge selection of films and TV series: detectives, dramas, comedies, action films, thrillers, horror films, cartoons and others. If you have some free time, turn on the TV and watch some good film featuring famous and talented actors and actresses such as Johnny Depp, Robert De Niro, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts or Dakota Fanning. Nowadays, you are not limited in your choice, because even if there is no film on the television program that you would like to watch, you can always use a DVD or download the film from the Internet. In addition, television is sometimes the only opportunity to watch concerts of such world celebrities as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Pink, Britney Spears or Justin Bieber.

However, television also has its negative sides. It is well known that watching television for many hours is harmful to our health. First of all, this affects vision, of course. Many children become addicted to TV and always turn it on as soon as they have a free minute. Due to the fact that children spend a large amount of time watching TV, their school performance also suffers.

Some television programs and films contain scenes of cruelty and violence, which have a strong negative impact on the child’s psyche.

The disadvantages of television include an excessive amount of advertising. Firstly, it forces people to buy completely useless, unnecessary things. Bright and beautiful advertising in many cases serves to hide the shortcomings of the advertised goods. Secondly, some of the advertisements, which feature very slender and tall girls, wittingly or unwittingly encourage us to strive for similar standards of physical beauty. This often leads to the child developing an incorrect understanding of reality. He begins to take his appearance too seriously, which can lead to depression or feelings of inadequacy.

And the last thing I would like to say is that children nowadays are often more willing to spend the day in front of the TV screen than to go play outside with their peers.

Undoubtedly, television is necessary for modern man, because it is one of the most important media. However, taking into account all its advantages, you need to try to organize your time in such a way as not to become a “slave of the TV.”

Questions:

1. What kinds of mass media do you know?
2. Have you got a TV-set at home?
3. How often do you usually watch it?
4. What are your favorite channels?
5. Do you usually watch TV alone or with your family?
6. What films do you prefer to see?
7. Do you like soap operas?
8. Are you a TV-addict?
9. Do you prefer to see films on TV or at the cinema?
10. What disadvantages of watching television can you name?

Vocabulary:
mass media - mass media
it goes without saying - goes without saying
integral part - integral part
necessity - necessity
to satisfy - to satisfy
immense - limitless, huge
means of communication - means of communication
to keep up with - to be aware, to keep up with
vogue - fashion
discovery - opening
invention - invention
branch - branch
to appear - appear
steady - constant
advantage - dignity
disadvantage - disadvantage
on the one hand - on one side
possibility - possibility
according to - in accordance with
mood - mood
channel - channel
to be specialized in - specialize in
various - different
feature film - feature film
soap opera - series
cartoon - animated film
fashion - fashion
to enrich - to enrich
knowledge - knowledge
inner world - inner world
attention - attention
to be focused on - to be aimed at
to develop - to develop
exhausted - exhausted, exhausted
to relax - rest, relax
it's high time - it's time
spouse - husband, spouse
to reveal - open, show
moreover - moreover
source - source
entertaining - entertainment
thriller - thriller
horror - horror film
action film
to limit - limit
to download - download
spare time - free time
celebrity - celebrity
harmful - harmful
screen - screen
eyesight - vision
TV-addicted - addicted to TV
progress in studies - academic performance
to suffer - to suffer
to include - include, contain
violent - cruel
to have a negative influence on - have a negative impact on
psychic development - mental development
enormous - huge
advertising - advertising
useless - useless
ad = advertising - advertising
drawback - drawback
goods - goods
pearl of beauty - beauty standard
appearance - appearance
feeling of inferiority - feeling of inferiority
to glue - stick
peers - peers
undoubtedly - undoubtedly
convenient - convenient
to take into account - take into account
slave - slave
to deceive - to deceive

Every day we are surrounded by all possible types of mass media: newspapers, magazines, radio, television and the Internet. Mass media play an important role in our life. They inform about events in the world, they entertain us at any time of day and night and they influence our opinions.

Print mass media include newspapers, books and magazines. In the twentieth century, they became less popular because of the technological progress and the new inventions.

Broadcast media include, first of all, radio and television. These were the new inventions that were partially replaced books and papers in the twentieth century. They made possible a more quick transmission of information. Moreover, television has become an extremely popular entertainment for everyone who has a TV set at home. There are hundreds of channels. Millions of people still watch movies and TV shows every day.

Recently, though, all the previous types of mass media have given way to the newest, revolutionary service – the Internet. One can read paper articles and books, listen to broadcasted programs and music, watch videos, including online transmissions of the TV channels, and everything at one place: on the Internet. It is very convenient. Almost everyone can access the Internet via their mobile phones now. It is an instant way of transmitting information worldwide.

In my opinion, the Internet is the best invention of the twentieth century. It is a fantastic thing that allows people to use knowledge and experience of the whole human community. I never read newspapers or watch television, I use the Internet instead. I can find there any information I need – from books for my studies to recipes and dance video lessons.

Every day we are surrounded by all kinds of media: newspapers, magazines, radio, television and the Internet. The media plays an important role in our lives. They notify us about events in the world, entertain us at any time of the day or night, and influence our opinions.

Print media includes newspapers, books and magazines. They became less popular in the twentieth century due to technological progress and new inventions.

Broadcasting media include primarily radio and television. These were the new inventions that partly replaced books and newspapers in the twentieth century. They made possible faster transfer of information. Moreover, television has become an incredibly popular form of entertainment for anyone with a television at home. There are hundreds of channels. Millions of people watch movies and TV shows every day.

Recently, however, all these types of media have given way to the newest, revolutionary form of communication - the Internet. You can read newspaper articles and books, listen to broadcast programs and music, watch videos, including online broadcasts of television channels, and all this in one place: on the Internet. It is very comfortable. Almost everyone now has access to the Internet on their mobile phones. It is an instant way to transmit information around the world.

In my opinion, the Internet is the best invention of the twentieth century. This is an amazing thing that allows people to use the knowledge and experience of the entire human community. I never read newspapers or watch TV, instead I use the Internet. There I can find any information I need: from study books to recipes and dance video lessons.

Mass Media (3)

Mass media or mass communications are the press, radio and television.

Every day we read newspapers and magazines, listen to radio and watch TV. Nowadays there are so many newspapers and magazines, radio stations and TV channels that we have to be very -selective and give preference^to some of them.

What newspapers and magazines do I prefer to read? I like to read the following newspapers: “Komsomolskaya Pravda”, (“KomsomolTruth”), “Nezavisimost” (“Independence”), “Argumenty i Fakty” (“Arguments and Facts”).

Several periodicals are available in English. As far as newspapers are concerned they may be daily, or weekly. Magazines may be weekly, monthly and quarterly.

The newspapers and magazines I read are the most readable and have a large readership or circulation. For example, “Argumenty i Fakty” has a circulation of more than 23,000,000. It is the largest in the world. The newspapers contain and give coverage of local, home and foreign affairs. Their publications deal with very burning problems of our history, latest events and forecasts for the future. They also touch upon cultural, sport news. I like the way they present different points of view, approaches to the problems. My parents and I subscribe to some periodicals, so we are subscribers. We buy some of newspapers and magazines in a kiosk.

I often listen to radio, especially in the morning before I leave for school. I prefer to listen to “Mayak” (“Lighthouse”) programm. They broadcast much news and music. I like to listen to weekend programs, some of them are very amusing and entertaining.

As to the TV, we have 24 channels. I prefer to watch youth programs.

In addition I like to see interesting films. They might be feature, adventure, scientific, horror, cartoon and other films. I enjoy seeing Walt Disney's cartoons. Now and then I like to see the program “Love at First Sight”. It is an enjoyable and entertaining one.

Media (3)

The media are the press, radio and television.

Every day we read newspapers and magazines, listen to the radio and watch TV. Nowadays, there are so many newspapers and magazines, radio stations and television channels that we need to be very selective and give preference to some of them.

What newspapers and magazines do I prefer to read? I like to read the following newspapers and magazines: “Komsomolskaya Pravda”, “Arguments and Facts”, “Independence”.

Some periodicals can be read in English. As for newspapers, they can be daily or weekly. Magazines can be weekly, monthly or quarterly.

The newspapers and magazines that I read are the most interesting. They are read by many and are published in large numbers. For example, “Arguments and Facts” is published in a circulation of 23 million copies. This is the largest circulation in the world. Newspapers contain and cover news at home and abroad. Their publications are devoted to current issues in our history, recent events and forecasts for the future. They also cover cultural and sports news. I like how different points of view and approaches to problems are presented. My parents and I subscribe to some periodicals. We buy some newspapers and magazines at the kiosk.

I often listen to the radio, especially in the morning before going to school. I prefer to listen to the Mayak program. They broadcast a lot of news and music. I like to listen to programs on weekends. Some of them are very funny and interesting.

As for television, we have 24 channels. I like watching youth programs. Besides this, I like to watch interesting films. These can be feature films, adventure films, science films, horror films, animated films, etc. I enjoy watching Walt Disney cartoons. Sometimes I watch the program “Love at First Sight”. She is interesting and entertaining.

Questions:

1. What do we read every day?
2. Why do we have to be Very selective nowadays?
3. What do the newspapers contain and give?
4. What do radio programs broadcast?
5. Where do you buy newspapers?
6. Which programs do you prefer to watch?

Vocabulary:
mass media, mass communications - mass media
to be selective - to be picky
to give preference to - give preference
periodical - periodical publication
daily - daily
weekly - weekly, weekly
monthly - monthly, monthly
quarterly - quarterly
readable - interesting
readership - readers
circulation - circulation
to contain - contain
to give coverage - illuminate
local affairs - local events
home (national, domestic, internal) affairs (events) - internal events, events in the country
foreign (international, world, external) affairs (events) - foreign events, events abroad
to deal with - consider
a burning problem - current problem
forecast - forecast
to touch upon - touch
to present - to submit
approach - approach
to subscribe to - subscribe
to broadcast - transmit via radio
to telecast - broadcast on television
amusing - funny
entertaining - entertaining, interesting
to enjoy doing smth - to like doing something