U nit 3 areas of friction

Text A

The relationship between public relations and the media is based on mutual coop­eration, trust, and respect. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. The following are some areas of friction.

Name-Calling

Many journalists openly disdain public relations people and call them "flacks", a de­rogatory term for press agents. It is somewhat akin to calling journalists "hacks". Due to protests from the public relations community, the Wall Street Journal has now ado­pted a policy that forbids the use of the word "flack" by reporters in their stories. Un­fortunately, many other newspapers have not followed suit.

Journalists often refer to the activities or policies of organizations as "public rela­tions gimmicks".

Excessive Hype and Promotion

Journalists receive hundreds of news releases that are poorly written, contain no news, and read like commercial advertisements. It is no wonder that after a while they form the opinion that the majority of publicists are incompetent.

Journalists also resent the use of gimmicks in sending materials to the news media.

These gimmicks are meant simply to separate the news release or press kit from the stack on the recipient's desk. However, gatekeepers complain that such gimmicks con­stitute gifts or "freebies", which their organizations, on principle, do not accept. Some newspapers even return such minor gimmicks as keychains, T-shirts, and coffee mugs. In sum, if you're thinking about using a gimmick with a news release, carefully assess the recipient's potential reaction.

Notes:

the Wall Street Journal - влиятельная ежедневная политико-экономическая газета деловых кругов, крупнейшая по тиражу газета США (около 2 млн экз), регуляр­но занимает места в десятке лучших. Известна лаконичным стилем изложения новостей и авторитетным анализом тенденций деловой и финансовой жизни. Из­дается в Нью-Йорке, основана в 1889 г .

Vocabulary:

assess - оценить

be akin to smth. - быть сродни ч.-л.

derogatory - пренебрежительный, унизительный

disdain - презирать

excessive - чрезмерный

flacks - (si) презрительное прозвище людей, работающих в паблик рилейшнз,

«пиарщиков»

follow suit - последовать примеру

fordid, forbade, forbidden - запрещать

freeby - (si) небольшой подарок, бесплатная раздача образцов рекламируемого

товара

friction - трения, разногласия

gimmick - рекламный трюк, уловка

hack -(si) «писаки»

hype - шумная, крикливая реклама

minor - небольшой

promotion - продвижение, реклама

recipient - получатель

refer to - отзываться о ч.-л.

resent - возмущаться

stack - масса, куча

Exercises

1) Find the English equivalents in the text. Use them in sentences of your own:

в какой-то степени; в принципе; вследствие ч.-л.; футболка; кружка; оценить; возможная реакция; плохо написанный; не содержать новостей; неудивитель­но; коммерческая реклама; быть предназначенным для ч.-л.

2) Find the words in the text which describe or mean the following:

1. a trick or smth unusual that you do to make people notice someone or something -

2. disagreement or angry feelings between people -

3. something that you are given free, usually something small and not expensive

4. very similar to smth. -

5. insulting and disapproving -

3) Translate the following sentences into Russian:

1. Pay is a continuing source of friction with the workers.

2. Psychologists will assess the child's behavior.

3. He disdains New York and the art that is produced there. 4.I resented having to work such long hours.

5. At that time, the state law forbade the teaching of evolution.

4) Match the words which are close in their meaning:

due to	despise
akin	disagreement
forbid	owing to
disdain	similar
friction	ban

5) Match the words having the opposite meaning:

disdain	different
forbid	sender
akin	respect
recipient	minority
majority	allow

6) Insert prepositions, where necessary (by; in; of; of; in; to; from):

1. Journalists also resent __the use gimmicks sending materials the news media.

2. Due protests the public relations community, the

Wall Street Journal has now adopted a policy that forbids the use

the word "flack" reporters their stories.

3. Many other newspapers have not followed suit.