Mass media
mass media- засоби масової інформації
to be selective - бути вибірковим
to focus - зосереджуватися
local affairs - місцеві події
to deal with -- розглядати
a burning question - актуальна проблема
a forecast - прогноз
to touch upon - торкатися
to subscribe - передплачувати
to broadcast - передавати по радіо
wireless-радіо
violence - насилля
commercials - реклама на телебаченні
to promote - сприяти
advertising - реклама
agency-агенція
The mass media are one of the most characteristic features of modern civilization. People can learn about what is happening in the world very fast using mass media. The mass media include newspapers, magazines, radio and television. 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. Newspaper is a publication that presents and comments on the news. Newspapers play an important role in shaping public opinion and informing people of current events. Newspapers have certain advantages over magazines, TV, radio. Newspapers can cover more news and give much more details than TV or radio newscast can do.
Magazines focus on major national and international events of the preceding week. But a newspaper focuses on local news as well and provides information and comments faster than a magazine can do. The Ukrainian press is free from direct government control but there are state owned dailies:“Holos Ukrainy”,”Hreshchatik”, "Uryadovy Соurуеr” and independent: “Kiev Post”, "Vechirny Kiev", "Kievskie Vedomosti" and others. We have several English periodicals including bilingual ones. For example, newspaper "News of Ukraine" and magazine "Ukraine" are available in English and journal "Political Thought" is available both in Ukrainian and in English. As far as newspapers are concerned they may be daily or weekly. Magazines may be weekly, monthly or quarterly. Newspapers cover local, home and foreign affairs, they deal with the burning questions of our history, the latest events and forecasts of the future. They also touch upon cultural and sport news.
Among others we subscribe the newspapers "Chervony Girnyk", “Kryvorizki Vidomosti” which are very popular in Kryvyi Rih. They cover local affairs dealing with the latest events in our town.
Magazines don't focus on daily rapidly changing events. They provide information on a wide range of topics such as business, culture, hobbies, medicine, religion, science and sport. Some magazines entertain their readers with fiction, poetry, photography or articles about TV or movie stars.
The newspapers "Digest”, “The Day” are the most readable among my mates. They contain current news, detailed articles about home and international events. There we can find interesting articles on social and business issues and pages devoted to literature and arts. It is good that these newspapers publish novels and stories by progressive English and American writers. They publish jokes, short stories and items about traditions, famous people of English-speaking countries. It is very useful for those who study English.
The computer is no doubt the most amazing achievement of mankind. The Internet, global computer network, which embraces millions of users all over the world, has an important influence on our daily lives. The most popular Internet service is e-mail. Most of the people, who have access to the Internet, use the network only for sending and receiving e-mail messages. However, other popular services are available on the Internet: reading USENET News, using the World-Wide Web, telnet, FTP, and Gopher.
Of all discoveries ever made by man, radio or wireless is one of the most wonderful. Radio broadcasts music, news, interviews, discussions, descriptions of sports events, advertising. I listen to the wireless almost every evening, especially "Radio Systema" which is very popular with young people and old people as well.
More marvelous even than radio is television. Television is one of the most popular mass media in the contemporary world. Viewers are able to watch live transmissions of topical events, sports and athletics, interviews with prominent people. Films are televised and some are made especially for television. A frequent criticism of TV programmes is that many people are becoming worried about the amount of violence on TV and the effect it may have on young people.
I prefer such programmes as “Epicenter «, "Pop. ua ", “ Wait for me”. The group of “Wait for me» programme finds disappeared men, children, women, during the war or nature cataclysms and their warm meetings are usually shown on TV. I like watching interesting films. These might be features, adventures, cartoons, horror films, notions or others. I enjoy watching Walt Disney's cartoons.
There are many commercials on TV. People need advertising. It is very popular nowadays. Advertising is a form of non-personal presentation and promotion of products, services or ideas by an identifiable individual or organization. It is one of the most important factors, in accelerating the distribution of products and helping to raise the standard of living. Advertising cannot turn a poor product or service into a good one. But what it can do - and does - is to create awareness about both old and new products and services. So three main objectives of advertising are:
To produce knowledge about the product or service;
To create preference for it;
To stimulate thought and action about it.
Among Ukraine's information agencies special popularity marks are the Ukrainian National Information Agency (UKRINFORM), the Ukrainian Independent Information Agency Respublika (UNITAR), and the Ukrainian Independent News Interfax-Ukraina (UNІAN).
1. What information are you looking for when leading newspapers and magazines? Which newspaper (or magazine) has the best coverage of events? Back up your opinion.
2. Compare local and nation-wide TV companies. Study the public opinion regarding rating of various TV programmers. Discuss the results of the Research with your fellow-students.
3. Local broadcast, if you have noticed, does not touch social, ecological and economic subjects and only entertaining character. Is that rights? Back up your opinion.
4. How do commercials on TV promote improving demand for goods advertised?
5. Comment on the following quotation: “If I had five dollars left three of them I would spend on advertising” (G. Ford)