Broadcasting, radio and television

Text 2

MASS MEDIA

Text 1.

Exercise 1. Read and translate the text.

Mass media – that is press, radio and television play an important role in the life of the society. They inform, educate and entertain people. They also influence the way people look at the events and sometimes make them change their views. Mass media usually create public opinion.

Millions of people watch TV and read newspapers in their spare time. People listen to the radio while driving a car. On the radio one can hear music, plays, news and various discussions of current events. Lots of radio or TV games and films attract large audience.

Newspapers give more detailed reviews of political life, culture and sports. Basically they are read by the people who are subscribers and those who are interested in politics.

There is a lot of advertising in mass media. Many TV channels, radio stations and newspapers are owned by different corporations. The owners can advertise whatever they choose.

But we cannot say that mass media do not try to raise the cultural level of people or to develop their tastes. Mass media bring to millions of homes not only entertainment and news but also cultural and educational programmes.

There is a great number of TV channels, cable TV, satellite TV and lots of radio stations and newspapers now in the Russian Federation.

Exercise 2. Quote the sentences in which these word combinations are used in the text.

To inform people; spare time; detailed reviews; different corporations; to develop their tastes; the Russian Federation.

Exercise 3. Agree or disagree with the statements.

1. Mass media inform, educate and entertain people.

2. Millions of people don’t watch TV in their spare time.

3. Newspapers give more detailed reviews of political life, culture and sports.

4. There is not much advertising in mass media.

5. Mass media bring to millions of homes not only entertainment and news but also cultural and educational programmes.

6. There are a lot of radio stations now in the Russian Federation.

7. Many TV channels, radio stations are owned by different corporations.

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions.

1. What is mass media?

2. How do mass media influence people?

3. Does the audience of TV and radio differ?

4. Do you think that advertising is useful?

5. What English (Russian) newspapers do you know?

6. What is your favourite TV programmme?

7. Do newspapers give more detailed reviews of political life?

8. Do mass media usually create public opinion?

Exercise 5. Give the plan of the text.

Exercise 1. Read and translate the text.

Broadcasting, Radio and Television, are primary means by which information and entertainment are delivered to the public in virtually every nation around the world. The term broadcasting refers to the airborne transmission of electromagnetic audio signals (radio) or audiovisual signals (television) that are accessible to a wide population via standard, readily available receivers. The term has its origins in the medieval agricultural practice of “broadcasting”, which refers to planting seeds by scattering them across a field.

Broadcasting is a crucial instrument of modern social and political organization. At its peak of influence in the mid-20th century, radio and television broadcasting was employed by political leaders to address entire nations. Because of radio and television’s capacity to reach and influence large numbers of people and owing to the limited spectrum of frequencies available, governments have commonly regulated broadcasting wherever it has been practiced.

In the early 1980s, new technologies – such as cable television and videocassette players – began eroding the dominance of broadcasting in mass communication, splitting audience into smaller, culturally distinct segments. Previously the only means of delivering radio and television to home receivers, broadcasting is now just one of several delivery systems available to listeners and viewers. Sometimes broadcasting is used in a broader sense to include delivery methods such as wire-borne (cable) transmission, but these are more accurately called “narrowcasting” because they are generally limited to paying subscribers.

Exercise 2. Make up 6 questions to the contents of the text and ask your fellow-students to answer them.

Exercise 3. Give the summary of each passage.

Exercise 4. 1. Say what new facts have you learned from the text.

2. Say if you agree with the main idea of the text?

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