WHAT IS NEWS?

W

hat is news? The kind of event that becomes news depends on several factors. When did it happen? To be news it must be immediate and current. What happened? Was the event important? If so, it’s news. How and where did it happen? Who did it happen to, and what may happen as a result? The answers to all these questions make up what we call news.

What kind of stories make news? Accidents, murders, awful fires — do only sad events make news? It depends on what is happening on a particular day. At first glance it may seem that newspapers print more “bad” news than “good” news. On certain bad days that may be true, but if you look through a typical newspaper, you may be surprised at the amount of good news on its pages.

Events make news because they are out of the ordinary. To most people, a story that describes an unusual happening is far more interesting than one about what’s happening and if an important event happens, it’s news, good or bad.

(from The World Around Us)

TOWN CRIER

Town criers were once a familiar sight on the streets of England and America. With their bright red cloak and loud bell and voice, they could be seen and heard by everyone. Until the late 19th century, very few people could read. The town criers job was to stand in markets and public spaces, shouting the news to the residents of the town. He would ring his bell to attract people’s attention. His traditional loud cry of ‘oyez, oyez’, which means ‘listen, listen’, would tell people that there was important news.

Records of town criers date from 1066, when we know they were used to spread the news of William the Conqueror’s invasion of Britain. Throughout history, they passed on news of war, politics and births and deaths of members of the Royal family. In 1666, news of the Great Fire of London was spread across the capital by town criers.

As more and more ordinary people learned to read, the job of town crier gradually disappeared. Notices displayed for all to see and, later, newspapers brought people the news instead. London still has an official town crier who attracts tourists to the city. One of his proudest moments was announcing the birth of Prince William to the people outside Buckingham Palace.

Some people say that television, radio and newspapers have changed our lives for the better. However, others believe that the mass media has more disadvantages than advantages.

Nowadays the mass media actually rules the world. It has a lot of power because its tool is infor­mation and its aim is to make information available to ordinary people.

Personally, I can't imagine my life without newspapers, radio and television. They inform us of what is going on in the world and give us wonderful possibilities for education and entertain­ment. On every news-stand there are dozens of newspapers for businessmen, children and teenagers, sports fans and so on. To my mind, you can always find a newspaper which suits your interests. Television is the main source of news for millions of people. It gives us an opportuni­ty to "travel" all over the world. Besides, it helps us relax and escape from reality. As for the radio, I like listening to it in the car, in the open air, or when I do something about the house.

On the other hand, newspapers, radio and television often inform us of dramatic events. Many people say it makes them feel depressed. One more disadvantage is that the media spreads gos­sip about different celebrities and their private lives. What is more, newspapers, television and radio have become major advertising media. Advertisements and commercials make people buy a lot of useless things. Moreover, they can be harmful. For example, cigarette or beer advertis­ing can increase the consumption of these goods and cause problems with health.

To conclude, it is still an open question if it is good or bad that the media moulds public opin­ion. Anyway, I'm sure that people should not believe everything they hear, see or read about.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14