A16 – Mass Media
Vlastnosti
| predmet | Anglický jazyk |
| typ | maturitná téma |
| okruh | anglický jazyk |
| číslo | 16 |
| stav | vypracované |
Talk about the kinds of mass media, television, the press, radio and the internet, their influence on people, and your own use of the media.
1. Osnova témy
- What mass media are and what functions they have.
- The press — newspapers and magazines, broadsheets and tabloids.
- Television — public and commercial channels, kinds of programmes.
- Radio and its place today.
- The internet as the newest and most powerful medium.
- The influence of the media on public opinion.
- The dangers — addiction, manipulation, fake news, loss of privacy.
- Your own use of the media.
2. Kľúčová slovná zásoba
- types and functions: the press, radio, television, the internet; to inform, to educate, to entertain, to advertise, to influence; public opinion (verejná mienka), the media (plural)
- the press: newspaper, magazine, journal, periodical, daily, weekly, monthly, quality paper / broadsheet (serióznа tlač), tabloid (bulvár), local and national press, online edition, circulation (náklad)
- parts of a paper: front page, back page, headline (titulok), article, feature article, column, editorial (úvodník), review (recenzia), obituary (nekrológ), supplement (príloha), crossword, classified ads (inzeráty)
- journalists: editor (redaktor), reporter, correspondent, columnist, paparazzo, editor-in-chief (šéfredaktor)
- television: channel, station, public and commercial television, licence fee (koncesionársky poplatok), to broadcast (vysielať), live broadcast (živé vysielanie), prime time, viewer (divák), audience, remote control, streaming
- programmes: news, weather forecast, documentary, soap opera, sitcom, series, talk show, quiz show, reality show, cartoon, political debate, commercials (reklamy), sports coverage
- radio: to tune in, station, phone-in, morning show, presenter (moderátor), podcast
- the internet: website, search engine, social network, blog, streaming, e-mail, online shopping, video call, to browse, to download, to upload, to post, to share
- positives: immediate access to information, live broadcasting, breaking news, education, entertainment, contact with people abroad, free access to knowledge
- negatives: lack of objectivity, bias (zaujatosť), manipulation, censorship, hoax, fake news, invasion of privacy, pseudo-idols, sensationalism, addiction, couch potato, eyesight damage, violence, cyberbullying, uncensored content
3. Užitočné frázy a väzby
- Mass media are the main source of information about the world around us.
- They have four basic functions: to inform, to educate, to entertain and to advertise.
- Broadsheets are serious in tone, whereas tabloids concentrate on the private lives of celebrities.
- Television is still the most popular medium, especially among older people.
- Young people, on the other hand, get almost all their information from the internet.
- The media have an enormous influence on public opinion.
- We should always check where the information actually comes from.
- One of the biggest problems today is the spreading of fake news.
- Personally, I watch very little television, but I spend far too much time online.
- Everything depends on how much time we spend with the media and what we choose.
- To conclude, the media are a useful servant but a dangerous master.
4. Modelová odpoveď
Mass media are the means by which information reaches large numbers of people. We usually divide them into the press, the radio, television and, most importantly today, the internet. They have four basic functions: to inform, to educate, to entertain and to advertise. Thanks to them we learn about events in our country and abroad, about new inventions and technologies, and about everything that happens in the world.
The press means newspapers and magazines. Newspapers can be national or regional, and they are usually divided into two groups. Broadsheets, or quality papers, are printed on large pages and are serious in tone; they bring political, economic and foreign news, sports results, television listings, the weather forecast and advertisements. Most of them are dailies. Tabloids are smaller in format and far less serious. They publish human-interest stories and gossip about the private lives of famous people. Regional papers are usually weeklies and cover local events and local business. Magazines come out weekly or monthly, they are in colour and have more pages; there are magazines about houses and gardens, cars, sport, fashion, computers, and journals written by experts for specialists.
Television is still the most popular medium for many people. We have public television, which is financed partly from licence fees, and commercial stations, which live on advertising. You can watch the news, the weather forecast, documentaries, films, series, sitcoms, soap operas, quiz shows, talk shows, reality shows and sports. Radio is a little in the background these days, but it is still very useful — you can listen to it while driving or working, and podcasts have given audio a completely new life.
The internet is the newest and by far the most powerful medium. It gives immediate access to information, lets us send e-mails and documents, shop, book tickets and hotels, transfer money, make video calls and keep in touch with friends anywhere in the world. Social networks let anybody publish anything, which is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness.
The influence of the media on society is enormous. They shape public opinion and even influence politics — it is often said that they are the seventh great power. But that influence brings dangers. Not every medium is objective; many are owned by powerful people and present news in a biased way. Tabloids invade people's privacy and create pseudo-idols out of people who have achieved nothing. The internet is full of hoaxes and fake news that spread faster than anybody can check them. Watching television for hours turns people into couch potatoes, damages their eyesight, keeps them from sport and reading, and exposes children to violence.
As for me, I hardly ever watch television and I do not buy newspapers, which is probably typical for my generation. I read the news online, mostly on my phone, I follow a few channels about technology and programming, and I use social networks to stay in touch with my friends. I know I spend too much time online, and I try to check important news in more than one source, because I have learnt that the first thing you read is not always true.
To conclude, the media are extremely useful, but we should use them consciously rather than let them use us.
5. Otázky na diskusiu
- Which kinds of mass media do you know and what are their functions?
- What is the difference between broadsheets and tabloids?
- Which medium do you personally use most, and why?
- Do you read newspapers? Why or why not?
- What kinds of television programmes do you like and dislike?
- How do the media influence public opinion?
- What do you think about reality shows?
- What are the dangers of spending too much time on the internet?
- How can we recognise fake news?
- Should the media be free to publish anything they want?
6. Zhrnutie na ústnu odpoveď
- Druhy a funkcie: press, radio, TV, internet; inform, educate, entertain, advertise.
- Tlač: broadsheets (serious, political and economic news) vs. tabloids (gossip, celebrities); dailies, weeklies, magazines, journals.
- Televízia: public (licence fee) vs. commercial (advertising); list the programme types.
- Rádio: background medium, in the car, podcasts.
- Internet: information, shopping, banking, video calls, social networks — the strongest medium today.
- Vplyv: shapes public opinion, „the seventh great power".
- Nebezpečenstvá: bias, manipulation, fake news, invasion of privacy, pseudo-idols, addiction, violence, couch potato.
- Ja a médiá: which ones you use, how much, and one sentence about checking sources.
Zdroj hovorí o STV ako o slovenskej verejnoprávnej televízii. Ten názov je zastaraný — verejnoprávny vysielateľ sa medzitým premenoval (najprv na RTVS, neskôr znovu). Pred skúškou si aktuálny názov rýchlo over a použi ten; alebo sa mu bezpečne vyhni a povedz jednoducho „our public service broadcaster".
Slovo media je množné číslo (jednotné je medium), takže správne je „the media have a great influence", nie „has". A pozor na the press — znamená tlač ako celok, nie jedny noviny. Toto sú presne tie drobnosti, ktoré na ústnej maturite robia dobrý dojem.
Súvisiace poznámky
- A13 – Communication — masová komunikácia ako forma dorozumievania
- A12 – Science and Technology — internet ako technologický vynález
- A25 – Role Models and Idols — pseudoidoly vytvárané médiami
- A06 – Shopping and Services — reklama a jej vplyv na zákazníka
- Anglické ekvivalenty — slovná zásoba a termíny po anglicky
Kontrolné otázky
Which kinds of mass media do you know and what are their functions?
Press, radio, television and the internet. They inform, educate, entertain and influence public opinion.
What is the difference between broadsheets and tabloids?
Broadsheets are serious newspapers with in-depth news. Tabloids focus on scandals, celebrities and big headlines.
Which medium do you personally use most, and why?
The internet, because it is fast, available everywhere and I can choose what I want to read or watch.
Do you read newspapers? Why or why not?
Not printed ones. I read news on websites and apps because it is quicker.
What kinds of television programmes do you like and dislike?
I like documentaries, sports and films. I dislike reality shows and soap operas.
How do the media influence public opinion?
They choose which topics to cover and how, so they can shape what people think and even how they vote.
What do you think about reality shows?
They are entertaining for some people, but most are fake and show bad behaviour.
What are the dangers of spending too much time on the internet?
Addiction, lack of sleep and exercise, cyberbullying, fake news and less real contact with people.
How can we recognise fake news?
Check the source and the author, compare with other serious media, look at the date and be careful with shocking headlines.
Should the media be free to publish anything they want?
Freedom of the press is essential for democracy, but the media must not spread lies or hate.