PRESS IN BRITAIN

Probably in no other country are there such great differences between the various national daily newspapers – in type of news they cover and the way they report it. On the one hand there are the «quality» newspapers: the Times, the Independent, the Guardian, the Financial Times and the Daily Telegraph. These concern themselves as far as possible, with factual reports of major national and international events, with the world of politics and with arts and sports.

On the other hand, there are the «populars» and «tabloids», so-called because of their smaller size. The tabloids the most widely read of which are The Daily Mail, The Daily Express, The Daily Mirror, The Sun and The Daily Star – concentrate on more emotive reporting of stories often featuring sex, violence, the Royal family, film and pop stars and sports. It is often said that the popular press aims to entertain its readers rather than inform them.

The Times is one of Britain’s oldest and most influential newspapers. It began its life in 1785. It was started by John Walter. In those days it cost two and a half old pennies. In the 19th century The Times developed a reputation for accurate reporting and independent editorial views. Now it sells over 650, 000 copies a day. It is published in London, along with its sister newspaper, The Sunday Times, which has at least ten sections and takes all week to read! «The Times has had an excellent reputation for over 200 years», said its editor, who has worked since 1980, « and now we try our best to continue that tradition in order to produce a newspaper for XXI century ».

The English I the most newspaper reading nations in the world. It is an old tradition to read a newspaper for breakfast.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD JOURNALIST?

Many things make a good journalist. Even journalists will disagree on the order of importance of the qualities that make a good journalist. But paramount in the make–up of a journalist is a deep and genuine interest in people – people of every type- everywhere. A person who has not this interest in other people will never make a good journalist.

Hand in hand with this interest in people, should go the qualities of sympathy (you should be able to see the other side of an issue, even if you disagree); open-mindedness (you should not make a hasty ill-informed judgment) and an inquiring mind. The journalist spends most of his day talking or listening to other people.

So these are the basic qualities for a journalist, but the required qualifications are very different things. Obviously he must be well-educated to write clearly. The best journalists write simple, plain, direct English/ Russian, preferring short words to long ones.

Often he is the pupil who was fairly good at five or six subjects, but not brilliant at just one. This sort of people seem to be better balanced for the sort of life a journalist leads – often with a nose in half a dozen things in one day.

But of course, nobody can say exactly what the best qualifications for a career in journalism are. They will vary according to individual. There are plenty of highly successful journalists who were generally bad students at school, while there journalists with a university degree who failed to make career in journalism.

ПЛАН РЕФЕРИРОВАНИЯ СПЕЦТЕКСТА

БИБЛИОГРАФИЯ

1. Бонк Н.А., Котий Г.А., Лукьянова Н.А. Учебник английского языка. В 2-х ч. Часть1, 2. – М.: ДеКонт – ГИС., 1996. 637с.

2. Мюллер В.К. Большой англо-русский словарь. Изд. 5-е, стереотип.- М.: Цитадель-трейд: РИПОЛ КЛАССИК: Дом.XXI век, 2006. – 832с.

3. Телень Э.Ф. Английский для журналистов: Пособие для вузов. - М.: ТЕИС., 2002-213с.

4. English Grammar: Reference and Practice: учебное пособие. - Издание десятое, исправленное и дополненное. – СПб.: Антология, 2006. – 464с.

5. Just English. Английский для юристов: Учебное пособие. Ю.Л. Гуманова В.А. Королёва М.Л. Свешникова Е.В. Тихомирова; Под ред. Т.Н. Шишкиной. – М.: Гуманитарное издание, ТЕИС, 2000. – 198с.

6. Mial Antony, Milsted David. Xenophobe’s guide to the British. – N.Y.: Oral objects, 1994. -72с.

7. New Headway Pre-Intermediate. John & Liz Soars Oxford University Press 2000.

8. Periodicals: The Moscow News, The Economist.

9. Web resources: www.bbc.co.uk

www.news.bbc.co.uk

www.voanews.com

Учебное издание

Садакова Любовь Георгиевна

Шиляева Ирина Александровна