MO 15 Mass Media
¶1
Can you imagine your life without newspapers, radio and television? We've got used to media so much
that if they suddenly disappeared, most of us would get bored and our lives would seem empty.
¶2
The media's importance is rather simple - they are our source of information, easily available, complex
and cheap. Through newspapers, radio and television we learn about the world around us, important inventions,
new technologies and unique achievements.
¶3
People like to read newspapers, journals and magazines. We want to be informed and get the latest
news so most of us buy a newspaper early in the morning. We can find different sorts of articles in a newspaper:
on economics, politics or social life, sports, editorials (giving the personal opinion of the editors about something
in the news), features (special reports about an interesting subject, place or person). Newspapers are published
every day; some are even published at weekends.
¶4
Basically, there are two types of newspapers: serious papers (trying to bring news that is objective and
serious) and the tabloids (usually smaller in size and specialising in articles that are entertaining, e.g. stories and
gossip about famous people). It is interesting that tabloids have a larger circulation than serious newspapers.
¶5
Magazines are published once a week/month and bring international and national news, various articles
and stories. Some target groups of people with special hobbies (e.g. photography, gardening, etc.) or different ages
or genders (e.g. teenagers, women, etc.). Journals are serious magazines on a particular subject containing articles
written by experts in that field (i.e. scientists, doctors, teachers, etc.).
¶6
People who do not like reading newspapers or think it's too expensive to buy a newspaper every day and
then throw it away, listen to the radio to be informed. The news is read by a presenter and there is also a lot of
good music. There is usually a variety of radio programmes to choose from: news programmes and weather
forecasts, chat shows (a programme in which famous people talk about themselves and answer listeners'
questions), educational programmes, quiz shows in which individuals or teams of people compete by answering
questions, breakfast/morning shows (a programme broadcast early in the morning which includes news and
regularly tells you what time it is, there are also usually songs, jokes and conversations with famous people),
phone-in programmes (when people telephone in to give their opinion or get advice), and finally
documentaries. Radio is very popular and many of us like listening to the radio throughout the day no matter
what we are doing, like cooking dinner, painting a room and working in the garden.
¶7
Television is definitely the most popular source of information for people at present and many
people spend most of their leisure time watching TV programmes that are more or less the same as those
on the radio: news programmes, chat or quiz show, documentaries, educational programmes, etc. But
there are also programmes like soap operas (TV series about a group of people and their lives which is
broadcast regularly for many years), sitcoms (an amusing series in which there is a different story each
week about the same group of people) and, of course, lots of films and cartoons. There is a wide
selection of TV channels available and at any time of a day you will certainly find a programme you feel
like watching.
¶8
The media play an important role in society and some experts say they are too powerful and too
influential today. How they present information can decide about people's lives and the development of
our society.
MO 15 Mass Media
¶1
Can you imagine your life without newspapers, radio and television? We've got used to media so much
that if they suddenly disappeared, most of us would get bored and our lives would seem empty.
 Is it possible to exist without mass media at present? Which type of mass media would you miss then? (if
you lived, let´s say, 500 years ago)
¶2
The media's importance is rather simple - they are our source of information, easily available, complex
and cheap. Through newspapers, radio and television we learn about the world around us, important inventions,
new technologies and unique achievements.
 Why are mass media so important for people?
¶3
People like to read newspapers, journals and magazines. We want to be informed and get the latest
news so most of us buy a newspaper early in the morning. We can find different sorts of articles in a newspaper:
on economics, politics or social life, sports, editorials (giving the personal opinion of the editors about something
in the news), features (special reports about an interesting subject, place or person). Newspapers are published
every day; some are even published at weekends.
 Why do people read newspapers and magazines? What different articles can we find there?
¶4
Basically, there are two types of newspapers: serious papers (trying to bring news that is objective and
serious) and the tabloids (usually smaller in size and specialising in articles that are entertaining, e.g. stories and
gossip about famous people). It is interesting that tabloids have a larger circulation than serious newspapers.
 What is the difference between serious papers and tabloids? Which types of stories, articles do serious
papers and tabloids contain? Why are tabloid so popular among people?
¶5
Magazines are published once a week/month and bring international and national news, various articles
and stories. Some target groups of people with special hobbies (e.g. photography, gardening, etc.) or different ages
or genders (e.g. teenagers, women, etc.). Journals are serious magazines on a particular subject containing articles
written by experts in that field (i.e. scientists, doctors, teachers, etc.).
 How often are magazines published? What are the target groups of different magazines? Who are the writers
of the articles in journals?
¶6
People who do not like reading newspapers or think it's too expensive to buy a newspaper every day and
then throw it away, listen to the radio to be informed. The news is read by a presenter and there is also a lot of
good music. There is usually a variety of radio programmes to choose from: news programmes and weather
forecasts, chat shows (a programme in which famous people talk about themselves and answer listeners'
questions), educational programmes, quiz shows in which individuals or teams of people compete by answering
questions, breakfast/morning shows (a programme broadcast early in the morning which includes news and
regularly tells you what time it is, there are also usually songs, jokes and conversations with famous people),
phone-in programmes (when people telephone in to give their opinion or get advice), and finally
documentaries. Radio is very popular and many of us like listening to the radio throughout the day no matter
what we are doing, like cooking dinner, painting a room and working in the garden.
 Why do so many people prefer listening to the radio to reading newspapers? What does a radio
presenter do? What different radio programmes are there on the radio? Describe them. Why is radio so
popular at present? (What can you do while listening to the radio?)
¶7
Television is definitely the most popular source of information for people at present and many
people spend most of their leisure time watching TV programmes that are more or less the same as those
on the radio: news programmes, chat or quiz show, documentaries, educational programmes, etc.
But there are also programmes like soap operas (TV series about a group of people and their lives which
is broadcast regularly for many years), sitcoms (an amusing series in which there is a different story each
week about the same group of people) and, of course, lots of films and cartoons. There is a wide
selection of TV channels available and at any time of a day you will certainly find a programme you feel
like watching.
 Is TV more or less popular than radio? Which programmes are broadcast on TV? Which TV
programmes are different than the radio programmes (-you cannot find them on the radio). Which
different TV channels are there to choose from?
¶8
The media play an important role in society and some experts say they are too powerful and too
influential today. How they present information can decide about people's lives and the development of
our society.
 Are mass media important for people, in your opinion? How do they influence our lives/our society?
Explain the term „mass media“. What are the most common media?
What is the purpose of mass media?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of different types of mass media?
What TV stations, radio stations, newspapers and magazines do we have in Slovakia?
What are your favourite TV station, radio station, newspaper and magazine? What programmes (or
sections) do you like reading, watching and listening to?
6. Compare the public (non-commercial) and private (commercial) TV stations. Which of them
broadcast programmes of a higher quality?
7. Should the parents control what their children watch? Why? Explain.
8. How much time do you spend watching TV?
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