The Internet has provided a means for newspapers and other media organizations to deliver news and, significantly, the means to look up old news. Some organizations only make limited amounts of their output available for free, and charge for access to the rest. Other organizations allow their archives to be freely browsed. It is possible that the latter type obtain more influence, as they are true to the spirit of freedom of information by virtue of making it free. Anyone who has followed external links only to be confronted with a pay to view banner, might attest that the reputations of organizations that charge is not enhanced by their charging policy, particularly when the same information is available from sources that don’t charge.
The Internet, by means of making available such constantly growing news archives, is, in effect, writing American history as it happens, at a level of detail never before known. While proprietary archives are slowly exposed to the public after many decades, organizations that maintain immediately-updating resources have more control over what will be remembered by the general public in the near future.
Glossary
affiliate (n)
subsidiary or subordinate organization that is affiliated with another organization
brethren
(plural) the lay members of a male religious order
feed (n)
material supplied
newsstand
stall where newspapers and other periodicals are sold
prime time
hours between 7 and 11 p.m. when the largest tv audience is available
reap
get or derive
revenue
entire amount of income before any deductions are made
scrambled
changed (of a TV signal) so that it can only be understood using a special device
Comprehension
Exercise 1. Characterise the mass media of the US and indicate major titles in each group:
Mass Medium
Characteristics
Examples
Newspapers
Magazines
Rad
I
o
AM
FM
Self-Assessment
Exercise 1. Explain the meaning of the following words.
ambient advertisement vs. advertisement on TV/ TV commercials
TV mogul
TV and radio listings
satellite dish
aerial
wire services
newsreel
live footage
sports coverage
breaking news
flash interview
newscaster
presenter
anchorman
yellow press
feature article
gossip column
talk show
panel game
situation comedy
action-packed drama
quiz shows
soap operas
blockbuster
sequel
trailer
quality press
reality show
TV addict/ Couch potato
chat show
host of the show
MC
obituary
regular columnist
editorial
Exercise .2. Explain how various media originated in the USA. What are the most influential at the moment?
Exercise 3. Innumerate top 7 US quality and popular papers. What is the official basis for freedom of speech in the USA?
Exercise 4. Give brief characteristics to PBS, CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN companies.
Exercise 5. What do you know about Time Warner, Disney, Bertelsmann, Viacom, TCI?
Exercise 6. What movies/cartoons are closely associated with such giants as Walt Disney, Columbia Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Miramax, Warner Brothers best?
Further Reading
1. Handbook on mass media in the United States: The industry and its audiences / [ed. Erwin K. Thomas, Brown H. Carpenter]. – N.Y.: Greenwood Press, 1994. – 344 p.
* National Public Radio (NPR) is a USA radio network covering Television Entertainment. (NPR) is a semi-independent, privately and publicly funded non-profit organization. It is syndicated to hundreds of U.S. radio stations throughout the U.S. NPR originated in 1970 following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
** A doctrine that made radio channels “balance” their day by programming alternative points of view.