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Mass Media — СМИ

To live in the modern world is impossible without expanding your knowledge in all spheres. There are several ways of communicating the world to individuals — mass media, books, travelling, museums, meeting eminent people. Of all the existing ways, there are two which are the easiest ones, that is mass media and travelling. One more reason why I prefer them is that they provide the fullest and the most reliable information in the fields you are interested in. (For travelling, see ‘Travelling’.)

Mass media play an important role in our life. How and why do they shape public opinion?

Mass media play an important role in our life. They are usually defined by encyclopedias as any of the means of communication, such as radio, television, newspapers, magazines, etc. that reach and influence a very large audience, at least as large as the whole population of a nation. The term was coined in 1920s with emerging of nationwide radio networks and of mass-circulation

newspapers and magazines. I believe mass media are so influential because they can be used for various purposes: popularisation, for business or social concerns (advertising, marketing, public relations, and political communication), education, entertainment, video and computer games, journalism, public service announcements. Media include radio and television, films, various types of discs or tapes used for music and computer, Internet, publishing on paper (books, magazines, and newspapers).
Mass media play a crucial role in forming public opinion. They do it in a number of ways: first, they communicate the world to individuals. Much of the news media is made up of newsgathering by large organizations. Just four main news agencies — AP, UPI, Reuters and Agence France Presse — claim together to provide 90 % of the total news output of the world’s press, radio and television. Second, they reproduce modern society’s self-image by forcing attention to certain issues. They build up public images of political figures. They are constantly presenting objects suggesting what individuals in the mass should

think about, know about, have feelings about. Because some of the media produce material which often is good, impartial, and serious, they have respect and authority. If we look into the reasons why the mass media shape public opinion, we will see, first of all, that in practice the ethics of the press and television provides a vital support for the existing order. Second, many of the mass media in practice cater for the tastes of some social group. Shaping the public opinion inside this group, they create the audience which supports them financially by buying the newspaper or watching the TV channel.
But how much do the media influence the modern society? Early critiques suggested that the media destroys the individual’s capacity to act autonomously. Later studies, however, suggest a more complex interaction between the media and society. People actively interprete and evaluate the media and the information it provides.

Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Средства массовой информации — это средства коммуникации, такие как радио, телевидение, газеты, журналы, которые создают очень большую аудиторию.
2. Средства массовой информации так влиятельны, поскольку используются для популяризации в интересах бизнеса или общества, для образования, развлечения, объявлений и т. д.
3. Средства массовой информации играют ведущую роль в формировании общественного мнения, так как они, во-первых, доносят до людей информацию о мире, во-вторых, воспроизводят созданный современным обществом его собственный имидж, в-третьих, они потворствуют вкусам определенной социальной группы.
4. Четыре основные агентства новостей предоставляют 90 % общего объема новостей прессы, радио и телевидения в мире.
5. Средства массовой информации привлекают внимание к определенным вопросам, создают имидж политических деятелей и представляют различные объекты, одновременно предлагая, что люди должны думать о них.
6. Поскольку определенная часть информации, которую они представляют, является объективной и серьезной, они пользуются уважением и авторитетом.
7. Они создают аудиторию, которая поддерживает их в финансовом отношении.

1. Mass media are means of communication, such as radio, television, newspapers, magazines, which create a very large audience.
2. Mass media are so influential as they are used for popularisation for business and social concerns, education, entertainment, advertisements, and so on.
3. Mass media play a crucial role in forming public opinion, because, first, they communicate the world to individuals, second, they reproduce the modern society’s self-image, third, they cater for the tastes of some social group.
4. The four main news agencies provide 90 % of the total news output of the world’s press, radio and television.
5. Mass media constantly force attention to certain issues, build up images of political figures and present various objects suggesting what people should think about them.
6. As some amount of the information they present is impartial and serious, they have respect and authority.
7. They create the audience which supports them financially.

Из пособия «ЕГЭ. Английский язык. Устные темы» Занина Е. Л. (2010, 272с.) — Part one. English examination topics. Forms 9/11.

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