Press in Ukraine - Преса в Україні
Newspapers and magazines play a great Газети і журнали відіграють дуже
role in the life of a modern person. важливу роль у житті сучасної
людини.
Ми звичайно читаємо газети, щоб
We usually read newspapers to get одержати інформацію про події, що
information about the events that have відбулися чи будуть відбуватися в
taken or are going to take place in this нашій країні чи за її межами.
country or abroad.
One can also read articles about
historical events or public figures of the Можна також прочитати статті про
past. історичні події чи суспільних діячів
минулого.
The pages of newspapers carry articles
on our economy, industry, agriculture На сторінках газет публікуються
and social life. статті про нашу економіку,
промисловість, сільське господарство
і громадське життя.
Practically all newspapers give weather Практично в усіх газетах
forecasts, radio and TV programmes. публікується прогноз погоди, радіо- і
телевізійні програми.
Але є також і спеціальні газети, що
But there are some specialized news- публікують тільки телевізійні
papers that give only TV programmes. програми.
They also give brief accounts of new У них також даються короткі анонси
films or the films that one can see on нових фільмів або фільмів, які можна
TV. побачити по телебаченню.
The beginning of the Ukrainian press is Початком української преси
considered the “Kharkiv Weekly”, вважається «Харківський
founded in 1812. щотижневик», що був заснований в
1812 році.
У ті дні газети намагалися
In those days newspapers tried to attract привернути увагу читачів до проблем
readers’ attention to the problems of економічного, політичного і
economic, political and cultural life of культурного життя нашої країни.
this country.
На їхніх сторінках уперше з’явилися
літературні твори українською мовою
The first literary works in Ukrainian and і дослідження українського
investigations of Ukrainian folklore фольклору.
appeared on their pages.
Сьогодні в Україні велика розмаїтість
Today Ukraine has a large variety of газет і журналів.
newspapers and magazines.
One can find newspapers of all kinds:
national and local, official and private, Можна знайти газети будь-яких
special newspapers for children, teen- видів: національні і місцеві, державні
agers, for all kinds of fans — sport fans, і приватні, спеціальні газети для
music fans, etc. дітей, підлітків, любителів спорту,
музики і т. д.
Дуже відомі газети для ділових
Business newspapers, women’s людей, жіночі журнали, газети для
magazines, car fans newspapers are very автолюбителів.
famous.
Дуже багато безкоштовних газет, що
There are also a lot of “free” спеціалізуються на рекламі.
newspapers, which specialize in
advertising.
The freedom of press has become real Сьогодні свобода друку стала
today. дійсністю.
Every newspaper has its readers. У кожної газети є свої читачі.
I prefer to read “Natali”, “Stolichnye Мені подобається читати «Наталі» і
Novosti”. «Столичні новини».
They are very interesting, I like their Вони дуже цікаві, мені подобається
style and I read almost all their articles їхній стиль, і майже всі статті я читаю
from beginning to end. від початку і до кінця.
Questions:
1. What is considered to be the beginning of Ukrainian press?
2. Do magazines and newspapers play a great role in the life of a modern person?
3. What can you find on the pages of newspapers?
4. What kinds of newspapers and magazines do you know?
5. What do you prefer to read?
6. What do we read newspapers for?
The Importance of Newspapers in Our Daily
Life
Newspapers have a very important place in our life. Reading of newspapers has
become a habit for most of the people. A good newspaper is useful for everyone.
They have a greater value for all, especially in a democracy. They keep us
well-informed. They increase our general knowledge. They tell us what is happening
around us. A newspaper gives us latest news about the national and international
events. It has different pages for businessmen, sports lovers,
w o m e n , children, etc. for businessmen, there are advertisements. The unemployed
people can look for vacancies. There is a sports page for the lovers of sports. There
are matrimonial columns for the unmarried people. It mirrors the status of
society. A good newspaper is a source of entertainment also for all. Sunday
edition has articles and stories. So we must develop the habit of reading
newspapers to know what is happening around us. Nowadays students should
devote some of their time in reading newspapers as it is beneficial for them only.
Advantages of Newspaper:
• It keeps us informed about the current affairs of the whole world.
•In absence of newspaper, we cannot have a true picture of our surroundings.
•It also enhances our knowledge and broadens our vision.
•It makes us realize that we are living in a dynamic world of knowledge and learning.
• The people who like sports and games or showbiz can found it there.
•It contains many advertisements, which promote economy activity.
• It is serving not only in terms of information and entertainment but also in creating
a pro economic atmosphere.
Disadvantages of Newspaper:
•Newspaper has many abuses too.
•By providing wrong information, it can mislead the people.
• The immoral advertisement and vulgar pictures, It can be a severe danger to the
moral values of our society.
• Newspaper is also a source of exchanging diverse views regarding diverse things. It
can mound the opinion of the people in positive and negative ways.
•If newspaper feed the people with wrong views, it can be very disastrous.
Conclusion:
We can say that things are not good or bad in their existence. It is the use
of things, which makes it useful or abusive. Its utility can not be denied. Of course
newspaper can not be used to propagating wrong ideas. However, at the same time, it
is a good tool for transmit positive ideas too.
How Newspapers Control the Public’s
Access to Information and Impact
American Pop Culture
Learning Objectives
1. Describe two ways that newspapers control stories.
2. Define watchdog journalism.
3. Describe how television has impacted journalistic styles.
Since 1896, The New York Times has printed the phrase “All the News That’s Fit to
Print” as its masthead motto. The phrase itself seems innocent enough, and it has
been published for such a long time now that many probably skim over it without
giving it a second thought. Yet, the phrase represents an interesting phenomenon in
the newspaper industry: control. Papers have long been criticized for the way stories
are presented, yet newspapers continue to print—and readers continue to buy them.
“All the News That’s Fit to Print”
In 1997, The New York Times publicly claimed that it was “an independent
newspaper, entirely fearless, free of ulterior influence and unselfishly devoted to the
public welfare (Herman, 1998).” Despite this public proclamation of objectivity, the
paper’s publishers have been criticized for choosing which articles to print based on
personal financial gain. In reaction to that statement, scholar Edward S. Herman
wrote that the issue is that The New York Times “defines public welfare in a manner
acceptable to their elite audience and advertisers (Herman, 1998).” The New York
Times has continually been accused of determining what stories are told. For
example, during the 1993 debate over the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA), The New York Times clearly supported the agreement. In doing so, the
newspaper exercised editorial control over its publication and the information that
went out to readers.
However, The New York Times is not the only newspaper to face accusations of
controlling which stories are told. In his review of Read All About It: The Corporate
Takeover of America’s Newspapers, Steve Hoenisch, editor of Criticism.com, offers
these harsh words about what drives the stories printed in today’s newspapers:
I’ve always thought of daily newspapers as the guardians of our—meaning the public’s—right
to know. The guardians of truth, justice, and public welfare and all that. But who am I fooling?
America’s daily newspapers don’t belong to us. Nor, for that matter, do they even seek to serve
us any longer. They have more important concerns now: appeasing advertisers and enriching
stockholders (Hoenisch).
More and more, as readership declines, newspapers must answer to advertisers and
shareholders as they choose which stories to report on.
However, editorial control does not end there. Journalists determine not only
what stories are told but also how those stories are presented. This issue is
perhaps even more delicate than that of selection. Most newspaper readers still expect
news to be reported objectively and demand that journalists present their stories in
this manner. However, careful public scrutiny can burden journalists, while
accusations of controlling information affect their affiliated newspapers. However,
this scrutiny takes on importance as the public turns to journalists and newspapers to
learn about the world.
Journalists are also expected to hold themselves to high standards of truth and
originality. Fabrication and plagiarism are prohibited. If a journalist is caught using
these tactics, then his or her career is likely to end for betraying the public’s trust and
for damaging the publication’s reputation. For example, The New York Times reporter
Jayson Blair lost his job in 2003 when his plagiary and fabrication were discovered,
and The New Republic journalist Stephen Glass was fired in 1998 for inventing
stories, quotes, and sources.
Despite the critiques of the newspaper industry and its control over information, the
majority of newspapers and journalists take their roles seriously. Editors work with
journalists to verify sources and to double-check facts so readers are provided
accurate information. In this way, the control that journalists and newspapers exert
serves to benefit their readers, who can then be assured that articles printed are
correct.
The New York Times Revisits Old Stories
Despite the criticism of The New York Times, the famous newspaper has been known to revisit
their old stories to provide a new, more balanced view. One such example occurred in 2004
when, in response to criticism on their handling of the Iraq War, The New York Times offered a
statement of apology. The apology read:
We have found a number of instances of coverage that was not as rigorous as it should have
been. In some cases, information that was controversial then, and seems questionable now, was
insufficiently qualified or allowed to stand unchallenged. Looking back, we wish we had been
more aggressive in re-examining the claims as new evidence emerged—or failed to emerge
(New York Times, 2004).
Although the apology was risky—it essentially admitted guilt in controlling a controversial
story—The New York Times demonstrated a commitment to ethical journalism.
Watchdog Journalism
One way that journalists control stories for the benefit of the public is by engaging
in watchdog journalism. This form of journalism provides the public with
information about government officials or business owners while holding those
officials to high standards of operation. Watchdog journalism is defined as:
(1) independent scrutiny by the press of the activities of government, business and other public
institutions, with an aim toward (2) documenting, questioning, and investigating those
activities, to (3) provide publics and officials with timely information on issues of public
concern (Bennett & Serrin, 2005).
One of the most famous examples of watchdog journalism is the role that Bob
Woodward and Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post played in uncovering
information about the Watergate break-in and scandal that ultimately resulted in
President Richard Nixon’s resignation. Newspapers and journalists often laud
watchdog journalism, one of the most important functions of newspapers, yet it is
difficult to practice because it requires rigorous investigation, which in turn demands
more time. Many journalists often try to keep up with news as it breaks, so journalists
are not afforded the time to research the information—nor to hone the skills—
required to write a watchdog story. “Surviving in the newsroom—doing watchdog
stories—takes a great deal of personal and political skill. Reporters must have a sense
of guerilla warfare tactics to do well in the newsroom (Bennett & Serrin, 2005).”
To be successful, watchdog journalists must investigate stories, ask tough questions,
and face the possibility of unpopularity to alert the public to corruption or
mismanagement while elevating the public’s expectations of the government. At the
same time, readers can support newspapers that employ this style of journalism to
encourage the press to engage in the challenging watchdog form of journalism. As
scholars have observed, “Not surprisingly, watchdog journalism functions best when
reporters understand it and news organizations and their audiences support it (Bennett
& Serrin, 2005).”
Impact of Television and the Internet on Print
Newspapers have control over which stories are told and how those stories are
presented. Just as the newspaper industry has changed dramatically over the years,
journalistic writing styles have been transformed. Many times, such changes mirrored
a trend shift in readership; since the 1950s, however, newspapers have had to
compete with television journalism and, more recently, the Internet. Both television
and the Internet have profoundly affected newspaper audiences and journalistic
styles.
Case Study: USA Today
USA Today, founded in 1982 and known for its easy-to-read stories, is but one
example of a paper that has altered its style to remain competitive with television and
the Internet. In the past, newspapers placed their primary focus on the written word.
Although some newspapers still maintain the use of written narration, many papers
have shifted their techniques to attract a more television-savvy audience. In the case
of USA Today, the emphasis lies on the second track—the visual story—dominated
by large images accompanied by short written stories. This emphasis mimics the
television presentation format, allowing the paper to cater to readers with short
attention spans.
A perhaps unexpected shift in journalistic writing styles that derives from television
is the more frequent use of present tense, rather than past tense, in articles. This shift
likely comes from television journalism’s tendency to allow a story to develop as it is
being told. This subtle but noticeable shift from past to present tense in narration
sometimes brings a more dramatic element to news articles, which may attract
readers who otherwise turn to television news programs for information.
Like many papers, USA Today has redesigned its image and style to keep up with the
sharp immediacy of the Internet and with the entertainment value of television. In
fact, the paper’s management was so serious about their desire to compete with
television that from 1988 to 1990 they mounted a syndicated television series
titled USA Today: The Television Show (later retitled USA Today on TV) (Internet
Movie Database). Despite its short run, the show demonstrated the paper’s focus on
reaching out to a visual audience, a core value that it has maintained to this day.
Today, USA Today has established itself as a credible and reliable news source,
despite its unorthodox approach to journalism.
Key Takeaways
Newspapers control which stories are told by selecting which articles make it to print. They
also control how stories are told by determining the way in which information is presented to
their readers.
Watchdog journalism is an investigative approach to reporting that aims to inform citizens of
occurrences in government and businesses.
Television has not only contributed to the decline of readership for newspapers but has also
impacted visual and journalistic styles. Newspapers, such as USA Today, have been
profoundly affected by the television industry. USA Today caters to television watchers by
incorporating large images and short stories, while primarily employing the present tense to
make it seem as though the story is unfolding before the reader.
Exercises
Please respond to the following writing prompts. Each response should be a minimum of one
paragraph.
1. Compare the journalistic styles of USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. Examine
differences in the visual nature of the newspapers as well as in the journalistic style.
2. How has television affected these particular newspapers?
3. What noticeable differences do you observe? Can you find any similarities?
4. How did each newspaper cover events differently? How did each newspaper’s coverage
change the focus and information told? Did you find any watchdog stories, and, if so, what
were they?
References
Bennett, W. Lance and William Serrin, “The Watchdog Role,” in The Institutions of American
Democracy: The Press, ed. Geneva Overholser and Kathleen Hall Jamieson (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2005), 169.
Herman, Edward S. “All the News Fit to Print: Structure and Background of the New York
Times,” Z Magazine, April
1998, http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Herman%20/AllNewsFit_Herman.html.
Hoenisch, Steven. “Corporate Journalism,” review of Read All About It: The Corporate Takeover of
America’s Newspapers, by James D. Squires, http://www.criticism.com/md/crit1.html#section-
Read-All-About-It.
Internet Movie Database, “U.S.A Today: The Television Series,” Internet Movie
Database, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094572/.
New York Times, Editorial, “The Times and Iraq,” New York Times, May 26,
2004, http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/26/international/middleeast/26FTE_NOTE.html.
