UNIT 10 SPORT AND THE MEDIA "The news and truth are not the same thing." Walter Lippmann, American journalist. SPORT AND THE MEDIA What are the mass media? They're huge corporations, massive corporations, linked up with even bigger corporations. They sell audiences to other businesses, namely advertisers. So when you turn on the television set, CBS doesn't make any money from you; they make money from the advertisers. You're the product that they're selling, and the same is true of the daily newspapers. They're huge corporations, selling audiences, potential consumers, to other businesses, all linked up closely to the government, especially the big media. What picture of the world do you expect them to present? – Noam Chomsky, American writer, linguist, and dissident (1928 - ), in Sparrow Talks with Noam Chomsky. (From http://www.newspeakdictionary.com/ot-quotes.html#QMedia, viewed on April 15, 2003; and http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com) Task 1 SPEAKING: Effects of technology Technology is really important to the coverage of sport in the media. Not only does it allow all of these forms of media to be possible, but it also allows features like photo finishes, instant replays, split times etc. Which of the below would you say are the good and which are the bad effects of media coverage on sport: * Money - Media companies pay for the rights to show a sporting event. Also, sports shown on TV generate more sponsorship * Attention - Sport stars often complain of too much attention being paid to their private lives * Education - People learn the rules of the sport from watching it on TV * Role models - Seeing good sports people on tv and in newspapers makes them a role model for people to look up to * Lack of Attendance - For matches that are shown on tv, ticket sales often drop * Demands - The media can put pressure on the organisers of sporting competitions to make the viewing experience better for TV audiences. For example, in a previous Olympics, the marathon was run at a time which suited TV companies, even though it was at the hottest time of day. * Inspiration - Media brings sport to people who may not normally get to experience it otherwise. This can encourage people to get involved * Coaching aid - Watching professionals on the tv can help you see how a technique should be performed which could help your performance * Bias - Only the really popular sports get much attention on the tv and in newspapers etc. This doesn't help encourage people into the less popular sports Task 2 READING: 15 April 2011 A new Super League is being launched for some of the top English ladies' teams including Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. England's Football Association is hoping the league will attract more supporters to the sport. (1) Women's football - or soccer as it's known in many countries - has been played in England for more than a hundred years. But, unlike men's football, it's always been an amateur game. The new Super League will be the first semi-professional competition for women, with eight teams from across the country competing for the title. (2) The players will get paid for their efforts, although their salaries will be nothing like those given to top male football stars. The Football Association says it hopes to avoid uneven competition, where a country's richest clubs get access to all the best players. (3) Each club in the women's Super League will have a maximum annual budget of around $400,000. Some clubs, like Arsenal and Everton, will be helped by their respective male clubs, but others are trying to match their incomes by coaching school pupils or raising money through social events. (4) Organisers are hoping the league will eventually attract the world's best female players and stop England's top stars heading to Germany and the United States, where there are already major professional competitions. Maddy Savage, BBC News Read the above article from the BBC news and summarise the main points. Choose the most suitable heading: A) Female and male footballers clash B) Football Association backs female football C) Female players get football league in England Find synonyms to these expressions: half, partly (par. 1) _______________ unequal (par. 2) _______________ belonging or relating separately to each of the things mentioned (par. 3) ________________ moving in a particular direction (par. 4) ________________ Task 3 Grammar – Passive Voice a) Find examples of passive voice in the text in Task 2. b) Transform the sentences into the passive voice. 1. We don´t treat patients with mental problems here. – Patients with mental problems …………………………………………………………………. 2. This surprises me. – I ……………………………………………………… 3. They interviewed her for the job. – She …………………………………. 4. The employees brought up the issue. – The issue ………………………… 5. James is printing the report. – The report ………………………………... 6. We are processing your request. – Your request …………………………. 7. They have finished the job. – The job ……………………………………. 8. The professor told him not to talk in class. – He …………………………. 9. She would reject the offer. – The offer …………………………………… 10. I had to delete the file. – The file …………………………………………. Task 4 NEWSPAPER LANGUAGE – HEADLINE ENGLISH The language of headlines is therefore unusual in a number of ways. The main function of the headline is to inform the reader briefly of what the news that follows is about. Sometimes headlines contain elements of appraisal, i.e., they show the reporter's or the paper's attitude to the facts reported. English headlines are short and catching. Grammar words like articles or auxiliary verbs are often left out /Royal Family quits/ A simple form of a verb is used /Queen Opens Hospital Today/ The infinitive is used to express the future /President to visit Iran/ Newspaper articles and headlines use a lot of distinctive vocabulary and abbreviations, e.g. PM = Prime Minister, MP = Member of Parliament etc. Match the headlines with their topics: Headlines Topics 1. PM BACKS PEACE PLAN a. marriage of famous actress 2. MP SPY DRAMA b. royal jewels are stolen 3. SPACE PROBE FAILS c. person who saw crime in danger 4. QUEEN´S GEMS RIDDLE d. proposal to end war 5. STAR WEDS e. satellite is not launched 6. KEY WITNESS DEATH THREAT f. politician sells secrets to enemy Explain the meaning of the following headlines: MOVE TO CREATE MORE JOBS ................................................................................................... ....... GO-AHEAD FOR WATER CURBS ................................................................................................... ....... NEW TENNIS CLASH ................................................................................................... ....... Task 5 Listening (Sanabria, K. (2004). Academic Encounters. Listening. CUP.) Guess vocabulary from the context: 1. Children and adolescents are especially susceptible to this violence. 2. Using media can become very addictive. 3. Most of us wander through cyberspace… 4. The content is a kind of wrapping for the advertising. 5. The media is invading our privacy. 6. You can be tracked if you make a few visits to any website. Match the vocabulary items with their definitions: a) Move with no clear direction or purpose - …………………………. b) Likely to be affected by - …………………………….. c) Followed - ……………………….. d) Cover - ………………………….. e) Getting into our private lives - …………………………… f) Hard to stop or give up - …………………………….. Listen to a lecture called Dangers of the Mass Media and take notes. What are the main harmful effects of the mass media according to the speaker?