Mass media

1. Let’s talk about mass media: TV, newspapers, radio. Which of these does your family like? Mass media are one of the most characteristic features of modern civilization. People are united into one global community with the help of mass media. People can learn about what is happening in the world very fast using mass media. The mass media include newspapers, magazines, radio and television. The earliest kind of mass media was newspaper. The first newspaper started in 59 B.C. Magazines appeared in 1700′ s. Radio and TV appeared only in the 20th century.

TV is the source of valuable information. It brings the world to our living room, where we can see people of other countries; learn their customs, traditions and problems. We can see great events and famous people. The choice of programmes, modern television provides, is really wide: the news, feature films, talk shows, music programmes, documentary films, educational programmes, serials, interviews.

On the other hand, television and the Internet encourage passive enjoyment. They cut us off from the real world. Sometimes there is too much violence and crime on TV and on the Internet. Parents worry about the effect that television has on children.

Speaking about my personal preferences on TV, I wouldn’t say a lot, as I’m not a TV fan. But some of my peers still watch TV, often tuning into a particular season of TV show or sporting event like football. The members of my family also demonstrate great diversity in their tastes. My mother enjoys watching lifestyle programmes, talk shows, soaps, drama and sitcoms. My father prefers news and sports programmes. Sometimes I watch music programmes.

To tell you the truth, I’m not really interested in any traditional media. Television, radio and newspapers are becoming less and less popular. I don’t read newspapers. Instead I watch the news summarized on the Internet. Sometimes I enjoy reading magazines or cheaper tabloids.

2. Is there any means of communication you can’t live without? I can’t live without any means of communication. To tell you the truth we should have rest from any form of communication. But I can’t imagine my everyday life without the Internet. In my view, the Internet is a great source of information and entertainment for many people.

3. What questions will you ask people who live without a TV set, computer or radio? Where do you find information? Why don’t you use radio? Is it boring to live without news?

4. I’d like to watch an interesting programme on TV. What can you advise me? It depends on your preferences and interests. Sometimes people watch TV just to relax. In this case my advice may be very different. So, I personally would recommend you to watch any programmes on Discovery Channel. If you’ve got a pet you would enjoy watching Animal Planet Channel. Also there are many programmes about education and culture. So you’ve got a great choice.

5. Many people say that newspapers and radio are not as popular as TV and very soon they will lose their importance. What is your point of view? I really don’t think they will lose their importance. Probably they will change the forms. Many newspapers will be transformed into electronic versions on the Internet. As for radio, it has already lost its importance in its initial way of existence. Nowadays we can listen to the radio through the Internet.