NARRATOR:
You will hear two students discussing a media studies assignment on newspaper coverage.
NARRATOR:
First, you have some time to look at questions 21 to 26.
NARRATOR:
Now listen carefully and answer questions 21 to 26.
HAZEL:
Tom, could I get some advice from you?
TOM:
Of course, if I can help.
TOM:
What do you need to know?
HAZEL:
It's about my first media studies assignment.
HAZEL:
I'm uncertain how to approach it and I know you completed the same task last year.
TOM:
Is that the assignment where you compare how several newspapers report the same story?
TOM:
I really enjoyed that piece of work.
HAZEL:
What features should I compare?
TOM:
There are quite a few.
TOM:
Begin by noting which page each newspaper puts the item on.
HAZEL:
Because a story on the front page is treated very differently from one place near the bottom of page 10?
TOM:
Its position indicates the importance the editor gives it.
TOM:
Then examine the size, the number of column inches and how many columns the item occupies.
HAZEL:
That would include the headline as well, I suppose.
TOM:
The headline is a major part of catching a reader's eye.
HAZEL:
Should I also check the graphics?
HAZEL:
Any photographs or other visual material alongside the writing?
TOM:
Visual elements can strongly influence how a reader understands a story, sometimes more than the words.
TOM:
You should also analyze the structure, how the item has been organized.
TOM:
Since many people read only the opening paragraph, consider which information the journalist puts first.
TOM:
If there are opposing views, notice whether one is left until near the end, where fewer readers will see it.
HAZEL:
Newspapers can also publish inaccurate or misleading information, either intentionally or by mistake.
HAZEL:
Should I investigate that?
TOM:
If possible, compare the different accounts and try to establish what is reliable.
TOM:
That leads to another essential issue, the writer's main purpose.
TOM:
An article may appear simply to inform, but it may actually aim to provoke fear, start controversy, or make a person seem ridiculous.
HAZEL:
And writers probably make assumptions about their readers, too.
TOM:
Assumptions about what readers already know, their attitudes, and their education.
TOM:
The writing has to be understandable without sounding patronizing.
TOM:
All of those factors affect the presentation of the story.
NARRATOR:
Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 27 to 30.
NARRATOR:
Now listen and answer questions 27 to 30.
HAZEL:
Does it make any difference what category of story I choose?
TOM:
It could be national or international politics, the arts, or almost anything, provided two or three newspapers have covered it.
TOM:
Naturally, the work will be easier and more enjoyable if you already know and care about the subject.
HAZEL:
Then a national news story sounds worthwhile.
HAZEL:
I'm interested in politics.
HAZEL:
So I'll definitely search for an appropriate one.
HAZEL:
What subject did you analyze?
TOM:
I wanted to compare editorials because I was interested in the way newspapers state their opinions openly.
TOM:
But I couldn't find two editorials on the same issue that I actually wanted to examine.
HAZEL:
Then I definitely won't waste time looking for an editorial.
TOM:
In the end, I selected a human interest story about a seriously ill young girl.
TOM:
A large group of people, most of them strangers, raised money for her to receive treatment abroad.
TOM:
Some papers focused only on everyone's generosity, while others asked the wider question of why the treatment was unavailable here.
HAZEL:
Stories like that usually affect me very strongly, so I'll avoid human interest pieces.
HAZEL:
I might choose something in the arts, perhaps contrasting film reviews or looking at arts funding.
HAZEL:
I haven't decided yet.
TOM:
That could work well.
HAZEL:
Your advice has been extremely helpful.
TOM:
Good luck with the assignment.
NARRATOR:
That is the end of part three.
NARRATOR:
You now have one minute to check your answers to part three.
