TEXT 5 

LOCAL AND REGIONAL PAPERS

 

Nearly every area in Britain has one or more local newspapers reporting local news and advertising local business and events.

Local morning papers have suffered from the universal penetration of the London-based national press. Only sixteen survive in the whole of England. Among local daily papers those published in the  evenings are much more important.  Each of seventy towns has one, selling only within a radius of 50 to 100 kilometres. Most local daily papers belong to one or other of the big press empires.

A European visitor to Britain may be surprised to see no kiosks on the pavements. Some  people  buy  their  morning  or I evening papers in hops, others have them brought to their homes not by the mail service but by boys or girls who want to earn money by doing «paper-rounds». In towns evening papers are sold I by elderly men who stand for four hours on the pavement. 

The total circulation of all the provincial daily newspapers, morning and evening together, is around 8 million. Some provincial papers are quite prosperous. They do not need their own foreign correspondents; they receive  massive local advertising, particularly of things for sale.

The truly local papers are weekly. They are not taken very seriously, being mostly bought for the useful iformation contained in their advertisements. But for a foreign visitor wishing to learn something of the flavour of a local community, the Friday local paper can be useful.

The daily papers have no Sunday editions, but there are Sunday papers, nearly all of which are national, and some  of which are closely linked with daily national papers.

London has two evening newspapers, the London Standard and the relaunched Evening News.

The four most famous provincial newspapers are The Scotsman (Edinburgh), the Glasgow Herald, the Yorkshire Post (Leeds) and the Belfast Telegraph, which present national as well as local news.

Most of the daily and weekly newspapers are owned by large companies which also own national papers, as well as large shares in the regional commercial television companies. The dominance of these few big firms in the whole world of public information is often criticised, but they have become sensitive to the criticism and take care to avoid giving cause for complaint.

 

EXERCISES

 

Ex. 1. Use the proper tense.

1. The event just (to report) by the newspaper.

2. The publication (to do) by 6 o'clock tomorrow.

3. Don't open the door! The photographer (to develop) a film.

4. The chief of staff was not in the room when I (to report) the proceedings of Parliament.

5. A journalist (to deal) with people every day.

6. The reporter (to interview) an outstanding politician before the press-conference began.

 

Ex. 2. Passive into Active.

1. The papers in our towns are sold by elderly men in kiosks.

2. Information from our local correspondents has been recently received.

3. Most of the local papers in London are owned by large companies.

4. The article was strongly critisized by the editor.

5. A visitor may be surprised with a great variety of morning and evening papers in England.

 

Ex. 3. State the function of the infinitive.

1. То oversee all the operations is the primary purpose of the managing editor.

2. He was very glad to have employed foreign reporters for his magazine.

3. New sources of information are to be found.

4. He seems to be reading something now.

5. To pass the exam she reads many books about the practical principles of book editing.

 

Ex. 4. Use P I or P II.

1. When they were illustrating the periodicals they used many coloured pictures.

2. As he had lost his way he asked the policeman where to go.

3. The journal which was bought by my friend was an illustrated one.

4. I heard a girl who was singing a nice song.

5. As he had finished the article he gave it to the editor.

 

Ex. 5. Use the proper form of  Gerund.

1. I must finish this article before (to meet) the editor.

2. He is tflad to have an opportunity of (to talk) to you.

3. The photographer is not interested in (to illustrate) the periodicals.

4. I remember (to meet) him somewhere before.

5. Instead of (to send) yesterday, the letter is still on the table.

 

Ex. 6. Answer the questions on the text.

1. How many morning local papers have survived in Britain?

2. Which local papers are more important?

3. Whom do local papers belong to?

4. How are local newspapers usually sold?

5. What can you say about provincial daily newspapers?

6. Who owns most of the daily and weekly newspapers?

 

Ex. 7. Make a short summary of the text.