Lesson XXV: Vocabulary in Context

1. Communications 1.1. PUBLICATION, etc. DEVOTE means set aside . SPACE indicates columns or pages in the newspaper . MSM stands for Main Stream Media . Situation: John and his friend Sergey, who is visiting the United States, are taking a walk downtown Washington. Sergey: Is this a newsstand John? John: Yet, it is. Thanks for reminded me to get a copy of The New York Times for my father. Sergey: Your daddy reads paperbacks? John: Yes. Sunday’s edition only. Old habits die hard. He doesn’t enjoy staring at the screen. Sergey: He reads this one, The New York Times, doesn’t he? John: Yes, it’s a very popular newspaper. Sergey: Isn’t it an official government PUBLICATION? John: No, it is said there’s no media outlet that officially expresses the policy of the US government. Yet Radio Free Europe and Voice of America are government’s media outlets. Sergey: Do you mean that you have mostly privately owned newspapers? John: Yes, that’s right. But not just newspapers. Few individuals own all MSM outlets including the newspapers. It seems that the sole purpose of mainstream media is to maintain and expand the power of those individuals. Sergey: Is there a difference in the editorial policy among them? John: Yes, as well as in the scope of the subject they’re DEVOTED to. Most of portals and newspapers are LOCAL. Some of them, however, like The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune, DEVOTE most of their SPACE to national news. On the other hand, some of them, like The Newsweek or Times, are mostly devoted to international affairs. Exercise 1.1.1. Practice PUBLICATION, etc. Answer the following questions: 1. Is The New York Times an official government publication? 2. Are Radio Free Europe and Voice of America privately owned? 3. Are the most of MSM outlets in the U.S. privately owned? 4. What seems to be the main purpose of mainstream media outlets? 5. Can The New York Times be thought of as a national newspaper? 6. Is there any publication devoted to international affairs?