Media in Europe
04/2015
No 2
M ate r i a l i e n f ü r d e n w i rts c h a f ts b e zo g e n e n F r e m d s p r ac h e n u n te r r i c h t
EnglishPLUS
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Media in Europe
Media in Europe
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MEDIA
IN EUROPE
Contents
Getting started…
Brainstorming, discussion questions, discuss definition, personal
comment + opinion.
Vocabulary and language
Working with words (explanations, synonyms, research word
origin, complete sentences), newsworthy events, advantages
and disadvantages of different types of media, writing a news
item, discussing the freedom of opinion and expression, talking
about the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks (complete sentences,
reacting to a quote, explain words).
Newspaper article 1
"I hold radio DJs responsible!"
talk about different scenarios, sum up article, revise whosentences, if-sentences and possessive case, state your opinion:
in the name of humour, a role play, word formation, letter
writing: a personal letter to the radio presenter.
Newspaper article 2
"Britons spend more time on tech than asleep"
discuss figure, Multiple matching (headlines), elicit information
from article to answer questions, talk about personal opinion,
revise prepositions.
Media in Europe
3
Students will




learn/talk about media in Europe: facts, new ideas/approaches
share their views and attitudes towards and express their opinion on different aspects
related to the media, the news, freedom of the press.
scan newspaper articles for information, rephrase and summarize them
revise, study and get to know words and phrases related to the media (translations,
dictionary search, sentence match, word/synonym match, compounds, etc.)

work on their vocabulary (explain words + phrases, synonym match)

revise writing tasks: the report, express opinion, personal letter

improve teamwork (group work, conduct survey, role play)

work on research and presentation techniques (present findings)

revise the English sentence structure (sentence/paragraph match)

think and talk about recent events
revise skills used in the centralised exam (Standardisierte Reifeprüfung Neu)
Media in Europe
1
GETTING STARTED
1A
Brainstorming
4
Spend one minute writing down everything that comes to your mind when you think of the media.
Talk about your ideas in class and complement your list with your colleagues' ideas.
1B
Discussion questions
Get together in small groups and go through the following questions. Spend a few minutes on
each question. Afterwards share the highlights in class.
1.
Have you ever had your name mentioned in a newspaper, magazine or on TV?
2.
Do you read a paper on a regular basis? Which paper and why?
3.
Do you watch TV regularly? What are your favourite programmes or shows?
4.
People are not so interested in what is happening outside their own country. Do you
agree/disagree? Why?
5.
What makes a good news story?
6.
Do you own a smartphone? What do you use it for? How often do you use it for things other
than calling somebody?
7.
Have you ever written and posted a letter? To whom and what was is about?
Media in Europe
5
1C
Read the following entry in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. What
else do you know about the media? Discuss in class.
1D
Personal comment
Look at the following two pictures representing different aspects of the media. Choose one of
them and write a short comment on your view about the media in Europe. You may choose the
form of the comment: a definition, a critical comment, a discussion, a speech, an inner
monologue, et. Then exchange views in class.
(1) http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/eu-media-futures-forum; (2) http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/eu-mediafutures-forum
Media in Europe
Your comment:
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Media in Europe
2
VOCABULARY AND LANGUAGE
2A
Media words
7
The following sentences are example sentences used in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
Complete them with the compounds in the word bank. Do you know all of these words? After you
have filled them in, explain each of them using your own words.
media events
media image
coverage
media star
media darlings
mass media
media hype
biased against
1. Music has been turned into a series of ...................................... .
2. She’s very different from her ...................................... .
3. The company is anxious to play down the ...................................... .
4. The event was widely covered by the ...................................... .
5. The ...................................... reported rioting across the country.
6. The two gangsters were ...................................... in the 60s.
7. There was a lot of ...................................... of the wedding.
8. They believe that the media is ...................................... them.
9. He became a ...................................... for his part in the protests.
from: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/media?q=media
local media
media
Media in Europe
2B
8
Different types of media
What are some of the differences between the different types of media? Make a list of
advantages and disadvantages for each of them. Consider, among other factors, frequency,
updates and accessibility.
Newspaper
Advantages
The
internet
Disadvantages
Television
Advantages
Disadvantages
Advantages
Disadvantages
The radio
Advantages
Disadvantages
Media in Europe
2C
9
Newsworthy or not?
You are a television news editor. Read through the list of events, which have happened today.
Your job is to decide on the order to report them in on the national TV news at 7:30 pm. However,
there won’t be time for everything – you will only be able to broadcast six items. Together with
your partner decide which and in which order. In a discussion in class justify your choice.
1.
A local girl has bought the new iPhone (special edition pink with little stars).
2.
The Austrian president has been involved in a road accident. He is hurt but his life is not in
danger.
3.
An old man from a small village in Styria has won € 10,000,000,- on the national lottery.
4.
A dog has scratched its owner’s sofa and revealed that there was hidden a fortune of the
previous owner. She is entitled to a generous reward.
5.
A company from your country has won a multi-million Euro contract to supply car parts to
Ferrari.
6.
There is a train workers’ strike which has resulted in no train services in Austria all day today
and probably tomorrow.
7.
Weathermen predict that severe heat will hit the capital in the following days.
8.
The national economy may go into recession if the government does not solve the
unemployment problem quickly.
9.
A group of students have redesigned their school as part of a nationwide contest.
10.
Austria has won the Women's World Pillow fight Championship.
11.
The national health service advises people not to eat cheese because of a food scare. A
bacteria can be found in certain cheese which should be avoided until the problem can be
solved.
12.
An Austrian film maker has been nominated for an Oscar.
Media in Europe
Your news items / reasons:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
10
Media in Europe
2D
11
Newspaper synonyms
The following words have to do with the news. Choose the correct ones to assign them to their
explanations from a dictionary below. There are two that you won't need. Which are they and
what do they mean?
weekly
the gutter press
coverage
classified advertisements
tabloid
broadsheet front page
circulation
evening paper
daily
1. .........................................-
the section in a newspaper with small advertisements arranged in groups according to their subject,
that are placed by people or small companies who
want to buy or sell something, find or offer a job, etc.
2. .........................................-
a newspaper published in the afternoon or early
evening
3. .........................................-
newspapers that print a lot of shocking stories about
people’s private lives rather than serious news
4. .........................................-
1. a newspaper with small pages (usually half the size
of those in larger papers), 2. (st disapproving) a
newspaper of this size with short articles and a lot of
pictures and stories about famous people, often
thought of as less serious than other newspapers
5. .........................................-
a newspaper published every day except Sunday
6. .........................................-
a newspaper or magazine that is published every
week
7. .........................................-
a newspaper printed on a large size of paper,
generally considered more serious than smaller
newspapers
8. .........................................-
the reporting of news and sport in newspapers and
on the radio and television
from: http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com
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The 2 words and their explanations/meanings:
1. ............................................................................................................
2. ............................................................................................................
Do you know where the words broadsheet, tabloid and gutter press have their origin? Do some
research to find out.
1. broadsheet
2. tabloid
3. gutter press
Media in Europe
2E
13
Writing the news
Teacher at
local high
school to
marry student
This is the headline of a news item. Choose one type of media (i.e. newspaper, radio or TV) and
prepare a news item for the next evening edition/show. Pay attention to format, register and content,
which will vary depending on your type of media and the target audience.
Then present the outcomes to your colleagues in class, who have to guess which type of media you
chose and what target audience you had in mind.
Media in Europe
2F
14
Freedom of opinion and expression
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights states:
Together with your partner discuss what this statement means. What does it encompass, what are its
consequences, advantages or possibly disadvantages? Have you ever heard of a case or witnessed a
situation where the right to freedom of opinion and expression has been violated? Do you think that
this declaration has its boundaries? If yes, where are they? Then share your thoughts in class.
2G
The idea of freedom of speech
On January 7, 2015, the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were attacked and 12
people killed. Do you remember?
a)
Read through the entry on Wikipedia covering the incident and complete the text with the
missing words from the word bank. There are two words that you won't need. Then do the
tasks below.
according
armed
following
discovery
forced
terrorist attacks
unity
group
exchanged
publication
issue
hostages support
controversial
responsibility
alert
identified
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15
assault rifles and other weapons, they
killed 11 people and injured 11 others
in the building. After leaving, they
killed a French National Police officer
outside the building. The gunmen
(6) .............................
themselves as belonging to the Islamist
terrorist group Al-Qaeda's branch in
Yemen, who took
(7) ............................. for
the attack. Several related attacks
followed in the Île-de-France region,
where a further 5 were killed and 11
wounded.
Charlie Hebdo is a French satirical
weekly magazine, featuring cartoons,
reports, polemics, and jokes.
Irreverent and stridently nonconformist in tone, the publication
describes itself as above all secular
and atheist, far-left-wing, and antiracist publishing articles about the
extreme right, religion, politics,
culture, etc.
(1) ............................. to
its former editor Stéphane Charbonnier,
the magazine's editorial viewpoint
reflects "all components of left wing
pluralism, and even abstainers".
The magazine was the target of two
(2) ............................., in
2011 and in 2015, presumed to be in
response to a number of
(3) .............................
Muhammad cartoons it published. In the
second of these attacks, 12 people were
killed, including Charbonnier and
several contributors.
On the morning of 7 January 2015 at
about 11:30 local time, two brothers,
Saïd and Chérif Kouachi,
(4) ............................. their
way into the Charlie Hebdo offices in
Paris.
(5) ............................. with
France raised its Vigipirate terror
(8) ............................. to
its highest level and deployed soldiers
in Île-de-France and Picardy. A massive
manhunt led to the
(9) ............................. of
the suspects, who
(10) ............................. fire
with police. The brothers took
(11) ............................. at a
signage company in Dammartin-en-Goële
on 9 January and were shot dead when
they emerged from the building firing.
On 11 January, about 2 million people,
including more than 40 world leaders,
met in Paris for a rally of national
(12) ............................., and
3.7 million people joined
demonstrations across France. The
phrase Je suis Charlie (French for "I
am Charlie") was a common slogan of
(13) ............................. at
the rallies and in social media. The
remaining staff of Charlie Hebdo
continued
(14) ............................., and
the following
(15) .............................
print run 7.95 million copies in six
languages, in contrast to its typical
print run of 60,000 in only French.
Abbreviated from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Hebdo and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Hebdo_shooting
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16
The following words are taken from the article. Do you know what they mean? Look them up in a dictionary and try
to explain them in English.
weekly magazine
to feature
report
publication
to publish
article
editor
editorial viewpoint
contributor
staff
issue
print run
b)
Following this terrorist attack, people around the world discussed the idea of freedom of speech, many of
them condemning the attack as an assault on the same.
Read through the following quotes reflecting different views: Jodie Ginsberg, the Chief Executive of Index
on Censorship (an international organisation that promotes and defends the right to freedom of
expression), talks about her idea of the right to free speech, which includes the right to offend. Song
Luzheng of the Chunqiu Institute in China, which has been highly critical of the west, questions whether
Charlie Hebdo should have been allowed to publish such material.
What do you think? Do you share their views? Why (not)? In how far? Together with your neighbour discuss
your ideas and views. Then write a short comment.
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17
The right to free speech means nothing without the right to offend.
Jodie Ginsberg
(from: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/feb/16/free-speech-means-nothing-without-right-to-offend-paris-copenhagen)
Such press freedom not only does not help solving conflicts between different races, it aggravates them. Besides, does
press freedom include the freedom to offend other people’s belief?
Song Luzheng
(from: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/08/media-charlie-hebdo-attack-freedom-of-expression)
Comment
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18
3
“I HOLD RADIO DJS RESPONSIBLE!”
3A
Read through the following three scenarios, which have been invented, and discuss the role of the media in
each case. Then read the article and do the tasks below.
(1) The Austrian president is seriously ill, but the public is not given any information on his medical
condition. A journalist dresses up as a doctor and enters the hospital where the president is being treated in
order to gain information about him.
(2) A tornado hits an island in the Caribbean killing thousands of tourists and inhabitants and destroying
the majority of the island. A TV comedian uses this tragic incident to crack a few jokes in his show.
(3) A radio presenter calls people to tell them something tragic has just happened or is about to happen to
them, in order to entertain his audience. This has developed into a popular part of his show.
'I hold radio DJs responsible, make
them pay for my mortgage':
The suicide note left by nurse who
hanged herself over Kate Middleton
hospital prank call
By Sara Smyth| 28 April 2013
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2316055/Jacintha-Saldanha-suicide-note-Kate-Middleton-hospital-prank-holds-radio-DJsresponsible.html
The nurse who hanged herself after
falling for a hoax phone call about the
Duchess of Cambridge blamed the two
Australian DJ pranksters for her death,
it has emerged.
And a dramatic confrontation with the
late nurse’s family is looming – as one
of the DJs has announced she may attend
the inquest in person.
Mother-of-two Jacintha Saldanha, 46,
was on reception duty at the London
hospital where the duchess was being
treated when presenters Mel Greig and
Michael Christian rang in December,
pretending to be the Queen and Prince
Charles and asking for a condition
report.
Not seeing through their low-quality
impressions, Mrs Saldanha put them
through to a nurse helping treat the
duchess for morning sickness.
The stunt, which drew out information
about Kate’s medical condition, was
broadcast in full and rocketed the
radio pair to international fame. But
that turned to infamy when Mrs Saldanha
was found hanged three days later.
Now it has emerged that in one of
three letters Mrs Saldanha left in
nurses’ accommodation in London,
directly accused the two Australian
of driving her to her death.
the
her
she
DJs
She even said they should pay the
mortgage for the Bristol home where her
accountant husband Benedict Barboza,
49, and children Junal, 17, and Lisha,
14, still live.
In the handwritten note, addressed to
her
managers
at
the
Edward
VII
hospital, she said: ‘Please accept my
apologies. I am truly sorry. Thank you
for all your support. I hold the Radio
Australians
Mel
Greig
and
Michael
Christian responsible for this act.
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Please make them pay my mortgage. I am
sorry. Jacintha.’.
The note is likely to be examined
closely at the inquest, which was due
to take place this week but has been
delayed until the autumn.
It has already emerged that the nurse,
born and trained in India, had been on
anti-depressants
after
reportedly
attempting suicide during a family
visit home at Christmas 2011.
A
source
involved
with
the
investigation has claimed that after
being discharged from the hospital that
treated her in India it was recommended
she had round-the-clock supervision due
to her suicide risk. Her family,
however, maintain she only went to
hospital in India after an accident.
Her London employers were not told she
was a suicide risk.
The inquest may see one of the DJs give
her account of what happened. Greig,
who has not returned to work since the
furore, suffering stress, has obtained
the
coroner’s
permission
to
give
evidence, and may do so in person,
although possibly by video link.
19
Her lawyer Steven Edward said: ‘She
understands
the
family’s
need
for
answers and wants to help them find
them. She is also determined to address
any allegations about her role in these
matters. Miss Greig wants the family to
know she will answer any questions the
coroner or the family’s lawyer may have
at the inquest.’
Christian, meanwhile, has moved to a
less prestigious presenting role.
A legal representative of the owners of
the 2DayFM radio station, Southern
Cross Austereo, is already due to be
present. The company has offered to pay
around £350,000 to a trust fund for the
tragic nurse’s family.
Mrs Saldanha’s other notes absolved her
colleagues of blame for her death, and
left instructions for her funeral.
Her family were yesterday unavailable
for comment, but Labour MP Keith Vaz,
who has been representing them, said:
‘The forthcoming inquest will hopefully
provide answers for the family and for
them it will represent closure.’
In your own words give a summary of the tragic events in 3 to 5 sentences.
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20
The following people are mentioned in the article. Go through the article again and find out who they
are. Use relative clauses (“who”) and the possessive case (“ 's”) to write sentences about each of
them.
Jacintha Saldanha
Mel Greig
Michael Christian
Kate Middleton / Duchess of
Cambridge
Benedict Barboza
Junal and Lisha
Steven Edward
Keith Vaz
What/How would you feel/do/behave? Complete the following sentences using the correct form of
the if-sentence. Then compare your sentences in class and discuss different ideas and thoughts.
If I were Mel Greig or Michael Christian, I .............................................................
................................................................................................................
If I were the Duchess of Cambridge, I …................................................................
................................................................................................................
If I were Benedict Barboza, I ............................................................................
................................................................................................................
If I were Steven Edward, I ...............................................................................
................................................................................................................
Media in Europe
3B
21
In the name of humour
The two Australian radio presenters were obviously having a joke in mind when performing the phone
call to the hospital. Similarly, there are other radio and TV presenters and comedians who go around
and make fun of people, things, situations, events, etc.
Some find such behaviour extraordinarily funny, while others claim that these people continuously
cross the line of decency and good taste. Can you think of such comedians, musicians, TV or radio
show presenters, etc.? Make a list of them and what they do. What do you think about them?
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Where do you stand in this discussion? What is your viewpoint? Give a short
comment.
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Media in Europe
3C
22
Role play
Get together in groups of 5 students and imagine you are on a radio debate on the
topic “Anything goes in the name of audience ratings!?” Choose one of the following
roles:
a)
the chair who leads through the discussion
b)
a journalist who views the freedom of the press as the highest good in the world of media
c)
a TV station manager who promotes the idea that in order to keep audience ratings up
almost anything goes
d)
a media ethicist who sees the media as a role model in today's world
e)
a comedian who likes a good joke, but feels that there are boundaries
Get together with your colleagues of the other debate groups who represent the same roles (e.g. all
the journalists, all the comedians, etc.) and prepare yourself for the discussion. Collect arguments
which support your position, but also think about what the others might say and provide
counterarguments. Make use of the information provided in the article, but also find other examples.
Do not forget to take notes and prepare your most important arguments (use keywords, not
sentences!).
Now get together in your discussion group again and perform your debate in front of the class.
Media in Europe
3D
The following words are taken from the article. Complete the table with the
missing verbs, nouns and adjectives.
Verb
Noun
Adjective
announce
report
responsible
permission
recommend
supervision
addressed
death
accuse
investigation
apologies
information
impression
support
23
Media in Europe
3E
24
A letter to the Australian radio presenters
You have just read and heard about the tragic death of nurse Jacintha Saldanha and want to
write a letter to Mel Greig or Michael Christian, the two radio DJs who performed the prank
phone call.
In your letter, clearly state your opinion on what they did and mention your viewpoint on the
media and its tasks/roles. Remember the style and format of a letter, don't forget about the
appropriate register and use the relevant phrases.
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25
4
BRITONS SPEND MORE TIME ON TECH THAN
ASLEEP
4A
Have a look at the following figure on the weekly exposure to technical
devices of Britons. What do you think? Do you feel that it reflects your own
media behaviour? Is there anything interesting, surprising, new?
from: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-28677674
Media in Europe
4B
26
Now read through the article on media consumption and media habits in
Britain and fill in the missing headlines. There are two that you won't need.
Then answer the questions below.
A
Health concerns
B
What's next?
C
Sick computer games
D
Losses?
E
Books still popular
F
Media devices in England
G
TV 'still king
H
British media habits
Britons spend more time on tech than
asleep, study suggests
By Joe Miller | 7 August 2014
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-28677674
(1)
.......................................
Britons
spend
more
time
using
technology
devices
than
they
do
sleeping, research suggests.
Communications regulator Ofcom said UK
adults spend an average of eight hours
and 41 minutes a day on media devices,
compared with the average night's sleep
of eight hours and 21 minutes.
Almost four hours a day are spent
watching TV according to Ofcom's survey
of 2,800 UK adults and children.
TV and radio remain popular despite the
growth of digital media, it found.
One analyst said this proved that "it's
still early in the digital revolution".
The annual Ofcom study also analysed
the media habits of those between 12
and 15 years of age.
Only 8% said they used email, while
just 3% said they communicated using a
landline phone.
Younger people were also found to have
an advanced understanding of technology
devices, with six-year-olds having the
same level of knowledge as the average
45-year-old.
(2)
.......................................
The poll also indicated that those aged
16-24 are likely to do more than one
task at a time, squeezing 14 hours and
7 minutes of media activity into each
day, in just over 9 hours.
Dr Aric Sigman, a psychologist who
focuses on childhood disease, says the
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Ofcom statistics are "another measure
showing that children are spending more
of their recreational time looking at
screens, particularly in bedrooms by
themselves".
This, Dr Sigman says, is "health and
development issue", with some of the
adverse
effects
associated
with
prolonged screen time including obesity
and diabetes.
"We need to think of recreational
screen time as a form of consumption in
the way that we think of sugar, fat,
alcohol, hours in the sun - measured in
units of hours per day," he added.
(3)
.......................................
If you want to see the future, look at
the media habits of Britain's 14 and 15
year olds. That's the message from
Ofcom's research - and that could be
scary for some old media companies.
27
time spent on mobile phones, landlines
and the internet.
But this is the first time daily TV
viewing has dropped below four hours
since 2010.
Ian Maude, from media research firm
Enders Analysis, said: "Television is
still king when it comes to media
consumption but an increasing share is
viewed
via
catch-up
or
on-demand
especially
amongst
the
YouTube
generation."
But he added that "it's still early in
the digital revolution".
Almost 80% of TV viewing is done
without simultaneously using another
device, and the vast majority of TV is
watched live, rather than via recording
devices or playback services, such as
BBC iPlayer or 4oD.
The techie teens are watching less live
TV, and much less live radio than
adults - and turning to YouTube and
streaming music services for their
entertainment.
They are giving up on voice calls and
email
in
favour
of
textbased
communication, flitting from Instagram
to WhatsApp to Snapchat in a constant
search for what's new.
What we don't know is what the teen
techies will do when they grow up. Will
they settle down in front of their own
living-room TV, tune into a radio
station, even buy a daily newspaper? Or
will they continue to multi-task and
experiment with every new thing? If
that does turn out to be the case, then
all kinds of media businesses will
struggle to survive.
(4)
.......................................
In line with previous Ofcom studies,
the report showed that live TV and
radio is still strongly resilient,
despite the many alternative methods of
consuming content on offer.
The average amount of time people spent
watching TV each day - three hours and
52 minutes - was more than the combined
(5)
.......................................
Media in Europe
The rise of digital formats has also
not convinced the vast majority of
Britons to get rid of their physical
media collections.
Some 84% of UK adults surveyed by Ofcom
said they had a book collection and a
similar number said they owned music
CDs.
Meanwhile, four out of every five
people said they had a DVD library - a
figure that has stayed roughly the same
since 2005.
Even the post has not been rendered
obsolete. Approximately a third of
adults questioned said they had sent a
personal letter in the past month.
28
(6)
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However some forms of traditional media
are suffering from the rise of digital.
When asked which form of media they
would miss most, just 2% of those aged
16 or older said they would feel the
absence of newspapers or magazines.
To coincide with the release of its
report, Ofcom also launched an online
quiz, where users can find out how tech
savvy they are and are offered advice
on how to improve their understanding
of the digital world.
What did the study find out about adults in Britain?
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Which two illnesses does Dr. Sigman point out as direct consequence of prolonged
screen time among teenagers?
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Why should old media companies be scared by the media habits of today's teenagers?
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Which two services are competing with normal TV?
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Media in Europe
29
Which three types of 'physical media collections' are mentioned?
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Dr Sigman suggests to measure recreational screen time in units of hours per day, similar to
sugar or fat intake or hours spent in the sun. Thinking about your own media habits and the
amount of time you have for school and hobbies, what do you suggest is a recommendable unit
of screen time per day? Why?
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4C
Choose the correct preposition to complete the sentences from the article.
1)
Ofcom said UK adults spend an average of eight hours and 41 minutes a day ……… media
devices, compared ……… the average night's sleep of eight hours and 21 minutes.
a) on / with
2)
b) to / of
c) to / with
Younger people were also found to have an advanced understanding ……… technology
devices, with six-year-olds having the same level ……… knowledge as the average 45-yearold.
a) with / on
4)
c) in / with
Almost four hours a day are spent watching TV according ……… Ofcom's survey ………
2,800 UK adults and children.
a) with / among
3)
b) with / to
b) in / of
c) of / of
The poll also indicated that those aged 16-24 are likely to do more than one task ……… a
time, squeezing 14 hours and 7 minutes of media activity ……… each day, in just over 9
hours.
a) in /in
b) for / into
c) at / into
Media in Europe
5)
Dr Aric Sigman, a psychologist who focuses ……… childhood disease, says the Ofcom
statistics are "another measure showing that children are spending more of their
recreational time looking at screens, particularly in bedrooms by themselves".
a) on
6)
b) into
c) at
b) in
c) within
b) of
c) at
However some forms of traditional media are suffering ……… the rise of digital.
a) of
4D
c) on / of /for
The rise of digital formats has also not convinced the vast majority of Britons to get rid
……… their physical media collections.
a) to
10)
b) on / of / after
In line with previous Ofcom studies, the report showed that live TV and radio is still strongly
resilient, despite the many alternative methods of consuming content ……… offer.
a) on
9)
c) of
Will they settle down in front of their own living-room TV, tune ……… a radio station, even
buy a daily newspaper?
a) on
8)
b) in
They are giving up ……… voice calls and email in favour ……… text- based communication,
flitting from Instagram to WhatsApp to Snapchat in a constant search ……… what's new.
a) of / with / after
7)
30
b) from
c) with
Media consumption: a survey
The study mentioned in the article looks at media habits of Britons. What is the average media
consumption per day of people in Austria? What do you think? How much time do people spend each
day consuming the media? Do you think the numbers will be similar?
a)
Conduct a survey: Ask as many people as possible, but be sure to find people of
different age groups. Don’t forget to note how many you asked in total. Note down
the amount of time they use each of these media types per day. Then calculate the
average time for each age group and type of media.
Media in Europe
Type of media
Age group / media consumption in hours
6-11
TV set
smartphone
landline
print
laptop
desktop
analogue radio
tablet
DAB radio
stereo system
standard mobile
other device
People asked in total: …………………
12-15
16+
31
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b)
c)
32
Share your findings with the rest of the class. Use some of the language provided:

A survey was carried out in our class to find out about people's media consumption.

The results of the survey show that ... and/but ...

Fortunately/Unfortunately/Interestingly ...

Some / half the / most of the / only a few people ...

Only one person / The (overwhelming) majority ...

The results of the survey suggest that the ... are/think ...

Fewer and fewer people …, whereas more and more people …

A change in people's attitudes towards…

We'll see a rise in …

There will be a trend towards more …
Imagine you work for a major news station, which is thinking of expanding into the online
sector. Based on what you found out in the survey in a) write a report for the head of the
company, who is interested in people's media preferences to plan the company's future
focus. What are your recommendations?
Before you start, remember the structure and layout of a report: the head, different
paragraphs with individual headings and a recommendation in your conclusion.
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Media in Europe
34
ANSWERS
2A
1. media events. 2. media image. 3. media hype. 4. mass media. 5. local media. 6. media darlings. 7. media
coverage. 8. biased against. 9. media star.
2D
1. classified advertisements, 2. evening paper, 3. the gutter press, 4. tabloid, 5. daily, 6. weekly, 7.
broadsheet, 8. coverage
Two words not needed: front page (Titelseite), circulation (Auflage)
2G
1 according, 2 terrorist attacks, 3 controversial, 4 forced, 5 armed, 6 identified, 7 responsibility, 8 alert, 9
discovery, 10 exchanged, 11 hostages, 12 unity, 13 support, 14 publication, 15 issue
4B
(1) British media habits, (2) Health concerns, (3) What's next?, (4) TV 'still king', (5) Books still popular, (6)
Losses?, not used: C, F.
4C
1a, 2b, 3c, 4c, 5a, 6c, 7b, 8a, 9b, 10b
Sources (icons)
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research.usc.edu/files/2012/11/digital-media-tree.jpg
learningtoendabuse.ca
1.gstatic.com/images?
galleryhip.com/tv-clipart-black-and-white.html
cliparts101.com/images/cliparts101_logo.gif
cheap.buyessay.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/
www.teemingmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Media_WordCloud.jpg
www.365daysofinspiringmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/news1.jpg
printgroupstyria.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Tabloid-Format-Slider-3.jpg
sr.photos2.fotosearch.com/
istockphoto_1690400
www.langevin.com/
www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/4i9/z55/4i9z55y6T.png
Media in Europe
35
Medieninhaber und Herausgeber
AWS Arbeitsgemeinschaft Wirtschaft und Schule im Rahmen des
Instituts für Bildungsforschung der Wirtschaft
Wiedner Hauptstraße 63, 1045 Wien, http://aws.ibw.at
Die Arbeitsgemeinschaft Wirtschaft und Schule (AWS) ist eine Initiative von Wirtschaftskammer Österreich
und Österreichischem Sparkassenverband und ist als Projekt am Institut für Bildungsforschung der
Wirtschaft (ibw), Rainergasse 38, 1050 angesiedelt.
Leiter: Mag. Josef Wallner
Autorin: Mag. Theresa Lehner
Redaktion: Gudrun Dietrich
Cover: www.design.at