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04.09.2024, 22:01 Ready for C2 Proficiency Student's Book Classroom Presentation

NEWS TRAVELS FAST
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Today’s is an endless stream, and dubious or even fake news continues to be an
A
effective way of making money. In fact, many of today’s news stories shouldn’t
genuinely qualify as news. They are simply there to generate clicks by dangling a
tasty morsel of a story that inevitably turns out to be disappointing.
B Anything that frequently cites ‘anonymous sources’ should also be eyed with caution,
especially in investigative articles on the rich and famous, as the likelihood is that the
source is simply non-existent. Likewise, anything in the article that is overtly fanning
the flames of excitement, anger, or controversy should raise suspicion.
C There was uproar on social media when a banned books list was circulated for
Florida schools, and on it was the American classic To Kill a Mockingbird. The list
was shared widely, even though its source was unknown, and in fact, a complete
fabrication. Fortunately, in this case, the Florida state government proved that the
book was on the schools reading list.
D What makes it impossible to resist a non-news story? Do we truly enjoy these stories,
or just read them because they’re there? Well, engagement usually starts from an
emotional response, so like news headlines, titles of links are there to whip up some
form of excitement, and there is some indication that the most effective way to do so
is to target anger and indignation.
E However, we shouldn’t feel too ashamed of falling for something like this. After all, it
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happens to the best of us. A number of books, and even the Scottish government had
referenced one ‘Alan MacMasters’ as the inventor of the toaster, unwittingly falling
for the fake information put online by a class of students.
Accusations of ‘yellow journalism’ were levied against some big-name newspapers
F
virtually at their foundation, proving that this aspersion is not just a 21st century
phenomenon. This term described a paper that published salacious and
sensationalist stories, the accuracy of which seemed neither here nor there to the
newspaper, but in doing so, resulted in increased circulation.
We, the readers, also have a part to play by thinking and checking before we share
G
news. However, while people who are unsure about an issue tend to look up their
sources, unfortunately those with stronger opinions tend not to bother to corroborate
any evidence that supports their ideas. https://english0905.com/private/
H Needless to say, this supposed scoop of theirs sold in incredible quantities, which
was a great bonus for a paper that relied on advertising revenue for its income.
After all, why would the advertisers focus on the reliability of stories, when the ones
with the biggest reaction sold the most?
3 S P E A K Work in small groups. Discuss the headlines in the picture.
H O M E | S C I E N C E | T E C H N O L O G Y | H E A L T H | E N T E R T A I N M E N T | A R T S | T R A V E L | F I N A N C E

T H E M O N E Y M A K I N G S C H E M E T H A T C O M P A N I E S
D O N ’ T W A N T Y O U T O K N O W

2h | Finance

H E A L T H E X P E R T S R E V E A L H O W T O L I V E L O N G E R

5h | Health

WHAT YOUR PET IS TRYING TO TELL YOU

8h | Science

1 Why do you think people would click on these links? How do they use language to sell
the topic?
2 What do you think the news stories might be about? Are they news?
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