Choosing a Future Profession: Journalism (Unit-2)

JOURNALISM IS A HARD BUT EXCITING LIFE

Journalism is a hard life. It can be exciting, but it can be sometimes boring. It can be frustrating, too. It can be demanding and so make it difficult or impossible for one to do a lot of things that other people do in their spare time. It can separate one from their family for a great amount of their time; some journalists see their school-going children only at weekends. It can cut one off from a good deal of social life with their friends, and it can make it almost impossible for one to know when one will be free and what time one will have to call one’s own.

Most sub-editors, particularly night sub-editors, lead a hard life, shut off from personal contact with the outside world; but many of them have been reporters and have known the thrill of meeting important people and of writing a good story – the excitement of being a journalist.

A reporter is responsible to his chief of staff. But the chief of staff is not with him when he is reporting the proceedings of Parliament or some meeting; not with him when he is interviewing an important person; not with him when he is reporting an event involving loss of life, a bushfire or a flood. There the reporter is on his own, with nobody turn to for advice. There he has to make his own decisions and shoulder responsibility. He must have a good deal of self-reliance and push and energy and initiative.

VOCABULARY:

• to excite возбуждать, волновать
• exciting захватывающий, увлекательный
• to frustrate расстраивать, нарушать (чьи-то планы)
• frustrating приносящий разочарование
• to demand требовать
• demanding требующий, предъявляющий требования
• amount количество
• a good deal of много, ужасно много
• editor редактор
• sub-editor заместитель редактора, редактор отдела
• to be responsible to быть ответственным перед
• chief of staff глава редакционного коллектива
• proceeding деятельность
• involve вовлекать, касаться, затрагивать
• decision решение
• to shoulder responsibility брать ответственность на себя
• self-reliance самоуверенность
• push предприимчивость, напористость

2.1. Answer the following questions:

1. What, in the author’s opinion, is it about the job of a journalist which makes it hard?
2. How does the author describe the life journalists should be ready to lead?
3. Why is it so important for a reporter to have a good deal of self-reliance?

2.2. Use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a word that fits the space in the same line.

1. There are plenty of highly ________ journalists who were at the bottom of the class when they were at school. (SUCCESS)
2. The quality of __________ is very important. (OPEN-MINDED)
3. A journalist should avoid ill-informed _________. (JUDGE)
4. Mr. Brown is a very ________ person. (DEPEND)
5. He is always reporting the _________ of Parliament. (PROCEED)
   Key:

1. successful; 2. open-mindedness; 3. judgment; 4. dependent/independent; 5. proceedings

2.3. Translate the following questions:

1. Сколько лет вы работаете в журналистике?
2. Каковы достоинства и недостатки этой профессии, по вашему мнению? 
3. Какой, по вашему мнению, аспект работы журналиста наиболее увлекательный?
4. Какое качество является самым важным для журналиста? 
5. Какую газету вы находите самой интересной?

Key:

1. How many years have you worked in journalism?
2. What, in your opinion, are advantages and disadvantages of this profession?
3. What, in your opinion, is the most fascinating aspect of a journalist’s job? 
4. What, in your opinion, is the most important quality in the make-up of a journalist?
5. What newspaper do you find the most interesting?