Unit9 Where Is the News Leading Us.doc

Unit 9Text I: Where Is the News Leading Us? I. Teaching objectives 1. Understand the role of the news media in social life. 2. Develop an ability to criticize the social function of the news media. 3. Learn to use argument in combination with other expository means. II. Warm-up questions 1. Whats the meaning of “media” or “mass media”? 2. Do you agree that most people are strongly influenced by the media? How? To what extend are you influenced by the media? 3. How do you define “news”? How does the author define “news”? 4. Do you find more “good news” or “bad news” in Chinese media? What about the case in western media? Is it true that “bad news” attracts more attention? Why? 5. What difference does it make if media are “disaster-prone” or “progress-prone”? How does the author explain this? Do you agree with the authors opinion? 6. What do you think is the authors view on the obligations of the media? 7. What do you understand are the obligations of the media? III. Relevant information 1. OPEC Acronym for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, a group of countries that produce oil and plan together how to sell it. 2. YMCA Abbreviation of Young Mens Christian Association, an international organization that promotes the spiritual, intellectual, social, and physical welfare of young Christians 3. Walter Lippmann (1889 1974) - U. S. journalist and political philosopher, well known for his writings on current social and political events and phenomena. His widely syndicated column “ Today and Tomorrow” for the New York Herald Tribute was read by millions from September 1931 until his retirement in 1967. 4. nitrogen fixation(固氮作用): The formation of nitrogenous compounds by the metabolic assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen by certain soil bacteria, e.g. those living symbiotically on the root nodules of various leguminous plants. When these bacteria die, the fixed nitrogen is made available in the soil as plant food. (将大气中的氮转化为可被植物利用的无机化合物-固定的氮。固氮作用90%以上是固氮细菌(nitrogen-fixing bacteria)活动的结果. 已知的固氮细菌有两类, 其中一类为共生固氮菌属, 如与豆科植物互惠共生的根瘤菌、与禾谷类植物互惠共生的产脂螺菌。共生固氮菌侵入寄主植物的根毛，在该处繁殖并促使根瘤形成。在根瘤内，细菌把游离氮转变成可供植物利用的硝酸盐。为保证豆科作物能充分结瘤并良好生长，播种前常用适当的根瘤菌制剂接种其种子。 IV. Organization of the text Part I: (Para 1 - 4) Introducing the topic by referring to a question raised in a public symposium (“Why are the newspapers and the television news programs so disaster-prone?”) Para 1: An introduction of the public symposium and the other two speakers. Para 2: The purpose of the symposium. Para 3: The question asked by the gentleman Para 4: The answer and the reaction by the anchorman and the editor Part II: (Para 5 - 10) By defining the word “news”, the author explains why “bad news” is always reported while “good news” overlooked. He goes on to point out the adverse consequence of such practice. Para 5: The author interprets the question raised by the gentleman and the answer given by the anchorman. Para 6-7 The author gives his definition of “news”. (“News is supposed to deal with happenings of the past 12 hours24hours at most.”). The definition helps to explain partly why “bad news”(eruptive) is mostly reported whereas “good news”(i.e. progress which comes in bits and pieces) is neglected. Para 8: The author criticizes the normal practice of the media by pointing out the harm done to the public mood by medias obsession in “bad news”. Para 9: The authors self-defense for the necessity of reporting both “good” and “bad” news ( “Im not suggesting ” “Nor do I define ” “ What Im trying to get across is the notion ”) Para 10 The author further elaborates and strengthens his viewpoint by citing examples of what he considers positive developments of the world. Part III: (Para 11-13) The author argues that the media are obliged to serve as the “public philosopher”, responsible for affecting the public attitude in the right manner. (obligations of the media) And this explains why progress (“good news” ) should be reported. V. Rhetorical focus Argument in association with other expository devices Argument: a reason or a set of reasons. Its aim: 1) to convince others that an action/idea is right or wrong so that they will give up their belief and accept what is said to be right 2) to persuade others to believe in sth. so that they will act in accordance with what they are advised to do. The essay aims to argue for the premise that the responsibility of the news media is to search out and report on important events. It also aims at persuading newsmen and women to take up this responsibility. In order to make his argument reasonable, convincing and valid, the author resorts to other modes of expression and expository means, including: 1. Narration - happenings at the symposium; descriptions of the two speakers, questions raised at the symposium, etc. 2. Definition: “news”, “civilization”, “progress”, “ positive news” 3. Cause-and-effect Cause: people being over-informed about disasters while under-informed about progress; Effect: a public mood of defeatism and despair, detrimental to society; inhibiting progress 4. Exemplification: nitrogen fixation, which is not eruptive, but which will make a contribution to human life and progress. 5. Quotation: from Walter Lippmann and Bernard de Chatres to illustrate the role the media should play. So, the present argument is well-knit and convincing, and will undoubtedly be accepted by sensible and responsible newsmen and women. VI. Language points 1. distinguished: an adjective used especially of people who are famous for serious work in science, the arts, etc., e.g., n a distinguished scientist/ physician / writer / artist, etc. 2. anchorman: a broadcaster or newscaster at a central station who coordinates and integrates a broadcast consisting of coverage coming from several different locations 3. to the core: utterly, completely, e.g. n He is a politician to the core.他是地地道道的政客。 n His refusal shocked us to the core.他的拒绝使我们大吃一惊。 4. savvy: a. knowledgeable: e.g. n be savvy about sth.通晓某事; n Shes been around and savvy to a lot of things.她见过世面，懂得很多事 n. (sl.) common sense, understanding: n have plenty of savvy 很有头脑; n Where is your savvy? 你的常识到哪去了？ 5. ways and means: a set phrase, 1) methods and means of accomplishing something, 2) legislation and methods for raising revenues for public expense. 6. scrutinize: examine very closely and carefully, n The building inspector scrutinized the architects design. 7. prone: likely to suffer from an illness; tending to show a particular negative characteristic. n She is prone to anger/ exaggeration/ flu Prone may also be used after a noun with a hyphen combining the two, e.g. n an accident-prone person (often having accidents 易出事故的人), n injury-prone (often getting injuries), n disaster- prone: tending to report disasters; interested in reporting disasters 8.be apt to : likely or having a tendency to do something. n apt to be forgetful n My pen is rather apt to leak. 9.devalue: reduce the exchange value of (money) 10.collide with: crash violently into. n The fully-loaded truck collided with a station wagon. n He ran so fast that he collided with a pedestrian in the street. 11. the sum total: the entire amount of something when all the various parts are considered together; the whole.n The sum total of what she said amounted to a flat refusal. 12.ingredient: constituent, component. This word is often used in cooking, referring to the different things that combine to make some kind of food. n Flour, eggs, sugar, and shortening are the chief ingredients of any kind of cake. 13.inhibitor: hindrance or obstruction 14. deplete: reduce, decrease 15. contrive: make or invent in a clever way; cause (something) to happen in accordance with ones plans or wishes. n He was quick to contrive an excuse for his absence at the last meeting. 16.antidote: anything that counteracts sth. unpleasant n Education is an effective antidote to ignorance.教育是消除无知的有效方法。 17.get across: make something understood and accepted. n He tried every way to explain, but he just couldnt get his ideas across. 18. perspective: a particular way of considering something. n The author writes from a historical perspective. n Keep the problem in perspective (think about the problem in a reasonable way). 19. pursue: continue steadily with; carry on. n She tried to pursue further studies in the university. 20.prospect: reasonable hope of something happening. n The prospect of his being elected as the committee chair is encouraging. n Theres hardly any prospect of success for him. 21.caricature: description of someone that exaggerates and makes one appear ridiculous. n The chief character in his latest novel is a caricature of a well-known artist. 22. boost up: (literally) lift by pushing up from below. n Please boost me up so that I can see whats happening in the garden. Often, boost means “ increase, raise”. n We hope our production will be boosted by 20%. VII. Difficult sentences (paraphrase) 1. “An unrelieved diet of eruptive news depletes the essential human energies a free society needs”. : i.e. A continuous amount of negative news reduces the human potential that a free society is in need of. 2. “The time has come to consider the existence of a large area of human happenings that legitimately qualify as news”. : i.e. Now we should recognize the fact that there are a lot of events that lawfully reach the standard of being looked upon as news. 3. “ boosting ourselves up through our experiences”. : i.e. improving and developing ourselves through our experiences. 4. “The acquired culture is not transmitted in our genes.”: i.e. what we attain/get from society does not become our inborn/inherent character. VIII. Classroom discussion 1. Journalists are said to be the “publics philosopher”, i.e. they are responsible for affecting our attitudes. How do you define a good journalist? Explain how the journalists should behave in order to best fulfill their role. 2. If you were a journalist, what aspect of social life will you focus on, the positive or the negative side? Why?3. Journalists are often tempted to hunt for sensational news, but in searching for such news they may have to intrude into peoples privacy. How can a journalist solve this dilemma? Is there any guideline for him to follow? Text II: Should the Press be Human? I Teaching objectives 1. Examine the professional ethic of journalism and other professions. 2. Discuss the conflicts between professional ethic and human nature. 3. Know something about John F. Kennedy, his family and the assassination. II. Warm-up questions 1. Among the definitions for the word “press” in dictionaries, which one suits the title best? Why? 2. The author uses a rhetorical question as the titel. Does she answer the question? What does the question lead to? 3. How much do you know about the authors references in the first paragraph? How much do you know about Kennedy and his family? 4. How is the authors reference to the assassination of Kennedy related to his concern over the professional ethic of journalists? 5. Do you think there is any “professional ethic” for, say, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a salesman, etc.? III Relevant information 1. John F. Kennedy (1917 - 1963) On November 22, 1963, when he was hardly past his first thousand days in office, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was killed by an assassins bullets as his motorcade wound through Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was the youngest man elected President; he was the youngest to die. Of Irish descent, Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917. Graduating from Harvard in 1940, he entered the Navy. In 1943, when his PT boat was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer, Kennedy, despite grave injuries, led the survivors through perilous waters to safety. Back from the war, he became a Democratic Congressman from the Boston area, advancing in 1953 to the Senate. He married Jacqueline Bouvier on September 12, 1953. In 1955, while recuperating from a back operation, he wrote Profiles in Courage, which won the Pulitzer Prize in history. In 1956 Kennedy almost gained the Democratic nomination for Vice President, and four years later was a first-ballot nominee for President. Millions watched his television debates with the Republican candidate, Richard M. Nixon. Winning by a narrow margin in the popular vote, Kennedy became the first Roman Catholic President. His Inaugural Address offered the memorable injunction: Ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country. As President, he set out to redeem his campaign pledge to get America moving again. His economic programs launched the country on its longest sustained expansion since World War II; before his death, he laid plans for a massive assault on persisting pockets of privation and poverty. 2. Lee Harvey Oswald (18 October 1939 - 24 November 1963) Oswald was the alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy, according to the conclusions of the Warren Commission. He was born in New Orleans, he married Marina Prusakova in Minsk. Oswald was killed by Texas nightclub owner Jack Ruby two days after JFKs assassination, while being transferred to county jail. 3. Jack Ruby (25 March 1911 - 3 January 1967) Owner of the Carousel Club, Ruby killed Lee Harvey Oswald two days after Kennedys assassination.On March 14, 1964 Ruby was convicted of Oswalds murder. In an appeal to the Texas Supreme Court, it was argued that Ruby could not have gotten a fair trial in the city of Dallas due to the excessive publicity surrounding the case. He died of a pulmonary embolism in prison on January 3, 1967 before he could be re-tried. IV. Organization of the text Part I: (Para 1 ): Introducing the topic Para 1: A hypothesis concerning the action of the photographer who shot the picture of the death of Oswald in the assassination case of J. F. Kenney. Part 2 (Para24): What a journalist should do when facing the dilemma in work. Para 2: Journalists professional ethic vs. their cold-bloodedness. (Development pattern: the thesis statement + illustrations of a photographer in India and a soundman in Nigeria.) Para 3: A dilemma of journalists: to join in and take sides or to be absolutely objective. Para 4: The guidelines of the profession of journalism. Part Three( Para 5 7): Further argument: Although journalists should try hard to fulfill their duty, there should be some point where they should behave as a human A Para 5: The case of a birdman accident in which a journalist who behaved inhuman. (“But it leaves out a lot” i.e. it is more than that.) Para 6: When our professional ethic is in conflict with other things, we should try to stick to it. Para 7: In any profession, there may be something more important than just sticking to professional ethic. Part 4 ( Para 8): The conclusion. The author presents her thesis statement explicitly, i.e. what I think a news man should do. V. Rhetorical focus Sliding Scale Persuasion Argumentation 1) appeal to emotion 1) appeal to reason 2) aim to convince the reader & 2) aim to show the truth of a statement & move him to some action make the reader acknowledge its correctness 3) achieved by arousing in the reader 3)achieved by rigid and careful reasoning emotional responses that are likely to urge his to take some action. Persuasion and argumentation are used almost interchangeably and we can hardly have one without the other. The present author not only handles her reasoning by using examples to prove that what she says (the behavior on the part of the journalists and TV people is far from being human) is nothing but the truth, but also relies on diction and tone in the examples ( staggering pictures, amazingly cold-blooded, make sorrowing Indian family bury and rebury its dead, held up a Nigerian execution while he adjusted his sound equipment, what a story) to stir the feeling of the reader who might feel outraged at those journalists and an urge for immediate action. V. Language points 1. stagger: v.1).To move or stand unsteadily, as if under a great weight; totter. 2) To begin to lose confidence or strength of purpose; waver. 3) To overwhelm with emotion or astonishment. n I was staggered to hear that the air-crash had resulted in hundreds of deaths. a . shocking, astonishing n The news is staggering. 2. to gun sb. down: (inf.) to murder sb. (helpless or undefended) by shooting. n He was gunned down outside his home. n Yitsack Rabin was gunned down on 4 November by a Jewish militant who opposed to his peace dealing with the Palestinians. 3. tease: to annoy or pester; vex. 4. hold up: to obstruct or delay. n we were held up on the road by a nasty traffic accident. n T