Перевод текста journalism is a hard life
WORK OF THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT
The life and work of the Foreign Correspondent have a strong appeal for most young men and women in journalism. To ‘cover the world’s news from China to Peru, from Moscow to Cape Town; to send back dispatches under date-lines from “faraway places with strange-sounding names” is the secret dream of many a cub-reporter with which he spends dull hours in the local police court or council chamber.
The work of the Foreign Correspondent is something much wider than the mere reporting of events. He must give his readers at home a complete background service explaining and interpreting the news, pro viding eye-witness descriptions of scenes and happenings, conjuring up the atmosphere in which events are taking place, mailing informative articles8 periodically which will make newspaper readers familiar w th the background to men and affairs. The journalist who wishes to make a success as an “Ambassador of the Press” must be a first-rate general re porter — he must have the nose for the news and a keenly developed
sense of news values,” he must be a doo listener who can get other people
to favour him with their confidences,
be all things to all men.
he must be a good mixer — able to
The beginner to journalism who is determined to make accreditation as a Foreign Correspondent his aim, must begin by tackling the problem of languages. He should know at least two, apart from his own. Which two will depend, of course, on the part of the world where he is particu larly anxious to serve. French and German used to be the minimum
equipment of the European correspondent, but it is possible that Rus
sian, rather than German, may be increasingly valuable in the future.
It must be remembered that to know a language, in the snse that a Foreign Correspondent must know it, means a great deal more than a nodding acquaintance with grammar and the ability to pick one’s way through a selected text or two. It means to be able to write the language fluently, to be able to take down speeches in shorthand, to follow conver sations through the distorting medium of the telephone, and the like
The would be foreign representative must study world geography and get a thorough knowledge of modern history and current affairs, besides making a special study of the history, manners, customs, political system aetc, ouf thoste chountrioes whrere ihe htopaes to tworik. vIf he ies to wlritye ’
on foreign affairs he must himself be an authority.
But first and foremost he is, and must remain, a reporter, seeking and reporting news.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD JOURNALIST?
“What makes a good journalist?
Many things. Even journalists will disagree on the order of importaice of the qualities that go to make a good journalist.’ But they are all agreed that paramount in the make-up of a journalist2 is a deep and genuine interest in people — good people, bad people (who often make good news!), famous people, humble people, rich people, poor people, o d people, young people, Black people, White people — people of every type everywhere.
A person who has not this interest in other people will never make a
good journalist. So. if you are not very interested in other people and think iat most people are a bit of a nuisance and you prefer not to have anything more to do with them than is necessary, journalism is not for you.
Hand in hand with this interest in people, should go the qualities of
sympathy (so that you can see the other side of an issue even if you disagree with the person who holds it), open-mindedness (so that you do not make a hasty ill-informed judgement8) and an inquiring mind (so that you can really get to the bottom of the thing you are asking about). Last, but certainly not least, the journalist needs to have humility. That does not mean that he goes around like a Sunday School teacher! But it does mean that the man who thinks he is a pretty clever chap and does not mind the world knowing about it, will never make a good journalist. The journalist — certainly the reporter — spends most of his day talking or lis
What about the rest of the educat onalqua fications for a journa st Often it is the pupil who was fairly good at five or six subjects, and not brilliant at just one, who makes the best journalist. These sort of people seem rather better balanced, as it were, for the sort of life a journalist leads — often with a nose in haifa dozen things in one day — than the specialist, who was so interested in, say, biology, that he never took much interest in history, geography, literature and other subjects.
But of course, nobody can say exactly what the best qualifications for a career in journalism are. They will vary enormously, according to the individual. There are plenty of highly successful journalists who were generally at the bottom of the ciass when they were at schooi, whiie many a man with a university degree has faiied to make any mark in
journalism.
ЧТО ДЕЛАЕТ ХОРОШЕГО ЖУРНАЛИСТА?
“Что делает хорошего журналиста?
Много вещей. Даже журналисты не согласятся на заказе importaice качеств, которые идут, чтобы сделать пользу
интерес у людей — хорошие люди, плохие люди (кто часто делает хорошие новости!), известные люди, скромные люди, богатые
и Вы предпочитаете не иметь что-нибудь больше, чтобы сделать с ними, чем необходимо, журналистика не для Вас.
Взявшись за руки с этим интересом у людей, должен пойти качества
симпатия (так, чтобы Вы могли видеть другую сторону проблемы, даже если Вы не соглашаетесь с человеком, который держит это),
непредубежденность (так, чтобы Вы не сделали поспешный неосведомленный judgement8) и пытливый ум (так, чтобы Вы могли действительно
доберитесь до сути относительно вещи, которую Вы спрашиваете о). Наконец, но конечно не в последнюю очередь, журналист должен иметь
смирение. Это не означает, что он идет вокруг подобный учитель воскресной школы! Но это действительно означает, что человек, который думает
в пяти или шести предметах, и не бриллианте только в один, кто делает лучшего журналиста. Подобные люди кажутся
скорее лучше уравновешенный, на самом деле, для вида жизни журналист ведет — часто с носом в вещах дюжины Хайфы в
однажды — чем специалист, который так интересовался, скажем, биология, что он никогда не интересовался историей,
география, литература и другие предметы.
Но конечно, никто не может сказать точно, каковы лучшие квалификации для карьеры в журналистике. Они изменятся
чрезвычайно, согласно человеку. Есть много очень успешных журналистов, которые были вообще в
у основания ciass, когда они были в schooi, whiie много людей с университетским дипломом, есть faiied к
произведите большое впечатление в
журналистика.
Journalism is a Hard LifeWhat sort
Journalism is a Hard Life
What sort of people are journalists? What qualities and qualifications do they possess?
If you accept the picture so often given on the movie or television screen, newspapermen are hard-bitten, rude, hat-wearing, shouting people who unravel crime mysteries, call their editor «Chief, and seem to have unlimited expenses. Beware of that picture.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary describes a journalist as «one whose business is to edit or write for a public journal». That’s all.
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 you to do a lot of things that other people do in their spare time (1). It can separate you from your family for a great amount of your time; some journalists see their school-going children only at weekends. It can cut you off from a good deal of social life with your friends, and it can make it almost impossible for you to know when you will be free and what time you will have to call your own.
To be a good journalist you must have a great deal of curiosity. You must like people and be interested in what they do, you must be able to get on easy and friendly terms with men and women of all sorts, however much they may differ from each other or from you. Journalism is no place for the shy person who finds it difficult to talk to strangers. He must be able to write, not necessarily at the standard of great writers, but in a simple and lucid fashion and, above all, quickly, and in short sentences which convey concisely what is meant.
A reporter is responsible to his chief of staff. He is told to refer matters which involve decisions to the 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 to turn to for advice. There he has to make his own decisions and shoulder responsibility.! A good journalist is not easily rebuffed. He must have a good deal of self-reliance and push and energy and initiative. ^ If you think you can measure up to these standards try to take up journalism as a career.
, если вы принимаете картину так часто с кино или телевизора, газетчики сильно покусали, грубо, шляпу надел, кричат люди, которые распутывать преступления тайн, называют их «главный редактор, и, судя по всему, неограниченные расходы.опасаться, что картина.
в кратком оксфордском словаре описывает журналист, как «, бизнес которого состоит в том, чтобы изменить или писать для публичного журнал».это все.
журналист отвечает его начальник штаба.он сказал, чтобы передать вопросы, которые касаются решений для начальника штаба.
но начальника штаба не с ним, когда он отчитывается заседания парламента или некоторые заседания; не с ним, когда он интервью важный человек; не с ним, когда он отчитывается событие, гибели людей, bushfire или наводнения.там журналист действует самостоятельно,с никто не обращаться за консультацией.там он должен принимать свои решения и нести ответственность.хороший журналист не легко отвергнуты.он, должно быть, немало самообеспеченности и толкать и энергии и инициативы.
, если ты думаешь, что может измерять до этих стандартов, попытаться взять журналистики как профессии.
What sort of people are journalists? What qualities and qualifications do they possess
A person who has not this interest in other people will never make a good journalist
Let us look at the qualifications a journalist needs. Obviously he must be well enough educated to be able to write fairly clearly in whatever language it is he hopes to work in. 13 The best journalists write simple, plain, direct English, generally preferring short words to long ones.
But of course, nobody can say exactly what the best qualifications for a career in journalism are. They will vary enormously, according to the individual. There are plenty of highly successful journalists who were generally at the bottom of the class when they were at school, while many a man 16 with a university degree has failed to make any mark in journalism. 17
. You should of course be willing to work hard. You should have not only an ordinary education but an extraordinary broad one. On top of this you should have a pleasant personality, be sincere, enthusiastic, have a sense of humour, be dependable, sensitive, idealistic, dedicated, open- minded and responsible.
JOURNALISM IS A HARD LIFE
What sort of people are journalists? What qualities and qualifications do they possess
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 you to do a lot of things that other people do in their spare time. It can separate you from your family for a great amount of your time; some journalists see their school-going children only at weekends. It can cut you off from a good deal of social life with your friends, and it can make it almost impossible for you to know when you will be free and what time you will have to call your own.
To be a good journalist you must have a great deal of curiosity. You must like people and be interested in what they do; you must be able to get on easy and friendly terms with men and women of all sorts, however much they may differ from each other or from you. Journalism is no place for the shy person who finds it difficult to talk to strangers. He must be able to write, not necessarily at the standard of great writers, but in a simple and lucid fashion and, above all, quickly, and in short sentences which convey concisely what is meant
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
A good journalist is not easily rebuffed. He must have a good deal of selF-reliance and push and energy and initiative
to cover assignments – выполнять задания
WORK OF THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT
The life and work of the Foreign Correspondent have a strong appeal 1 for most young men and women in journalism. To cover the world’s news 2 from China to Peru, from Moscow to Cape Town; to send back dispatches 3 under date-lines from «faraway places with strange-sounding names» is the secret dream of many a cub-reporter 4 with which he spends dull hours in the local police court or council chamber
The work of the Foreign Correspondent is something much wider than the mere reporting of events. He must give his readers at home a complete background service 5 explaining and interpreting the news, providing eye-witness descriptions 6 of scenes and happenings, conjuring up the atmosphere 7 in which events are taking place, mailing informative articles 8 periodically which will make newspaper readers familiar with the background to men and affairsThe would-be foreign representative must study world geography and get a thorough knowledge of modern history and current affairs, besides making a special study of the history, manners, customs, political system etc., of those countries where he hopes to work. If he is to write authoritatively 17 on foreign affairs he must himself be an authority.
But first and foremost 18 he is, and must remain, a reporter, seeking and reporting news
3. to cover the news — освещать новости
JOURNALISM IS INFORMATION
What is journalism? Journalism is information. It is communication. It is the events of the day distilled into a few words, sounds or pictures, processed by the mechanics of communication to satisfy the human curiosity of the world that is always eager to know what’s new
The cave-man drawing a buffalo on the wall of his home did so to give other hunters the news that buffaloes were nearby. The town-crier reciting the news in the market-place provided a convenient way in which a number of people could simultaneously learn facts affecting all their lives.
Journalism is about people. It is produced for people. So how has the ordinary man’s receptivity to journalism changed in twenty years?
Fifty years ago, a family might listen to a news bulletin on the living- room radio over breakfast. Father would read his morning paper over breakfast or on the bus or train going to work. After work, he would buy an evening paper and read it on the way home, handing it over to his wife who would read it when she had washed up after the evening meal. Then they might listen to the BBC nine o’clock radio news.
What happens now? The bedside transistor radio switches itself on with the alarm. Mother has her radio on in the kitchen as she cooks, breakfast. The kids have their radios switched to Radio One with its mixture of pop music and news flashes. 6 Father glances at the morning paper over breakfast, then gets into the car and turns on «Today» as he drives to work
The newspaperman has to be aware of the changes in the lives of his readers. It is not enough for him to print the «hard news» 9 of the evening before (most national newspapers start printing their major editions around 10 pm, with further editions for the city in which they are produced coming up until 4 am), since his readers who look at the paper over breakfast will have heard most of that and seen many of the public figures and significant events on television the night before
The press has been slow to catch on to this change and to revise its methods of operation so that the newspaper still has a function. That it has a function, there can be no doubt: for the television or radio news bulletin is tightly encapsulated, containing only a few of the main facts in a highly abbreviated form.
Newspapers are archives, objects of record. They can be referred to, checked back on, in a way that the television or radio news cannot. They can describe events at greater length, add more relevant detail, give authoritative comment from people in a.position to detect trends and the likely lines in which a news stoiy will develop.
to entertain развлекать, забавлять;
entertainment programme развлекательная программа
television picture телевизионное изображение
a matter of seconds дело нескольких секунд
small-town radio station радиостанция в маленьком городке
to present news подавать, преподносить новости
service служба; broadcasting service служба вещания;
national service национальная служба;
nation-wide service общенациональная служба;
news service служба новостей;
regional service региональная служба;
television service телевизионная служба;
to establish television service/to launch television service организовать телевизионную службу;
to take service принимать передачи
broadcast v передавать по радио, телевидению; n широковещание, передача, вещание;
educational broadcast образовательная передача;
outside broadcast внестудийная передача;
political broadcast политическая передача;
produce television (radio) broadcast подготовить, выпустить телевизионную (радио) передачу;
live news broadcast «живая» передача новостей, эфирная передача новостей, прямой эфир (remember the pronunciation of the word live adj [laiv] живой)
broadcasting вещание, широковещание;
direct satellite broadcasting непосредственное вещание через спутник Земли;
domestic broadcasting внутреннее вещание;
radio broadcasting радиовещание;
television broadcasting телевизионное вещание
bulletin бюллетень, сводка;
news bulletin сводка новостей
The nature of news is a favourite subject of discussion among journalists. Some place the emphasis on one aspect, some on another but it is generally agreed that the essence of news is topicality, novelty and general interest. To be news an item of information must have a bearing on the affairs of the moment, it must be new to those who hear or read it, and it must arouse the interest of a considerable number of those hearers or readers.
Above all, he must have his finger on the pulse of current thought and public opinion; he must.be aware of what the great mass of men and women around him are thinking and feeling; he must never lose «the common touch», for although he himself may move in a circle whose interests are specialised, what he writes must appeal to the man in the street.
The collection of news has a highly organised business. There is hardly a corner of the world today which is not covered by the gigantic network of news-gatherers employed by the local and national newspapers and the great news agencies.
Very briefly, the system operates thus. Local news is collected by the reporters and district representatives of provincial newspapers, and by the local staff correspondents of the national dailies. Events of national importance are covered by staff reporters of the national dailies and by special correspondents of both the national and provincial Press.
In addition, home news is reported by district correspondents of the news agencies, notably the Press Association, the Exchange Telegraph and Central News. Foreign news is gathered by Reuters news agency and by the foreign correspondents employed by the national dailies and some of the larger provincial papers. Items of interest to particular sections of the community (e.g. trade and technical news) are gathered by a number of smaller news agencies operating in different parts of the country.
topic n тема; the topic of the day злободневная тема; the topic of conversation тема разговора
topical adj 1. актуальный, животрепещущий; a topical question злободневный вопрос;
to be of topical interest представлять злободневный интерес; 2. тематический; a topical article on medicine статья на медицинскую тему
topical п документальный фильм, хроникальный фильм, кинорепортаж
topicality п актуальность
topically adv 1. актуально; 2. тематически
priority 1. приоритет, старшинство, первенство; 2. порядок очередности; first priority первоочередность; of high priority первоочередной, неотложный, срочный; priority number one самое главное, самое срочное; to give priority to smth придавать первостепенное значение чему-л.
background 1. задний план, фон; to stay in the background оставаться в тени, на заднем плане; 2. кинообстановка, ; место действия, предметы или действующие лица, расположенные в глубине кадра; 3. подоплека; the background of the deal was easy to explain подоплека этой сделки была легко объяснима; the background of the event предыстория события; 4. подготовка, образование, квалификация; educational background; social background; he has the right background for the job у него хорошая подготовка для этой работы; to look up smb’s background наводить справки о ком-л. (о чьем-л. происхождении, моральном облике, связях); What’s his background? Что он собой представляет? background music музыкальный фон; background noise посторонний шум
to select [si’lekt]/gather/collect [ka’lekt] news собирать информацию, новости; the art of news-gathering искусство сбора информации (новостей); news-gatherer репортер; newsworthy s достойный освещения в печати
agency n агентство, представительство; news agency информационное агентство; wire news agency телеграфное агентство
correspondent n корреспондент; a staff correspondent штатный корреспондент
THE KEY WORD IS «DEADLINE»
The key word is «deadline». News is gathered under deadline pressure. The reporter is always aware that his story must be in the hands of his editor by a rigidly prescribed time. The editor, in turn, knows that the edited copy must be in the print shop by a specific time if it is to get into the paper. Newsmen work by the clock. As the newspapers roll off the press, circulation trucks are waiting to carry them to various parts of the city and to trains and planes that will take them to more distant points. The same pressure applies to broadcasting. A television news crew must have its film and tape at the studio by a certain time if the spot 3 is to be aired that evening. Even magazines have to meet deadlines, although not as tight ones.
But remember,’ editors and reporters are meeting the public demand for news shortly after events happen. They are dealing in instant history. The news in perspective, the background details, and so forth can be handled, by the columnists, in editorials and in long interpretive or «think» pieces in the Sunday paper. Daily newspapers also carry a feature story. As for accuracy, studies have shown that newspapers and wire services have a high batting average on this score considering the hectic 5 pace at which news is produced. But this does not give the news media a blanket excuse to commit errors.
TRAINING FOR JOURNALISM IN BRITAIN
One reason why journalism used to appeal so much to young people as a career was that it did not seem to need long and boring periods of study. After all, what more does a reporter need than a nose for news, 1 a notebook and pencil, and ambition?
But today it is not so simple. Would-be journalists need a higher standard of school qualifications before they can get a job in the first place. And then they must agree to follow a. course of training laid down by the National Council for the Training of Journalists, 4 and they must pass their examinations before they can be sure of holding onto their jobs.
The NCTJ operates in Britain, but there are similar bodies being established in most countries. 5 In those countries, such as the United States, where a high proportion of youngsters go on from school to college, there are university courses in journalism and the best jobs go to graduates. Though there is only one embryo course in journalism in a British university (at Cardiff), more graduates are entering the profession and as training schemes become more formalised, the chances in journalism for a boy or girl who dislikes school and cannot study or pass exams are very slight.
Training for journalism in Britain is organized by the National Council for the Training of Journalists which was set up in 1952 as a result of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Press (1949). 6 The Council has representatives from newspaper and journalist organizations and four educational representatives, one nominated by the Department of Education and Science
There are basically two ways of entering the training schemes organized by the NCTJ: either by getting a job on a newspaper and then applying to enter the training scheme which combines practical journalism with part-time study, 14 or by taking the one-year full-time course 15 organized by the NCTJ.
SUCCESS IN INTERVIEWING
Newspaper reporters not only have risked and lost their lives in the front lines during warfare, but they have braved danger in peace time to cover floods, hurricanes, fires, strikes, crimes and many other kinds of stories. No editor expects a reporter to place himself in unreasonable jeopardy, 1 but he does drill into every cub the fact that 2 there always is more than one way to get any story The best kind of interview is that which proceeds in a natural, friendly, informal way. The reporter may inspire confidence and make himself attractive by not coming to the point of his visit at once, but by beginning the conversation with some general comment. If he can get his subject chatting about another matter, he may be able to lead the interview easily into the channel that he wishes it to take.
It is wise to take as few notes as possible during an interview of this kind. Often it may be disastrous to take a single note. If the reporter can get his subject to forget 7 that he is speaking for publication, he will obtain much more than if the person is constantly reminded that the interviewer is taking down verbatim what he is saying.
Sometimes the interviewee requests the reporter to take verbatim notes. Or the reporter at the end of an interview may remark: «By the way, would you mind spelling that name for me?» Or he may ask for exact figures, addresses, etc., which the interviewee will be glad to have him get correctly. 8 The reporter must be careful in asking for such information, because he should not suggest to the interviewee that he had better start pointing out clearly which of his remarks are for publication and which not.
The reporter must train his memory to recall, an hour or so afterward, all the important remarks of the interviewee. He should make immediate mental note of any startling statement which he will want to use verbatim, and should keep turning it over in his mind during the rest of the interview. He should seize the first opportunity after leaving the scene of the interview to write down such statements and to make any other necessary notes. If he has an hour or so before he must write his story, he will be surprised to find that, bit by bit, virtually the entire interview will come back to him.
In writing an opinion interview, it is often wise, for the sake of authority, to mention that the statements were made during an interview. So, «Mr. White stated in his interview today» is better than «Mr. White told a News repoA musician, scientist, writer, politician or any other person who has become prominent, despises the reporter who betrays ignorance of his activities and reputation. Anyone with a speciality, furthermore, is bored to have to talk to another who is utterly uninformed concerning that field of interest. There are numerous biographical reference books which the reporter may consult to learn the outstanding facts about a person’s life and achievements. The newspaper’s reference department usually can supply clippings related to what the person has done recentlyrter today»
The reporter should go to his interview with a number of possible questions memorized. These should be related to the interviewee’s field of interest and yet should not be too elementary or questions which it is reasonable to suppose the person has been asked time and time again. The reporter should try to find some new angle of approach, some fresh subject upon which the person interviewed will be able to speak.