General English 10.03 - Advanced / news and media

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• English
• University

Exam practice - News/Journalism

Reading, Speaking and Listening

“In 2026, more news organizations will understand that people don’t always want an article. Sometimes they just want clarity.”

What did the author mean by this quote, and what does the future hold for journalism?

What the future holds...

I keep seeing the same thing: the people keeping their communities informed aren’t reporters. They’re the pastor who delivers immigration updates before the sermon. The barber who streams local politics on Facebook Live. The neighbor who translates every school notice and distributes it through five different group chats. The teacher who explains American bureaucracy to families who arrived last week. The WhatsApp moderator running a rumor-control operation that outperforms the mayor’s office.

None of these people will keynote a journalism conference. But if journalism is about helping people understand their world, they are quietly doing the job. And that’s my prediction for 2026: the news industry will finally realize that these informal community information networks are not peripheral to local news — they are the most functional version of it.

Retrieved from: https://www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/the-future-of-news-is-happening-where-no-one-is-looking/

Which information does this paragraph contain?

It used to be easy to define what a journalist was. They had a degree in English or Journalism, usually owned a camera and were employed full time by a news outlet, TV or radio station or newspaper. Their days were spent conducting interviews, researching the next big story and writing articles. However, in recent years the line between these 'professional' journalists and the public has become blurred. There is a growing trend for amateur journalism that often bypasses the established media sources. The upshot is that virtually anyone can be a journalist. After all, if you are present when a story breaks, or you yourself are part of the news story, why wait for a 'real' journalist to interview you as an eyewitness? You can use the camera on your phone and tell the story yourself and post it on your own blog or on social media.

A

Why some journalists fear the new trends

B

Details of civil unrest in a major city

C

Why education is needed in the context of this change in the media

D

Subjects journalists traditionally study at university

Which information does this paragraph contain?

A

Why some journalists fear the new trends

B

Details of civil unrest in a major city

C

How the story of a spaceship disaster broke

D

Why participatory journalism is good for disadvantaged groups

Which information does this paragraph contain?

So, how have the media establishment reacted to this change? Initially, it was seen as a challenge to their hegemony. They had always been the gatekeepers: those who decided what was news and how that news should be presented. Participatory journalism represents the democratisation of the media: and therefore a threat to this. Media futurists predict that by 2021, 50% of news will be produced by citizen Journalists, so traditional media have had little choice but to embrace the trend or be left behind. Many already have, by adding features that invite participation, such as comments sections and links to social media.

A

Why some journalists fear the new trends

B

Details of civil unrest in a major city

C

Why education is needed in the context of this change in the media

D

Why participatory journalism is good for disadvantaged groups

Which information does this paragraph contain?

There are many potential benefits to 'We media', as participatory journalism is sometimes called. It can help forge stronger relationships between the media and local communities, since people feel their views are represented, creating a sense of trust and shared responsibility. Members of the public who participate in creating the news gain memorable experiences and build their reputation in a given community. "We media" can also give a voice to those who haven't had one due to educational, economic, social or cultural barriers. It is a liberating phenomenon with the potential to reduce inequality in society.

A

Why some journalists fear the new trends

B

Why education is needed in the context of this change in the media

C

Details of civil unrest in a major city

D

Why participatory journalism is good for disadvantaged groups

Which information does this paragraph contain?

The evidence so far is that participatory journalism is here to stay and set to develop in ways as yet unimagined. The implication for every user of media is that we need to be ever more open to the possibility of false information. The 'publish then filter' model necessitates all readers and viewers honing their critical faculties and verifying reports by independent means before accepting and sharing them. This will be a positive trend if it develops the thinking skills of the population as a whole. An educated citizenry who do not believe what they read without question is surely an asset to any society.

A

Why some journalists fear the new trends

B

Why education is needed in the context of this change in the media

C

Details of civil unrest in a major city

D

Why participatory journalism is good for disadvantaged groups

Speaking. The future of journalism

The year 2050 - The majority of news is created by AI systems.

Discuss:
1. Might human journalism well remain hugely important, or is it bound to become obsolete?

2. In what ways could AI distort information, and to what extent is it likely to happen unintentionally?

3. Are people’s fears about AI in journalism perfectly reasonable, or are they totally absurd, as some might claim?

4. Isn't it likely that misinformation could escalate faster than before, and what is supposed to be done about it?

And....
What skills will journalists need if the media landscape becomes extremely complicated?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u1HvJm8-Fo1TdfSUdvQL0Vv2QX6MmFtWUS76isjFCgA/edit?usp=sharing

Is spreading a rumor human nature?

Spreading misinformation

Drag and Drop

adding extra information to make something more interesting

alter details

there are numerous ideas and reasons

make someone feel more important

embellishing the

details

theories abound

distort information

boost our own self-esteem

Drag and Drop

a story gets more and more detail and attention

persuading people to think differently

a story is stopped or shown to be untrue

spread quickly and widely online

the rumour has been quashed

the story escalates

swaying public opinion

go viral

The rumor mill

1

With many shares, people _____ details more and more, adding claims that are completely wrong.

2

The situation becomes extremely complicated as the story continues to _____ to the point where it’s picked up by news outlets and magazines. Fact-checking is badly needed, but no one cares.

3

A photograph is taken of a celebrity doing something mundane, looking slightly dishevelled. The image is virtually identical to thousands of others online, but that doesn’t matter. Once posted, it doesn’t take long for the photo to ______ viral.

4

People comment on it, many who ______ key information for their own ends. Some of the theories are utterly ridiculous and totally absurd, while others sound perfectly reasonable to the average reader.

The rumor mill

1

The celebrity eventually addresses the rumour on social media to try and _____ it once and for all. It’s rather difficult to undo the damage, but their statement is extremely effective.

2

However, the rumour has taken its toll. The celebrity needs to ______ their self-esteem... they get dressed up and go for a wild night out on the town. The evening is pretty awful, and the paparazzi find it terribly boring until the celebrity trips over...

3

Once it’s in the mainstream media, theories _____ as to the reasons for the celebrity’s ‘downfall’. Their relationship has fallen apart! They’re ill! They’re broke! The narrative is really terrifying for the star’s image.

4

Their A-list pals also respond, trying to _____ public opinion back behind their friend. Their support is hugely important and often hugely successful in calming the fans.

Exam speaking

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16d3VxPj9tjAc06ZhJ3CaUYLDb3i7h61SEj1dPc02ofA/edit?usp=sharing

Listen and type your answers

Listen and type your answers