Тема / Топик по английскому языку:
Press in the USA

In 1986, a total of 9144 newspapers (daily, Sunday, weekly) appeared in the USA. Newspapers are published in 34 different languages.

Most daily papers in the USA are of the «quality» rather than the «popular» variety. Among the 20 newspapers with the largest circulation only two or three regularly feature crime, sex and scandal. The paper with the largest circulation, «The Wall Street Journal», is a very serious paper indeed.

It is often said that there is no «national press» in the United States as there is in Great Britain, for instance. In one sense this is true. There are no official or government-owned newspapers in the USA. There is no state censorship, that is, court or judges cannot stop a story from being printed or published. Most daily newspapers are distributed locally, or regionally. People buy one of the big city newspapers in addition to small local ones. A few of the best-known newspapers, such as «The Wall Street Journal» can be found throughout the country. There has been one attempt to publish a truly national newspaper, «US Today». But it has only a circulation of 1,2 million and can only offer news of general interest.

In another sense, however, there is a national press, one that comes from influence and the sharing of news. Some of the largest newspapers, such as «The New York Times», «The Washington Post» and «The Los Angeles Times» are at the same time news-gathering businesses, or news services. They not only print newspapers, but also collect and sell news, news features and photographs to hundreds of other papers in the USA and abroad. These newspapers have great national and international influence, spreading far beyond their own readers.

In addition, these newspapers and others, such as «Christian Science Monitor», «The Baltimore Sun» or the «Milwaukee Journal» are frequently mentioned among papers of international excellence. In a large international survey of newspaper editors, «The New York Times» was ranked by most as «the world’s top daily».

American newspapers get much of their news from the same source as all newspapers in the world - the two world’s largest news agencies - AP (Associated Press) and UPI (United Press International). Neither of them is owned, controlled or operated by the government. They have thousands of subscribers - newspapers, radio and television stations and other agencies which pay to receive and use the news and photographs in more than 100 countries of the world.

Topical Vocabulary

Answer the questions:

1. What is press in the USA characterized by?
   
2. What are the two major kinds of daily newspapers in the USA?
   
3. Why do we say that there is no national press in the USA?
   
4. Why can we say that there is a national press in the USA?
   
5. What are the American newspapers of international excellence?
   
6. What source do many American newspapers get their news from?
   

Translate into English:

1. В Америке нет правительственных или официальных газет; нет также и официальной цензуры.
   
2. Большая часть ежедневных газет - серьезные, а не популярные газеты.
   
3. Поскольку большинство газет распространяется в определенных регионах, говорят, что в Америке нет общенациональной прессы.
   
4. Газета «US Today» выходит тиражом 1,2 млн. экземпляров и не может считаться подлинно национальной газетой.
   
5. «The New York Times» и «The Washington Post» - это не просто газеты, а целые компании, собирающие и продающие новости.
   
6. Их влияние распространяется за пределы круга их собственных читателей.
   
7. Некоторые американские газеты считаются лучшими ежедневными газетами мира.
   
8. Агентства новостей UPI и АР не принадлежат правительству и не управляются им.
   
9. Их подписчики покупают и используют новости, статьи и фотографии.