5. Match the parts of the text with their titles. There is one title you don’t have to use.

a) The Role of Journalists in the Society

b) Personal Qualities of a Journalist

c) Helping to Improve the Society

d) The Beginnings

e) Journalists and Officials

Journalists and Journalism

1. Journalism has a long history. The first people who wrote down the news were Roman Senators in the 1st century BC. The first Roman papers were written out in more than 2000 copies and sent everywhere in the Empire. They were also hung up in public places. People who could read called out the news to people who could not. For centuries news travelled very slowly and reached few people until the printing press was invented in the 15th century. The first printed papers were published in Germany and Belgium in the early 17th century.

2. In most countries the press is taken very seriously. Journalists-to-be get special training in universities. Their duty is to inform the public of everything that happens in the country and abroad. Journalists are supposed to give fair comment on the events and are not supposed to change facts or tell lies. The stars of journalism are very well known to the public and have real influence. Some of them write about politics, others — about economy, culture, morals, sport or other things that interest people. Their articles may be reproduced in hundreds of local papers across the country.

3. Governments understood a special role of the press. The British Parliament, for example, invites journalists to its daily question time when MPs address questions to ministers. It has become a tradition in the USA, Russia and some other countries to hold presidential press conferences where presidents speak to the press and answer journalists’ questions.

4. Very often journalists do more than just reporting and commenting on events, they investigate crimes or produce evidence of corruption or bad behaviour of officials. Many things that are hidden away become known with the help of journalists. Journalism is a difficult and even dangerous profession. One should have a lot of tact as well as courage. But this profession is really rewarding.

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