4.8 Assessment Unit 4 - Reading Academic Text

Topic: The Future of the Forth Estate (The Press) 1. The Forth Estate, the Press, is a British institution. 2.1 The term was credited to Edmund Burke (an 18th century politician), and later cited by Lord Macaulay (in the 19th century). 2.2 The reference was to Reporters in the parliamentary gallery. 2.3 The FE was meant to have more importance than the Lords Spiritual, Lords Temporal, and the House of Commons. 2.4 The euphemism is maintained today- however its questionable how much power the press still holds (has been eroded by other forms of media). 2. The press is a reflection of British Democracy. 1.1 Tolerates free speech, from tabloid newspapers to ‘broadsheet’ papers. 3. New technology has forced the press to evolve/adapt. Technology helps to modernise the press in the noughties 4.5 Wapping – Rupert Murdoch changed newspaper printing to this in 1986. Advantages: led the rush of the television, satellite, and mobile phone modernisation as part of the British press and publishing Ind. Caused other newspapers to print smaller “compact form”; easier to turn pages/read. 4.6 Deliver forms of news by email, podcasts, texting 4.7 Technology poses a threat to printed newspapers; the press no longer have a monopoly on news. 4.8 Websites – Projects news to a wider audience for those who might not have bought a hardcopy newspaper. Provides instant news, calls for a new type of member of the press; one which reports from regional or international “hotspots”, reporting on news as it unfolds objectively and with critical commentary. 4. The paparazzi are a new form of journalists which result from the readers thirst for the