way2go! 7. Coursebook, Schulbuch

140 Unit 09 | Someone’s watching Read the statements below. Underline what you think are the two most important pieces of information in each statement. In pairs, talk about what you have chosen as being most important and what it means to you. Now work with your partner to discuss these questions: What is freedom of the press? Why is it important? READING + SPEAKING 12 a Silencing the voices b c “Our journalism is free from commercial bias and not influenced by billionaire owners, politicians or shareholders. […] This is important as it enables us to give a voice to those less heard, challenge the powerful and hold them to account. It’s what makes us different to so many others in the media, at a time when factual, honest reporting is critical.” ( Online editorial statement of The Guardian) “… [T]he only reason the full story came out at all was down to a free press. … [W]hat these reporters did – examine evidence; accumulate facts; ask questions; cultivate sources; look at documents; talk to people who were involved; win trust; ignore threats; verify information; report accurately – is as good an illustration as you could have for the importance of a free press.” ( Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian from 1995 to 2015 ) “An independent press ensures that citizens stay informed about public affairs and the actions of their government, creating a forum for debate and the open exchange of ideas.” ( Trevor Timm, US free press advocate ) You are going to read an article on freedom of the press. Work with a partner and make a list of countries that you think will be mentioned in the article in a positive or negative way. Compare your list with another pair. What made you choose these countries? Read the article about the annual World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders ( RWB ). Complete the sentences (1–8) using a maximum of four words. Write your answers in the spaces provided. The first one (0) has been done for you. SPEAKING 13 READING 14 M p. 56 Press freedom slides as journalists face growing threats around the world Hostility towards the media is spreading from dictatorships to democracies. This is encouraged by US president Donald Trump’s attacks on the press and his hatred of reporters that leads to physical aggression, according to the latest World Press Freedom Index. The Index is produced by Reporters without Borders , which measures media freedom in 180 countries. The worst decline in freedom was in Europe, though the region is still the world’s safest for reporters. Two murders helped drive the decline in the last couple of years. Daphne Caruana Galizia, a prominent Maltese journalist who examined corruption by the country’s elites, was assassinated in a car bomb. In Slovakia, 27-year- old investigative reporter Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová were shot to death during Kuciak’s investigation of ties between Slovakian officials and the Mafia. Both murders were a shake-up. Kuciak’s lead to massive popular protests that ended the regime of Prime Minister Robert Fico. The killings also made other journalists carry on the work of their late colleagues and continue their efforts to expose illegal actions and cover-ups. Investigative reporters now collaborate, sharing data and documents and helping one another to stay informed. These networks of collaboration Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Ve lags öbv