63 Working the reading task: True/False/Justification Read the article about the importance of reading good news. First decide whether the statements (1–7) are true (T) or false (F) and put a cross ( ) in the correct box. Then identify the sentence in the text which supports your decision. Write the first 4 words of this sentence in the space provided. There may be more than one correct answer; write down only one. The first one (0) has been done for you. 4 B1+ | 6. Klasse | READING | Media Predict what the text will be about, and remember that the statements follow the order of the text and are likely to be paraphrases. Think about the writer’s opinions as you’re reading the text and statements. Are the opinions literal or implied? Only write the FIRST FOUR words of the sentence where you find the answer. Top tips Why we need hopeful news Reading news stories that offer solutions and hope can make us more engaged with the news. Recently Google announced that its voiceactivated program Google Assistant would offer a new feature called ‘Tell Me Something Good’. Users can now give that command and receive an earful of positive news stories. But Google isn’t the only outlet offering an alternative to the doom-and-gloom news that we face every day. The New York Times has an online page called ‘Fixes’, which focuses on what people are doing to combat social problems in the US and around the world, and, likewise, the Dutch online newspaper de Correspondent aims to inform and inspire at the same time. As media researcher Karen McIntyre explains, these are all part of a news movement called ‘constructive journalism’. It means creating stories that are more productive, more forward-looking and more solution-focused. Disturbing news stories, like those about polluted waters, people committing crimes or the police not doing their job properly, for instance, are enriched with elements of some more hopeful news about what’s been done to prevent these issues in the future. Rather than causing us stress and anxiety, this increasingly popular style of journalism has the potential to help us stay informed, engaged and optimistic. Traditionally, news organisations tend to follow the old rule ‘If it bleeds, it leads.’ People are naturally attracted to negative news, in part because our brains are ready to scan the environment for danger and remember threats later, as a way of promoting survival. But seeing or hearing fear-inducing stimuli over and over again can make us feel helpless, which is not good for our personal well-being or for society as a whole. “When people feel depressed and hopeless, they don’t want to engage with the news,” says McIntyre. In fact, a recent survey from the Harvard School of Public Health in the US found that reading, watching or listening to negative news is one of the leading causes of stress among Americans. Research also suggests that people who consume negative news regularly tend to have less faith in political leaders, lower evaluations of other people and communities and more psychological problems. Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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