Read the text and find words in the text which mean the following.

1) short memorable sentence or phrase that will be repeated in news bulletins and articles

2) people trying to influence what other people think about a particular issue

3) space

4) meetings to give information to and answer questions from the press

5) regularly checking

6) want to reach a wider audience

7) express their opinions

8) present a story in a particular way

9) give a formal announcement to the press

10) time of year, summer in the UK, when there is not much happening and trivial stories end up on the front page

11) collecting scandal (informal and disapproving)

12) making use of people or organisations which regularly provide news

Gathering the news

Journalists gather news in a number of different ways. They may get stories from pressure groups which want to air their views in public. They seek publicity for their opinions and may hold press conferences or may issue a statement / press release. A person who especially wishes to attract news attention will try to include a sound bite in what they say. It is particularly hard for journalists to get material in the silly season.

Journalists also get stories by tapping useful sources and by monitoring international news agencies like Reuters. The more important a story is, the more column inches it will be given in the newspaper. Journalists of different political persuasions often put their own gloss/ spin on a story and some journalists gather stories by muck-raking.