impartial
/ˌɪmˈpɑrʃəl/Not favouring either side, and judging only on the facts you are given.
Example: A good reporter stays impartial even under real pressure.
C222 words · Proficient
News & Media vocabulary — C2
News and media vocabulary such as fourth estate, astroturfing and chilling effect, plus sensationalism, pundit and muckraking. Words for discussing journalism and its ethics.
22 questions
Words in this set
22scrutiny
/ˈskrutəni/Very careful, critical examination of what someone does, aimed at finding faults.
Example:
Ministers face intense scrutiny from reporters after every budget.
sensationalism
/sɛnˈseɪʃənəˌlɪzəm/The practice of presenting news in a shocking or exaggerated way to attract attention.
Example:
Critics accused the channel of sensationalism rather than serious reporting.
partisan
/ˈpɑrtəzən/Strongly supporting one particular political party or side, rather than being neutral.
Example:
The channel is known for its partisan coverage of politics.
pundit
/ˈpʌndət/A person who is often asked to give their opinion on the news, especially on TV or radio.
Example:
A political pundit analysed the election results on air.
op-ed
An article in a newspaper that gives a writer's personal opinion, printed opposite the editorial page.
Example:
She wrote an op-ed arguing for stronger climate policies.
spin
/spɪn/A way of presenting information, especially by politicians, that makes it seem more favourable than it really is.
Example:
Voters grew tired of the government's constant spin.
objectivity
/ˌɑbdʒɛkˈtɪvɪti/The quality of reporting facts fairly, without being influenced by personal feelings or opinions.
Example:
Good journalism depends on objectivity and fair reporting.
subjectivity
/səbdʒɛkˈtɪvɪti/The quality of being influenced by personal opinions or feelings, rather than facts alone.
Example:
Some critics feel the review showed too much subjectivity.
vested interest
A personal reason, especially a financial one, for wanting a particular result or outcome.
Example:
The company had a clear vested interest in the story's outcome.
fourth estate
The press considered as a force in public life.
Example:
The phrase fourth estate flatters the press more than it deserves.
astroturfing
Faking public support to look like a grassroots movement.
Example:
The campaign turned out to be astroturfing paid for by one firm.
churnalism
Journalism that simply reprints press releases.
Example:
Half the science pages are pure churnalism.
doorstepping
Waiting outside someone's home to question them.
Example:
Doorstepping a grieving family is where the code draws a line.
chilling effect
The way the threat of legal action stops people publishing.
Example:
One case created a chilling effect across the whole sector.
gonzo
/ˈɡɑnzoʊ/A style of reporting in which the writer is part of the story.
Example:
Gonzo journalism made a virtue of the reporter getting involved.
broadsheet
A large-format newspaper, traditionally the serious kind.
Example:
The last broadsheet in the country went tabloid in 2004.
imprint
/ˌɪmˈprɪnt/The publisher's name and details printed in a publication.
Example:
The imprint at the back names a company dissolved in 1998.
agenda
/əˈdʒɛndə/A hidden purpose behind what someone says or publishes.
Example:
Readers assume an agenda whether or not there is one.
muckraking
/ˈmʌˌkreɪkɪŋ/Searching out and exposing wrongdoing by the powerful.
Example:
A century of muckraking produced most of the reforms anyone remembers.
stringer network
The set of part-time reporters a publication relies on in distant places.
Example:
The whole stringer network was cut in one budget round.
prior restraint
A legal order stopping something being published at all.
Example:
Prior restraint is rarer than the threat of it.
