Complete the text with the words from the box. Then press "Check" to mark your answers.
news modern small sheet to 19th every has mere notable terrible leading clean press views
The newspaper is a comparatively modern invention. It was introduced in England in the 18th century, but it was in the century that it became such a power for good and evil. Today every country is flooded with newspapers - great and , good, bad and indifferent. Moreover, the spread of education has created a very large reading public in every civilised land, and educated person finds his newspaper a daily necessity.
As its name implies, the first object of a newspaper is to give . We want to know, day by day, what is happening, not only in our own country but all over the world. And thanks to the inventions of the telegraph, the submarine cable, and wireless, we can read in our morning paper all the events which occurred in even distant lands the day before.
But a newspaper is more than a mere news-. While there are special papers entirely devoted to different departments of life, such as religion, sport, literature, art, music, farming, and amusement, most newspapers are the organs of political parties, and their main interest is politics. Members of political parties look to the article of their favourite newspaper for guidance in political questions. Each paper aims to educate public opinion on the political and aims of the party it represents.
Besides this, the press affords a platform from which advocates of social reform can their causes on public attention, and people and communities who think they are unjustly treated can air their grievances.
The press enormous power because it can profoundly influence public opinion. The proprietors and editors of newspapers have, therefore, a heavy responsibility. A , earnest, truthful and moral paper can do a tremendous amount of good. Still, a newspaper that misrepresents the truth, that panders the lowest tastes, that influences public opinion to passion and violence, and corrupts public morals with indecencies and sensationalism is a power for evil.