READING COMPREHENSION

Before Reading

1 Discuss the following questions with your classmates. Use expressions from the Language Note box to help you.

a. What does freedom of expression mean b. When is freedom of expression at risk? c. What are the conditions needed for freedom of expression to flourish?

Suggested answer: Freedom of expression (to hold opinions and to receive information/ ideas) must be exercised freely, without interference by public authorities.

2 Before reading the following text, take a look at its expect to read about?

Suggested answers: Freedom of information./ Freedom of expression (and democracy)./Free, independent and pluralistic media.

Reading

3 Now read the text to check your predictions.

Flourishing free, independent and pluralistic media

During a Unesco 3 May conference in 1991, the participants arrived at a consensus on the meaning of “an independent and pluralistic press” and stated it in the Windhoek Declaration: By independent press, we mean a press independent from governmental, political or economic control or from control of materials and infrastructure essential for the production and dissemination of newspapers, magazines and periodicals. By a pluralistic press, we mean the end of monopolies of any kind and the existence of the greatest possible number of newspapers, magazines and periodicals reflecting the widest possible range of opinion within the community (adapted from Windhoek Declaration 3 May 1991, which also gave us the annual World Press Freedom Day, celebrated each year on 3 May). There are several types of media (ownership) including private, community, state, and public. (...)

Consider the contrary situation where there is only one newspaper or broadcasting station in your neighbourhood or area. That station or newspaper would likely be the only source of information for many people. If the only source of information somehow published the wrong information, many people would be misinformed. Alternatively, if the newspaper or the television station were directed or forced to publish false information, many people would be lied to. Therefore, common sense would tell us that having multiple media sources would decrease the likelihood of being misinformed or misled because the readers or the audience could verify the information through other newspapers or stations.

Nevertheless, simply having many newspapers, television or radio stations is not enough. Multiplicity is not diversity. (...)

flourish verb UK /ˈflʌr·ɪʃ/ US /ˈflɜr·ɪʃ/ to grow or develop well prosperar, florescer • The tourist industry is flourishing.

FLOURISH. In: CAMBRIDGE Dictionary. 2022. Disponível em: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ dictionary/english-portuguese/ flourish. Acesso em: 21 jun. 2022.

broadcasting station: emissora de televisão ou rádio press: imprensa range: gama, variedade

UNESCO. Freedom of expression toolkit: a guide for students. 2013. Disponível em: https://unesdoc. unesco.org/ark:/48223/ pf0000218618. Acesso em: 9 jul. 2022.

Exercício 3

Lembre aos/às estudantes que um texto pode ser lido com diferentes objetivos e com diferentes estratégias. Nesta primeira leitura, o objetivo é verificar se as previsões feitas se confirmam. Oriente-os/as a se apoiarem nas palavras transparentes e no vocabulário já conhecido.

4 What is the main aim of the text? Choose a or b a. To provide a clear definition for “pluralistic press”. b. To discuss some important issues about independent and pluralistic media. a. It is independent from governmental, political or economic control. b. There isn’t any kind of monopoly. c. There is a great possible number of sources of information. d. Different sources of information reflect the same opinions within the community. a. It presents different opinions in different sources of information. b. It is free from governmental, political or economic influence. a. What are some examples of types of media? b. What are some examples of sources of information?

5 Based on the Windhoek Declaration, what is correct to say about “an independent and pluralistic press”? Choose the correct items.

6 In your notebook, write I if the item refers to “an independent press” or II if it refers to “a pluralistic press”.

7 Answer the following questions.

Private, community, state and public. Newspapers, magazines, periodicals, broadcasting (television/radio) stations.

8 Match the columns in order to identify evidence that supports each opinion presented in the text. Opinion a. “Multiplicity is not diversity” b. “having multiple media sources would decrease the likelihood of being misinformed or misled”

Evidence

I. “the readers or the audience could verify the information through other newspapers or stations”

II. “simply having many newspapers, television or radio stations is not enough”

O significado do prefixo mis (misinformed, misled) é de forma incorreta, errada.

9 In “decrease the likelihood of being misinformed”, what does likelihood mean? Choose a or b a. Probability. X