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  3. A key reason the news media exists with special privileges is to be our watchdogs. Reporters’ charge is to alert us when somethi

A key reason the news media exists with special privileges is to be our watchdogs. Reporters’ charge is to alert us when somethi

admin2009-04-26  100
问题     A key reason the news media exists with special privileges is to be our watchdogs. Reporters’ charge is to alert us when something is wrong, when human or natural disasters are about to threaten our welfare. When it comes to natural disasters, the news media do a praisable job of reporting the obvious, but not a very good one of preparing the public for what might happen, for alerting us to potential difficulties. When it comes to human disasters, especially problems in government and economic matters, the press has failed miserably. For example, Time magazine finally told the public in a recent cover story what only the most quick observers already knew: "The Great Retirement Ripoff(偷窃): Millions of Americans who think they will retire with benefits are going be shocked. How corporations are picking people’s pockets—with the help of Congress...How can this legal?"
    Where was the media when each piece of corporate-biased legislation was being passed? Why wasn’t Congress afraid to pass such legislation? Because the media has decided that news concerning Congress is of little interest to its audience.
    TV news managers have believed that economic and social issues are too complicated for the public to grasp. Newspaper editors occasionally print such stories, but mostly they concentrate on human-interest features, consumer health sections and entertainment. Hard news holes are shrinking and investigative journalism is carried out only on occasion. It is too difficult and costly. Besides, it antagonizes advertisers while seldom increasing circulation. Magazines that would look into such subjects seem to be dying out.
    The result is that no one is watching the rich and powerful so they can do almost anything with impunity(不受惩罚). Millions of Americans have been robbed in broad daylight while the news media has busied itself with celebrity trials and sensational crime stories. Corporations steal the public blind under legislation authorized by government officials. Companies file for bankruptcy protection, cutting off medical and life-insurance benefits for retirees. It isn’t a new phenomenon. For the most part, today’s press has let down the American public time and time again.
    If it seems to be getting worse, it’s because there are so many segments of the media that should be telling us, in an accurate and fair manner, what our elected officials are doing before it’s too late to take action. It’s harder to blame corporations because they make no bones about their mission: make as much money as possible at all costs. Those in Congress are supposed to protect us and look out for our interests. Yet, it appears they constantly help their powerful supporters who often buy their offices for them. No one is doing the right thing. The joke apparently is on all of us—the old and the sick who will have no help in the future and the young burdened with the debt of caring for their impoverished elders for the rest of their lives.
选项 A、forecasting the natural disasters, such as earthquake, storm, and so on.
B、alerting us to the possibility of some world-scale economic crisis.
C、reporting on the latest development of Indonesian Tsunami.
D、disclosing corporations’ illegal behaviors under government legislation.
答案C
解析 为细节理解题。文章第2段谈到，当面对自然灾害时，新闻媒体在灾后报道方面做得非常出色。但在有些方面却做得不尽人意，例如在帮助人们准备应付可能发生的灾难以及提醒人们潜在的困难方面，所以A项错误，C项正确。第3段第1句话说："当面对社会问题，尤其是在面对政府和经济问题时，新闻界简直是一无是处"。这些说明了新闻媒体对政府非法勾当的报道也不尽如人意，所以D项错误。
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