Trump vs the BBC: Litigation and Freedom of Speech in the US

Donald Trump has sued the BBC over the Panorama edit of his speech to the mob that assaulted the Capitol on January 6th, 2021. 

This follows a string of lawsuits to intimidate media outlets that have published critical articles of President Trump, like the "meritless" lawsuit against ABC News, and CBS that ended with out-of-court settlements to fund Donald Trump Library. The Conversation described these lawsuits as "a Corleone-style approach toward media relations" that "will produce a chilling effect in investigative reporters" and could "install a form of internal self-censorship" to appease the would-be editor in chief, Donald Trump: "ABC's and CBS's settlement with Trump are a dangerous step towards the commander in chief becoming the editor in chief"

In addition, Mr. Trump favours the sale of CNN to Skydance, as part of the Warner Bros. merger, Politico informs.  CNN has been critical of Mr. Trump's policies, whereas Skydance is owned by Trump's loyal ally David Ellison, the son of Oracle's boss Larry Ellison, who have played a key role in Trump's media policy since the Skydance acquisition of CBS's parent company, Paramount, as the BBC reported in "Move over Murdoch's -a new family dynasty is shaking up US media".

For futher information about freedom of expression under the Trump administration, you can read the book "Murder the Truth", by the New York Times investigative deputy editor, David Enrich, or listen to this NPR's interview where Mr. Enrich talked about his investigation into the current threats to freedom of speech in the US.

The BBC report on Trump's defamation lawsuit on the Capitol assault is recommended for C1 students who will find legal vocabulary like: defamation, to file a lawsuit, a claim, deceptively, ongoing [legal proceedings], to sue, to cheat, a riot, to leak, malice, to allege, libel, to stand up for [the BBC], shadow [culture secretary], a fee [payer], the Bar, litigation, to cough up [the money]. 

The Conversation story is also suitable for C1 students, who can learn interesting expressions like: a settlement, commander in chief, a surrender, to foresee, seemingly, meritless, a shareholder, liable, the pursuit, to seek [to apply editorial pressure], unrelenting, biased [TV coverage], a newscast, to air, to trade [away the trust], [to break] a scoop, to hold [power] to account. 

The BBC article on the Ellison family's media interests (C2) includes words like: to shake up, to take on [a new dimension], to pursue [deals], to pave the way, to bless [the dealings], to rank, to skew, a [Republican] megadonor, a fundraiser, to broker [a deal], to be poised [to become], a foray, a flop, a takeover, a [significant] leap, a sprawling [operation], a sign-off, anti-bribery [laws], in compliance with, to duck [questions], to sway [news coverage], the kernel, to get your head around [that], a tie-up, a would-be [media] mogul, to go in flames. 

And finally, the long and complex NPR's (Fresh Air) interview to David Enrich, which is recommended for C2 students and Experts, contains words like: a gathering, to overturn [a court decision], a landmark [case], a [media] outlet, the campaign trail, libel, a stump speech, high-power [lawyers], to linger, reckless [disregard for the accuracy], malice, to set out, a rocky [start], to bash [the media], nuanced [understanding of the issue], shoddy, oblivion, to pop up, saber-rattling, the wherewithal, to flinch, to dig into, to chip away [around the edges], kooky [stuff], to mastermind [this campaign], hand-wringing.

You can watch a YouTube interview to David Enrich on Democracy Now! This video with subtitles is also recommended for C2 students and Experts:

TikTok, AI and other security threats to the EU

 

The geopolitical tensions in the world are making the European Union think twice about the communication apps that are safe, and those that could be manipulated by foreign powers to eavesdrop on politicians' and high-profile officials' sensitive information, Cynthia Kroet & Romane Armangau report in the Euronews article "From TikTok to AI: What the EU now calls a security threat". 

The article is not difficult to read, but many students will not be so familiar with the topic and with the range of vocabulary, particularly the synonyms it displays, so it is recommended for C1 students, who can pick up expressions like: a burner phone, to ban, stripped-down [laptops], surveillance, to black-list, an [EU] agency, the budgetary watchdog, to gather [data], [to deny] these claims, to compel, alleged, to muddle, to launch [an investigation], to breach [a law], to come under fire, to curb [offences], fraud, promotion of terrorism, [to have] leverage, to hold the keys, encryption, [to impose]   restrictions, disinformation, so-called, to be [AI Act] compliant, to decline [to comment], to be charged, a [corruption] probe, to bribe, a backdoor, critical [infrastructure], build-out, to crop up, ongoing [doubts], to be in line with [regulations], to advise against [using], to comply with [the law], [to flee] fled, [fled], dissatisfied, unchecked, a conspiracy theory, hate speech, to quit, [to find yourself] in hot water, to uncover, a [major security] breach, to track [the movements], a high-profile [official], to deploy.

If you want to learn more about hackers and cybersecurity vulnerabilities, you can watch this long BBC News programme, AI Decoded (20':57") which was published 9 months ago, where some experts discuss AI threats to critical national infrastructure, disinformation and deep fakes. This video can be recommended for C2 students, experts and teachers:

U.S. Presidential Campaign 2024: Issues, Polls, & Fakes

The U.S. Presidential campaign is in full swing, with Donald Trump and Kamala Harris as the two presidential candidates.  They have recently held a television debate on ABC News to discuss the election issues (the economy, immigration, abortion, democracy in the U.S., Israel, Ukraine etc.) and their character suitability for the job. Here you can find the highlights of the debate (9:11), a video with subtitles for C1 students, who can pick up words like: the gloves were off, grievances, to punch [back], the stakes [are high], [to be locked in] dead heat, to get away with [something], to be fired, [to get] heated, the GOP, hence, to factcheck, to overturn [a court decision], to hammer [the Biden administration], [to defend her] record, a bipartisan [border bill],  debunked [claims], to bring up [an issue], to reach out to [the city manager of Springfield, Ohio], to needle, a windmill, [to ban] fracking, a buyback [programme for assault weapons], [opinion] polls, to hold back, to go down as [the worst vice pressident], to face off against [a different candidate], a bid [for a second term], a tight [race], [to hold] steady, a hush money [case], liable, weaponization, to endorse [Harris],to champion [the rights and causes], a powerhouse [roundtable], a contentious and consequential [Presidential election].

The election is very tight, and it is, problably going to be decided in 7 swing states -also called battleground or purple states, where there is no clear majority of red (Republican) or blue (Democrat) voters: Pennsylvania, Nevada, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan. The presidential electors from these states are key to reach the 270 majority in the electoral college that will eventually vote for the President and Vice President, according to the U.S. Constitution. The polls keep changing marginally, so if you want to keep track of the latest polls from now till election day on November 5th, you can follow 270 to Win, Presidential Election Polls.  Here you can take a quick look at the current election map, with the swing states coloured in grey:

The Presidential election 2024 is also being fought bitterly in the social media, where fake pictures, lies and exaggerations live hand in hand with satire and the plain truth. X-Twitter and Instagram are, perhaps, the most popular media for anyone to express their own views freely, but also to spread lies without any restraint.  The fake image of Kamala Harris dressed as a Communist dictator, which was published by Elon Musk (the owner of X and a staunch supporter of Trump)

was soon responded by the hacktivist Anonymous group with the fake picture of Mr. Musk depicted in a Nazi uniform. But the most powerful fake images revolve around pop celebrities like Taylor, and her Swifties, whose photos have been tampered with to vote for Trump, as The Times of India reports in "From 'Communist Harris' to 'Swifties for Trump': AI Generated Images Muddy US Presidential Election 2024".  Some interesting words and collocations C1 students will find in this article are: to muddy, [to raise] concerns, a deepfake, a winking [smiley], blatant, to downplay [the comment], a hacktivist [group], backlash, a [tech] mogul, to groove, to sync [to the music], to caption, to poke fun at [critics], witty, banter, to pose [a threat].

Taylor Swift has finally ended this misleading debate by posting a statement on Instagram to endorse Kamala Harris with a real photo of herself as a "childless cat lady", as Mehera Bonner reports for Cosmopolitan, in "Taylor Swift Breaks her Political Silence and Endorses Kamala Harris for President in Moving Statement", where B2 students will find words like: to endorse, the upcoming [election], to conjure up [fears], to cast [my vote], a steady-handed, gifted [leader], to stand up for [LGBTQ+ rights].

Spain's Pineapple Craze for Supermarket Romance

The crazy fad of finding romance in supermarkets with a pineapple code has gone viral across Spain, and has recently become the joke of the country, Guy Hedgecoe reports on this Tik-Tok fueled phenomenon for BBC News in the article "Spain's 'pineapple-gate' sparks hopes of romance and shop chaos". This short article is suitable for B2 students, who will find interesting words like: [pineapple]-gate, to spark, a craze, to seek [partners], a claim, a trolley, to hook up, a caption, disorderly, a bachelor party, rowdy [scenes], a trend, upside-down, to swap, swinging (slang), [pineapple] mania, to clear up, a storeroom, to fall into, clutch.

Below you can watch a video report on the story, with its transcript, by Curiosities YouTube channel, where B2 students can find words like: a hookup, a trend, a single, a hotspot, to picture, to cruise, , the [wine] aisle, upside-down, a cart, a fling, to sneak, gazpacho, quirky, to trade, a swipe, to peel, a bump. 

Met Gala 2024: Stunning Images and a Fake

Steven McIntosh published the story Met Gala 2024: Zendaya, Tyla and Sabrina Carpenter lead eye-catching looks on BBC News with humorous comments and stunning pictures. This article is accessible for B2 students -with the support of the pictures- and above, who will encounter fashion & clothes technical terms like: eye-catching, groundbreaking,a theme, a string [of stars], A-listers, to stun, an outfit, to accessorise, a gown, to split, down low, to bloom, backless, a column [dress], embroidered, a [floral] pattern, to blossom, a spot, archery, to hand [it to somebody], a bow, an arrow, velvet, a peony, archival, to branch out, an overhaul, a corseted [dress], a georgette, a tulle, [to bring up to] date, a headpiece, hawthorn, glowing, turquoise, a [tulle] cape, to be overjoyed, pouring [rain], a bob [hairstyle], arched , bubble, a ponytail, a bouquet, to yank, a rapper, custom [Maison-Margiela], threading, a pinstripe, the flax [plant], to prick [your finger], a roll, [non-stick] tinfoil, can't hold a candle, an appliqué, a gemstone, a vine, to nail [it], sparkly, [sequined] fabric, a marigold, to settle for [something], peckish, [to be] draped [in a cloak], a raven, to dazzle, a stem, to ditch, to coordinate [with gloves], to toss aside, soaking [wet], oversized, seemingly, to pour, to steal the show, to zoom in [on something], avant-garde, a [tail] train, a [floral] motif, a sketch, to channel, to team up, taffeta, iridescent, a baby bump, to sport, ruffled, a crop top, wicked, a smash hit, scattered, to craft [a dress], bespoke, bouffant, a corset, to pair with, sheer, lace, trim [with flowers], an understatement, strapless, couture, a bugle, boudoir, to spruce up, lacy, bedazzled, polka-dot [gloves], a [feather] boa, to spring, an encore, a vibe.

On a more serious note, Marianna Spring warns of a fake image after the Met Gala in the video BBC Verify examines fake Katy Perry AI-generated image, where she gives more recent examples of fake photos and explains why these shams matter. This video (1:24) is accessible to C1 students with subtitles, who will hear less frequent words like: to turn out, flowery, to fool, tricked, a clue, to zoom in on [the background], celebs, to target [voters], to heighten [tensions], to fan [flames], offline, unrest, to put [something] to the test, sleuthing. Below, you can find a YouTube video from the entertainment platform What's trending that covers the same Katy Perry story:

The Irrational Biases that Create Anxiety in the Age of Information Overload

Linguist Amanda Montell has just published a new book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes On Modern Irrationality, where she explores the irrational biases that we use to make sense of the world, and how these irrational shortcuts can subtly influence us in the wrong choices we make in life or in the puzzling understanding of the modern overinformed world. She specifically discusses our fascination with celebrities as role models (the "halo effect"); the "illusory truth effect" that turns disinformation into an accepted truth; "thought-terminating clichés" that put our critical thinking to sleep; the "proportionality bias" which leads us to accept conspiracy theories; apocalyptic language, nostalgia, declinism and other modern myths. 

Fresh Air host Tonya Mosley talks to Amanda Montell about the contents of her new book in the interview 'Magical Overthinking' author says information overload can stroke irrational thoughts. The interview is very interesting for advanced language learners and teachers, the vocabulary is very rich so it is recommended for C2 students and Experts, although there is also a script available which could be most useful for C1 learners. In the interview you will come across interesting words like: gluttonous, [cognitive] dissonance, to square, confirmation bias, sunk-cost fallacy, to fulfill, to serve [me], to double down [on something], to stick around, to engineer, zeitgeist, clash, cognitive bias, deep-rooted,

a [mental] trick, [a term] was coined, a saber-toothed tiger, [existential] pain, innate, onslaught [of information], to catch up with, to overthink, to underthink, worldly, nurturing, to align with [our political beliefs], to jump to the conclusion, gregarious, a role model, the halo effect, to prompt [us to do something], disfigurement, parasocial [relationships], to set [everyone] up for [failure], to uplift, to mend, to dethrone [them], a fallible [human being], [parent-child] attachment, superfan [relationship], to trace [something back to the early 1980s], to turn out, [the lines] to blur, an outsider, a [new] paragon, to swerve, the stan, to long [for role models], ruthless, a surrogate mother, a slim [margin of error], to be transfixed, to crack [my world open], a malapropism, to cut my teeth [as a writer], a crash course in [feminist sociolinguistics], it is our penchant [to think], lore, ad nauseam, low-stakes, a factoid, a double-edged sword, nefarious [intentions], a buzzword, manifest, healing wounds, to dovetail, a stock [of expressions], a grifter, to put dissonance to bed, a mindset, an edgy [point], to boil down to, a bunch of, random, a misfortune, over-the-top, freak, to crave, to hold accountable, the outcome, sketchy, grifty, culty, gainfully,  bespoke, vernacular, an op-ed, doomslang, numb, doomscrolling, bed-rotting, demise, small talk, blasé, doomy, grounded, detrimental, screech owls, doomsayers, the rapture, ennui, harrowing, a coping [mechanism], to get through, grassroots, to reckon with [something], wisdom, daydreaming, overthinky panic, awe, quaint, [brains] are wired for, DIY, easier said than done, a disorder, the attention span, to shrink, to scroll [through her feed], zero-sum [bias], to clock, stiff [competition], clout, nemesis, aka, a compound, haywire, to indoctrinate, chills, a tenet, a kink, sunk-cost, MAGA, a zealot, blackout, to cling to [something], a glut [of something], tradwives, anemoia, hardcore, a back-to-basics [style], cottagecore, tchotchkes, toadstool, delulu, to be soothed, a backfire [effect], doomed, verbatim, declinism, to stomach. 

Although Amanda Montell is a very young author and a podcaster, she has a long, successful experience as a feminist sociolinguist and producing audiovisual content for young people. Here you can find a link to one of her earliest video series "The Dirty Word" -when she was "finding her voice" in YouTube- it is called "I hate the word "PANTIES_THE DIRTY WORD", and below you can watch a short video (3:51) of herself with the podcasters "The Minimalists", where she feels cutely embarrassed and laughs out loud when they remind her of that "cringy" video about language and gender:

Bilan Media: the All Female News Team in Somalia

Bilan Media is an all female news team which is breaking new ground in the global media world from, oddly enough, a deeply troubled country like Somalia.  Six women who have managed to put together a top quality news website, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The British newspaper The Guardian has recently published a story based on a Bilan Media report: "The river took it all": Somalis wait for waters to recede as floods kill dozens. This reading is long and rich in lexis, but with the help of context it can be accessible to B2+/ C1 students and above, who will find useful, new words like: to recede, to reel from, drought, to cherish, floods, to flee, heavy [rains], pastures, to perish, famine, in pitch darkness, to dig, a grave, a dilapidated [house], displaced people, to cram, to be swept away, flash [floods], to pack, concrete, mud, [waters] to subside, [prices] to soar, to prompt, aid [groups], in dire [need], a well, sewage, an outbreak [of cholera], [to find yourself] stranded, an autorickshaw. his livelihood, rubbish, a cart, on the outskirts [of the city], a waterborne [disease], a forecast, a riverbed, [a river] to burst its banks, to airlift [food], to cut off [a place], an airstrip, [it is] unclear, fertile, to join ranks [with], to shelter, maize, sesame.

In the recent past, these female journalists have managed to tell stories which have broken taboos in a patriarchal society, as they openly talked about "a female drug epidemic, women living with HIV and period shame", according to the Reuters's short video with script (1:41) Somalia's first all women's newsroom spotlights female taboos, which is suitable for B2 students. BBC News had earlier published a short report Somalia all-female media unit breaking stereotypes, and a very interesting video (6:06) with English subtitles for the interviews in the local language (C1 level) about the new life of camerawoman Maryana: Somalia, sexism and me: Being a camerawoman in Mogadishu. 

The Guardian again, celebrated the first anniversary of the birth of Bilan Media, with the article It's dangerous being a female journalist in Somalia. But one year on, we are still shining our light.

If you want to listen to all these female journalists speaking in their local language about their challenges and dreams, you can watch the video with English subtitles below: Bilan Media: Somalia's first all women media team.

I would like to congratulate my former student Cristina R., who works for Aragón TV, for her report last month, where I first learnt about the existence of Bilan Media.

The Magic of Christmas

Christmas is magic. This time of winter with short, gloomy evenings and eerie weather due to climate change, can still be transformed by the power of human imagination. An alternative Christmas commercial in the UK has caught the British people's imagination in the tough winter of 2022 and has become viral in the pre-Christmas season with a sad story, a melancholic song and a simple slogan. You can watch it here:

The video has no subtitles, but, thanks to my colleague Pablo A. you can find here a lesson plan with the transcript, which was originally published by Film English, and it is suitable for C1 students and above. In the commercial, you can find interesting words like: mate, poorly, [this one] is on me, cheers, get well soon, well wishes. Pablo A. has also passed me the script for the bacground song, Constellations by Ellie Holcomb, where you can find these words: to long for [you], underneath, a canopy [of stars], to collide, the mess [in my life], to see through, to lose your way, a desolate [place], to make a way, pinprick, and a transcript of the interview to Sam Teal, director of the add, and to young actor Ashton Sanders on BBC News, where you can find words like a portrayal, the cost of living crisis, to grip [the UK], a graveyard, a flashback, a go-kart, to refurb, a performance, the crew, amazing [presents], to take over [the world], to get wheeled in on [the go-kart], to make a bid on [the go-kart], to steer, smooth, bumpy, to marshal [local resources], to be on the telly positively, a barber shop, the landmarks, to get a go [at Christmas], the real thing, to whisper, crikey, tough, fancy [food], to deliver [a line], poorly, to pull [that] out, to focus on [that], to struggle, to get [it] wrong, to snap up [something], a by-election, to hire, a [creative] hub, to nurture [young talent], an apprentice, to mould, to get [a place] on the map, to deserve, best of luck, to smash [a record]. The BBC interview can be seen below:

Finally, you can read  here Time Out's list of the best 2022 Christmas commercial ads and watch the videos as well, for a full British TV Chistmas publicity experience.

World News Media Congress, Zaragoza 2022

 Zaragoza has recently hosted the World News Media Congress, WAN-IFRA, where news corporation leaders, editors, journalists and academics have discussed the latest trends, innovations and challenges in the profession: disinformation wars, polarization, fake news, social media, trust, press freedom, female leadership, young readers, monetization of news services, audience engagement, financial sustainability, Web3, artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, metaverse, diversity and inclusion have been some of the subjects of debate in the different summits and seminars of the conference.

Here you can watch a short video clip (4':30") of the World Editors Summit "Resetting Newsroom Priorities" by Adriaan Basson, Editor-in-Chief of News24, South Africa, where he explains the successful transformation of the company. The video comes with a listening task entitled "A Successful News Website" and the answer key. This task is suitable for C1 students.

Some of the words you will find in the video are: to be up to, a breaking news website, payable, the hype, Afrikaans, aggregation, a wire, the motto, the lotto, UGC (User Generated Content), to shift, trusted, a slogan, era, disinformation, fake news, to pivot, freemium, a subscriber, a trade model, to reset, newsroom, a stream, a publisher, investigative [journalism], in-depth, a podcast, a sub-editor, a complaint.

During the conference, King Philip VI of Spain presented Piotr Stasinski and Joanna Krawczyk of Gazeta Wybcorza with the Golden Pen of Freedom for delivering independent journalism in authoritan contexts in Poland. The Women in News Editorial Leadership Award was given to Faith Zaba, editor of The Zimbabwe Indenpent, Diana Moukalled, editor of Daraj Media, Lebanon and Regina "Ging" Reyes, editor of ABC-CBN News, Philippines. And the Digital Media Awards Worldwide went to Spain, Philippines, Singapore, New Zealand and South Africa.