ESL Podcast 643 - Liberal and Conservative News

rag - a poor-quality, unimportant newspaper

Hennah writes for the local rag, but she dreams of becoming a reporter for a national newspaper.

news coverage - the stories and events that are discussed in a newspaper, magazine, or radio or television news program

We watch local news coverage at 7:00, and state and national news coverage at 8:30.

incisive - understanding something very well; demonstrating one's intelligence and ability to understand something *Brent wrote a very incisive essay about the causes of World War I.

commentary - something that is written or spoken about an event or idea, sometimes while it is happening

Do you want to listen to the reporter's commentary, or would you prefer to just hear the facts?

liberal - a political philosophy that favors helping people and organizations and having a relatively large government that promotes social assistance for people

Social Security is taken for granted, but in the past it was a very liberal idea.

propaganda - information that is only partially true, used to persuade people to believe a particular thing or take a particular action, especially in politics

How can you believe all the election's propaganda?

to print - to publish something in written form, especially in a newspaper, magazine, or book

I can't believe they printed that quote! I swear I never said any of that.

objective - without considering one's personal opinion; based on the facts

Be objective when you choose which universities to apply to. Don't just apply to schools with nice looking brochures.

unbiased - objective; without feeling the need to agree with one side or another in an argument

My mother says this dress makes me look beautiful, but I need an unbiased opinion.

ultraconservative - extremely resistant to change and favoring a relatively small government that makes people rely on themselves more than on government services

Fisher is an ultraconservative who votes against all social welfare programs.

reactionary - someone who doesn't like change and fights against it, often without gathering all the necessary information to truly understand something

Jim is a reactionary and believes that this country should return to the way it was in the 1950s.

diatribe - a long written or spoken attack on someone or something

Before you launch into a diatribe against my idea, please listen to my reasons for proposing it.

press - media; all newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and news websites

That author rarely agrees to meet with the press for interviews.

staunch - loyal; strongly supporting something or someone

The Presidential First Lady is a staunch advocate for nutritional school lunches.

enlightened - with a good understanding of something based on new ideas, opinions, and information

It's wonderful to work for such an enlightened supervisor.

dyed-in-the-wool - extreme; completely involved in or characterized by something

Christophe is a dyed-in-the-wool football fan who never misses a single game.

to tear down - to destroy; to ruin

Did you read this journal article in which one researcher tears down his colleague's work?

tradition - a way of doing something; the way something has always been done in a particular culture or by a particular group of people

In the United States, there is a tradition where the bride and groom feed each other the first piece of wedding cake.