Media and News Vocabulary in English: Words, Examples and Quiz
The words you need to read, watch and talk about the news: types of media, parts of a news story, the people who make it, and words for judging whether a story is true.
48 words · By LearnLingo Team · Updated
Tap to hear a word. Pronunciation is American English. Levels follow the CEFR scale. Turkish translations are given as a quick check.
Types of media
The media means all the ways news and information reach people: print, TV, radio and the internet. The press is a more specific word for newspapers, magazines and journalists.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
the media ⁄ðə ˈmiːdiə⁄ · noun B1 | newspapers, TV, radio and websites that give news and information to many people The story got a lot of attention in the media. | medya |
the press ⁄ðə ˈpres⁄ · noun B2 | newspapers and magazines, and the journalists who work for them The minister refused to speak to the press. | basın |
newspaper ⁄ˈnuːzpeɪpɚ⁄ · noun A1 | a set of printed pages with news, published every day or week; also its website My grandfather still reads a newspaper every morning. | gazete |
magazine ⁄ˈmæɡəziːn⁄ · noun A2 | a thin book with articles and photos, published every week or month She writes for a travel magazine. | dergi |
tabloid ⁄ˈtæblɔɪd⁄ · noun C1 | a newspaper with small pages, short stories and a lot of news about famous people The tabloids are full of stories about the singer's divorce. | bulvar gazetesi, magazin gazetesi |
channel ⁄ˈtʃænəl⁄ · noun B1 | a TV station, or a set of videos from one person or company online Which channel is the match on tonight? | kanal |
broadcast ⁄ˈbrɔːdkæst⁄ · verb B2 | to send out a program on TV or radio The interview will be broadcast live at nine. | yayınlamak |
podcast ⁄ˈpɑːdkæst⁄ · noun B1 | a recorded audio program you can listen to online at any time I listen to a news podcast on my way to work. | podcast, sesli yayın |
social media ⁄ˌsoʊʃəl ˈmiːdiə⁄ · noun A2 | websites and apps where people share messages, photos and videos Many young people get their news from social media. | sosyal medya |
Parts of the news
Words for what you see in a newspaper, on a news site or on TV. A story in the news means a news report, not a fairy tale.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
headline ⁄ˈhedlaɪn⁄ · noun B1 | the title of a news story, printed in large letters The headline said the president had resigned. | manşet, başlık |
article ⁄ˈɑːrtɪkəl⁄ · noun B1 | a piece of writing about a subject in a newspaper, magazine or website I read an interesting article about sleep. | makale, haber yazısı |
front page ⁄ˌfrʌnt ˈpeɪdʒ⁄ · noun B1 | the first page of a newspaper, with the most important news The earthquake was on the front page of every paper. | birinci sayfa |
breaking news ⁄ˌbreɪkɪŋ ˈnuːz⁄ · noun B2 | news about something that is happening now or has just happened We interrupt this program for breaking news. | son dakika haberi |
story ⁄ˈstɔːri⁄ · noun B1 | a report about something in the news The top story today is the rise in fuel prices. | haber |
interview ⁄ˈɪntɚvjuː⁄ · noun A2 | a meeting where a journalist asks someone questions In the interview, the actor talked about his childhood. | röportaj |
column ⁄ˈkɑːləm⁄ · noun B2 | a regular article by the same writer, usually giving their opinion She writes a weekly column about food. | köşe yazısı |
caption ⁄ˈkæpʃən⁄ · noun B2 | the short text under a photo that explains it The caption under the photo had the wrong name. | fotoğraf altı yazısı |
coverage ⁄ˈkʌvɚɪdʒ⁄ · noun B2 | the way the media reports an event, and how much they report it The election got 24-hour coverage on TV. | haber kapsamı, yayın |
press conference ⁄ˈpres ˌkɑːnfɚəns⁄ · noun B2 | a meeting where someone answers questions from many journalists The coach held a press conference after the match. | basın toplantısı |
People in the media
The people who make the news and the people who watch, read or listen to it. A presenter is common in British English; Americans often say host, or anchor for the main news presenter.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
journalist ⁄ˈdʒɝːnəlɪst⁄ · noun A2 | a person whose job is to collect and write news She worked as a journalist in Istanbul for ten years. | gazeteci |
reporter ⁄rɪˈpɔːrtɚ⁄ · noun A2 | a journalist who finds out about events and tells people about them Reporters were waiting outside the hospital. | muhabir |
editor ⁄ˈedɪtɚ⁄ · noun B1 | the person who decides what goes into a newspaper or program and checks the writing The editor cut my article from 1,000 words to 600. | editör |
presenter ⁄prɪˈzentɚ⁄ · noun B1 | a person who introduces a TV or radio program The presenter smiled and said good evening. | sunucu |
host ⁄hoʊst⁄ · noun B1 | the person who leads a TV show, radio show or podcast and talks to guests The host of the podcast asks really good questions. | program sunucusu |
correspondent ⁄ˌkɔːrəˈspɑːndənt⁄ · noun B2 | a journalist who reports on one subject or from one place, often abroad Our Middle East correspondent sent this report. | muhabir (belirli bir bölge veya konu) |
critic ⁄ˈkrɪtɪk⁄ · noun B1 | a person who writes about whether films, books or shows are good The critics loved the new series. | eleştirmen |
audience ⁄ˈɔːdiəns⁄ · noun B1 | all the people who watch, read or listen to something The show has a young audience. | izleyici kitlesi, seyirci |
viewer ⁄ˈvjuːɚ⁄ · noun B1 | a person who watches a TV program or video Several viewers complained about the program. | izleyici |
influencer ⁄ˈɪnfluənsɚ⁄ · noun B2 | a person who has many followers online and can change what they buy or think The brand paid an influencer to show its new shoes. | fenomen, sosyal medya etkileyicisi |
Verbs for news and media
These verbs often appear in the passive in the news, because the action matters more than who did it: The report was published yesterday. See the passive voice.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
report ⁄rɪˈpɔːrt⁄ · verb B1 | to tell people about an event in the news Local radio reported that three people were injured. | haber vermek, bildirmek |
publish ⁄ˈpʌblɪʃ⁄ · verb B1 | to print or put a text online so the public can read it The newspaper published the photos on Sunday. | yayımlamak |
cover ⁄ˈkʌvɚ⁄ · verb B2 | to report on an event in the news She covered the Olympics for a sports website. | haberini yapmak, takip etmek |
investigate ⁄ɪnˈvestɪɡeɪt⁄ · verb B2 | to try to find out all the facts about something Two journalists investigated the company for a year. | araştırmak, soruşturmak |
reveal ⁄rɪˈviːl⁄ · verb B2 | to make something known that was secret The article revealed that the mayor had lied. | ortaya çıkarmak, açıklamak |
announce ⁄əˈnaʊns⁄ · verb B1 | to tell people something officially and publicly The company announced 500 new jobs. | duyurmak, açıklamak |
go viral ⁄ˌɡoʊ ˈvaɪrəl⁄ · phrase B2 | to spread very quickly online because many people share it Her video of the cat went viral overnight. | viral olmak, hızla yayılmak |
post ⁄poʊst⁄ · verb B1 | to put a message, photo or video on a website or social media He posted a photo of his new car. | paylaşmak, gönderi atmak |
follow ⁄ˈfɑːloʊ⁄ · verb B1 | to keep reading or watching news about a subject; also to choose to see someone's posts online I follow the news about the election every day. | takip etmek |
subscribe ⁄səbˈskraɪb⁄ · verb B2 | to pay or sign up to get a newspaper, magazine or channel regularly I subscribe to two newspapers online. | abone olmak |
Truth, trust and opinion
Words for asking if a news story is true and fair. These are useful for discussions and for exams like IELTS speaking.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
source ⁄sɔːrs⁄ · noun B2 | a person, book or document that gives information Always check the source before you share a story. | kaynak |
biased ⁄ˈbaɪəst⁄ · adjective B2 | unfairly showing one side more than the other I think that channel is biased toward the government. | taraflı, önyargılı |
fake news ⁄ˌfeɪk ˈnuːz⁄ · noun B2 | false stories that look like real news The photo was fake news; it was from a different country. | sahte haber, yalan haber |
misleading ⁄ˌmɪsˈliːdɪŋ⁄ · adjective B2 | giving the wrong idea, even if it is not exactly a lie The headline was misleading; the article said something different. | yanıltıcı |
fact-check ⁄ˈfækt tʃek⁄ · verb B2 | to check that the facts in a text or speech are true Good journalists fact-check every number. | doğruluğunu kontrol etmek |
clickbait ⁄ˈklɪkbeɪt⁄ · noun B2 | an exciting title or picture online that is made only to get clicks A headline like "You won't believe what happened next" is typical clickbait. | tık tuzağı |
censorship ⁄ˈsensɚʃɪp⁄ · noun C1 | the control of what people can publish, say or see Many writers left the country because of censorship. | sansür |
freedom of the press ⁄ˌfriːdəm əv ðə ˈpres⁄ · phrase B2 | the right of journalists to report news without control by the government Freedom of the press is important in a democracy. | basın özgürlüğü |
privacy ⁄ˈpraɪvəsi⁄ · noun B2 | the right to keep your personal life secret from other people Famous people often complain that reporters don't respect their privacy. | mahremiyet, özel hayat |
Useful phrases and collocations
read the news
I read the news on my phone at breakfast.
watch the news
We always watch the news at eight.
in the news
That company has been in the news a lot this year.
in the newspaper
I saw the story in the newspaper.
on TV, on the radio, online
The match is on TV, but I'll follow it online.
hit the headlines
The scandal hit the headlines last week.
make headlines
Her speech made headlines around the world.
a piece of news
I have a piece of good news for you.
live coverage
The channel has live coverage of the election results.
according to reports
According to reports, the fire started in the kitchen.
give an interview
The singer rarely gives interviews.
a reliable source
Is this website a reliable source?
spread fake news
Some accounts spread fake news on purpose.
post on social media
She posts on social media every day.
How to learn these words
Learn news words by using them with real news. Read or listen to one short news story a day, find three words from this page in it, and say aloud what the story is about in two or three sentences. Repeat the same words a few days later with a new story. Short news podcasts are good for this; see learn English with podcasts and improve English listening.
News is uncountable and takes a singular verb, even though it ends in s: The news is on, not The news are on. For one item, say a piece of news or some news. Media is often used with a plural verb in careful writing (the media are), but a singular verb (the media is) is now very common and accepted.
Headlines have their own grammar. They often drop small words like a, the and is, use the present simple for past events, and use the infinitive for the future: Minister Resigns, President To Visit Japan. Many news sentences also use the passive: Three people were injured.
Notice the prepositions: in the newspaper, in a magazine, in an article, but on TV, on the radio, on the internet, on a website and on social media. British English says presenter where American English often says host or anchor.
Use the words: speaking and writing tasks
- Choose one news story today. Write its headline, then explain the story in five sentences using report, reveal or announce.
- Say where you get your news from and why, in six sentences: I usually read the news online because...
- Find a headline that looks like clickbait or is misleading. Explain out loud why, and rewrite it as an honest headline.
- Imagine you are a reporter at a local event, like a festival or a football match. Record a one-minute news report on your phone.
- Discuss this question in writing: Is social media a good source of news? Give two reasons for and two against, using source, biased and fact-check.
Common mistakes
The news are very bad today.
The news is very bad today.
News is an uncountable noun and takes a singular verb, even though it ends in s.
I have a news for you.
I have some news for you.
News is uncountable, so you cannot use a or an with it. Say some news or a piece of news.
I read it on the newspaper.
I read it in the newspaper.
We use in for printed things: in the newspaper, in a magazine, in an article. We use on for TV, radio and the internet.
I saw the interview in TV last night.
I saw the interview on TV last night.
The preposition for television, radio and the internet is on: on TV, on the radio, online.
The journalist made an interview with the president.
The journalist interviewed the president.
Use the verb interview, or say do an interview with. Make an interview is not natural English.
Practice quiz
10 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
1. Choose the correct sentence.
2. The title of a news story in big letters is the ___.
3. Her funny video ___ and had ten million views in two days.
4. What does biased mean?
5. I saw the advert ___ a magazine and ___ TV.
6. The journalist's article ___ that the company had hidden the problem for years.
7. A person who writes reviews of films and books is a ___.
8. Which is a natural way to talk about one item of news?
9. The coach answered journalists' questions at a ___ after the game.
10. You won't believe number 7! This kind of title is often called ___.
0 of 10 answered
Show all answers
- The news is on at nine.
- headline
- went viral
- Unfairly showing one side more than the other
- in, on
- revealed
- critic
- a piece of news
- press conference
- clickbait
See what the B1 English course covers, or test your level first.
People also ask
Is news singular or plural?+
News is uncountable and always takes a singular verb: The news is good. To count it, say a piece of news or two pieces of news. Never say a news.
What is the difference between a journalist and a reporter?+
A journalist is anyone whose job is to collect, write or present news, including editors and columnists. A reporter is a kind of journalist who goes out to find information about events and reports it. All reporters are journalists, but not all journalists are reporters.
What is the difference between the media and the press?+
The media is the general word for all ways of sharing news and information: TV, radio, newspapers and the internet. The press usually means newspapers and magazines, or journalists as a group, as in a press conference.
How do you say son dakika in English?+
On TV and news websites, son dakika haberi is breaking news. You might see Breaking: at the start of a headline or hear We have breaking news.
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