Then, which way do we learn English more efficiently? One method is to read English newspapers. Reading English newspapers gives you the latest information and living news. Don’t you wonder how English newspapers are made? This time we will zoom in on English newspaper reporters.
1. An English-language newspaper reporter is...
The English newspaper reporter, and the Korean newspaper reporter, both write articles. The difference is that the English newspaper reporter has to write their articles in English. In the early days, the main readers of English newspapers were foreigners living in Korea.
Nowadays, professors, workers, and university students who are studying English, read English newspapers. The first Korean English newspaper was The Korea Times, which is a subsidiary of Hankuk Ilbo, and was first published in 1950. In Korea, there are three English newspapers.
The Korea Times, The Korean Herald, and The International Herald Tribune. Other Korean newspapers such as Chosun, and Donga Ilbo, print an English version but they only translate Korean articles to English. On the other hand, Joongang Ilbo publishes The Independent International Tribune independautly.
2. Difference between Korean newspapers and English newspapers
Like Korean reporters, English newspaper reporters write articles after they investigate the information.
Most readers are foreign, so reporters pay more attention to the articles that attract foreigners, like foreign accidents or foreign concerns. English newspapers do not write sexual notes and exaggerate them to draw the readers attention. When the reporters translate their notes, they take them to the ‘copy leader’, the English advisor, to correct the grammar. Yet the reporters are so smart, corrections are hardly needed.
3. Be good at English
They must have no difficulty in using the English language, because English is the tool that can express their thoughts.
To the English newspaper reporter, English is as natural to them, as Korean is to Koreans. Still there is no rule that reporters have to acquire a certain score in TOEIC or TOEFL. When you are writing an article, the scores are not important, since writing and getting a test score are very different.
4. Abilites to be an English newspaper
reporter To become a reporter, you have to have clever insight, and an ability to express your thoughts. Analytic and competent composition skills are the most important skills that reporters must have. The next thing is that you have to be really good at English. As I mentioned above, the importance of English cannot be emphasized too much, and you need the skill that can express Korean words into English.
For example, how do you express the 무장간첩? in English? The answer is ‘armed agent’. The reporters have to do this well. The demand for English newspapers is small, so the employment of reporters is very rare. Companies do not pick up new reporters regularly and the number of people is very small.
The Korea Herald, for instance, hired three cub reporters last year. We sometimes call the entrance exam for the press, an official press exam. This means that entering the press is as hard as official exams. However, it seems to be more precious because the winners are really rare. So do not give up before you try. It will be the proof of youth to try to make your dream come true, and not to give up.
Koo Sun-mo
Desk of International and Social Affair
smo009@hanmail.net
The UOS Times
webmaster@uos.ac.kr