Our world is a smaller place

Such technology has revolutionized the news media. Now, instant news-gathering equipment and satellite broadcasting take us live to the world´s trouble spots to watch history as it is being made. As a result, public opinion can be influenced, and governments can be pressured to re-evaluate their policies – think of changes in South Africa, for example. Likewise, media coverage of the Gulf War profoundly affected the way we think about armed conflict and even technology itself.

No longer can governments hide their darkest deeds behind blankets of secrecy. High-tech news-gathering teams will be on hand providing up-to-the-minute coverage to expose their crimes to a worldwide public.

Benign censorship, however, will ensure that the worst excesses of violence and propaganda are not beamed straight into our living rooms. Before anyone starts complaining that censorship is a bad thing, remember that it is necessary in some circumstances – think, for example, of the “news blackouts” during hostage negotiations.

For once the cynics and pessimists may have to be silent. The world we live in is shrinking – and as a result we are all getting closer.

What is your opinion? Do you think it is really so optimistic and there is really nothing to worry about? Write us your ideas in English or Czech

Armed conflict = ozbrojený konflikt
Be on hand = být někomu k ruce
Beam = vysílat
Benign = laskavý, blahodárný, příznivý
Blackout = výpadek proudu, dočasné přerušení, zatemnění
Blanket = peřina, ututlat
Bring together = dát dohromady, spojit, svést dohromady
Broadcasting = vysílání
Cellular phone = mobilní telefon
Censorship = cenzura
Circumstance = okolnost
Complain = stěžovat si
Coverage = pokrytí, dosah, působení, zpravodajství, rozsah
Deed = skutek, čin
Efficiently = efektivně
Ensure = zabezpečit, zaručit, ochránit, postarat se
Equipment = vybavení
Expose = předložit, ukázat, vydat na pospas
Government = vláda
Hide = schovávat
Hostage = rukojmí, zástava
Instant = bezprostřední, okamžitý
Likewise = podobně, rovněž, takéž, nápodobně, mimoto, navíc
Negotiation = vyjednávání, smlouvání
News-gathering = sbírání novinek, zpráv
Opinion = názor
Policy = politika, postup, taktika
Profoundly = naprosto, hluboce, zcela, velmi zásadně
Re-evaluate = znovu zhodnotit, přehodnotit
Secrecy = tajnůstkářství, utajování, ústraní
Serve = sloužit
Shrinking = zmenšující se, stahující se
Spot = krátké reklamní sdělení, bod
Up-to-the-minute = nejnovější, moderní, soudobý