BUSINESS ENGLISH

How to Make Money from Internet News Operations

1. Before you read, discuss these issues in class:

a) Do you often read news on the Internet?
b) What are the most popular news sites?
c) Do you pay for reading the news on the Internet? If not, would you agree to pay?

loss убыток, ущерб, потеря
to account for вызывать что-л., приводить к чему-л., служить причиной
to regard расценивать, рассматривать, считать
efficient рациональный, эффективный
penetration проникание, проникновение
doubtful вызывающий сомнения, опасения
source of revenue источник доходов

3. Read the text.

On the Internet since 1994, the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet claims to have been Europe’s first major internet newspaper. What’s more, in an area characterized by financial losses, it has made a small profit for the past four years.

But this year, things may be different. Despite huge viewing figures, Aftonbladet’s internet operations will make a loss as advertising income, which accounts for 85 percent of its revenue, slows sharply.

Now, along with other newspaper sites, Aftonbladet is looking at how to charge for its services without losing readers who have come to regard free access as a right. “The present business model is just not efficient, especially when the advertising is falling,” explains Kalle Jungkvist, editor-in-chief of Aftonbladet New Media.

Sweden is among the most advanced internet markets in the world with internet penetration rates of about 58 percent. This is the highest in the EU, according to Net Figures, the UK statistics group.

Yet high numbers of viewers have not been enough for advertisers who are doubtful about online marketing – dotcom adverts have almost disappeared. Charging provides a much-needed new source of revenue. But how to persuade people to pay for something that until now has been free?

Nicholas George
From the Financial Times

4. Provocative thinking

1) Do you think one should pay for using the news sites?
2) What could be a reasonable price for reading news on the Internet?
3) How can a publisher protect their information from unauthorized reading and copying?

5. Suggest ways of improving the present-day situation on the Internet marketing of news as if you are:

1) A media tycoon
2) The head of a small news gathering agency
3) The owner of an Internet server
4) A journalist
5) A regular reader of news

6. a) Say whether these statements are true or false, according to the article. Correct the false ones:

a) Aftonbladet has been available on the Internet for more than 6 years.
b) It has made a loss each year.
c) This year it will make a profit.
d) It is looking at ways of charging readers for access.
e) Its editor is happy with the present situation.
f) Sweden has one of the highest levels of Internet usage in the world.
g) High numbers of users means that advertising on the Internet is profitable.
h) The writer suggests ways of making Internet services profitable.

b) Find sentences in the text to support your version.

7. Fill in a suitable word from the box.

1) They often say that _________ makes the world go round.
2) Extra _________ may increase the company’s profit.
3) The _________ payment caused certain losses.
4) The number of Internet users _________ every day.
5) The _________ our company has carried out showed the reasons for the sharp decrease.
6) Can I have your bank account details to _________ the payment?
7) How can we _______ a person for such a service?
8) Do you prefer to pay ________ or with your credit card?
9) This company is Number 1 in the high-tech industry – a _________ player in today’s market.
10) We can not fire Susan – she is one of the most _________ members of our team.

8. Use the given suffixes and prefixes to create as many new words out of the given ones as you can:

1) market
2) special
3) finance
4) differ
5) edit
6) doubt
7) effect
8) read
9) manage
10) penetrate

9. Jumbled words. Make real words out of them:

1. WESDEN
2. TERODI
3. PPARESWNE
4. SISITATSTC
5. TOFIRP

10. a) Word-matching:

b) Make your own sentences using at least two of the combinations above in each.

KEYS:

Ex. 6. a) T; b) F; c) F; d) T; e) F; f) F; g) F; h) F

Ex.7. 1. money; 2. services; 3. delayed; 4. increases; 5. expertise; 6. deliver; 7. charge; 8. in cash; 9. major; 10. efficient

Ex. 9. 1. Sweden; 2. editor; 3. newspaper; 4. statistics; 5. profit

Ex. 10. 1. f; 2. k; 3. e; 4. l; 5. b; 6. a; 7. j; 8. c; 9. d; 10. h; 11. i; 12. g

Compiled by Alena Pavlova