Newspapers in Britain and the US


Newspapers in Britain

National and local papers

In Britain there are 11 national daily newspapers and most people read one of them every day. There are two kinds of newspaper. One is large in size and has many detailed articles about national and international events. These newspapers are called the serious papers or the quality papers. The other kind, called the tabloids is smaller in size, have more pictures, often in colour, and shorter articles, often about less important events or about the private lives of well-know people. Although some people disapprove(反对) of the tabloids(小报), more people buy them than buy the serious newspaper. The Sun, for example, which is a tabloid, is the biggest-selling newspaper in Britain. People who disapprove of the tabloids very strongly sometimes call them the Gutter Press.

There are daily or weekly newspapers in all parts of Britain which cover local news as well as some national and international stories. Local papers give information about films, concerts, and other things that are happening in the local neighborhood, including, for example, information about local people who have been married or died recently. National papers generally give information about film, concerts and other events happening in London, In Scotland, many people read the Glasgow Herald or the Scotsman and there are Scottish Editions of the tabloids.

There also many free local newspapers which are delivered to people’s homes whether they ask for them or not. These contain a lot of advertisements(广告) and also some news.

Politics

Most national newspapers in Britain express a political opinion and people choose the newspaper that they read according to their own political beliefs. Most of the newspapers are right-wing. These are the Daily Telegraph(serious newspaper), the Daily express, Daily Mail, Daily Star, the Sun and Today(all tabloids). Of the other serious newspapers, The Times, the oldest newspaper in Britain, did not formerly have one strong political view but it is now more right-wing. The Guardian is slightly left-wing, the Independent is centre and the Financial(金融) with political issues, but reports on business and financial news. The Daily Mirror(tabloid) is left-wing.

Daily and Sunday newspapers

Daily newspapers are published on every day of the week except Sunday. Sunday newspapers are larger than daily newspapers, often having 2 or 3 sections. There is also other a magazine, called the colour supplement(增刊). All the Sunday newspapers are national Serious newspapers include the Observer(which is slightly left-wing), the Sunday Times, the Sunday Telegraph and the Independent on Sunday, the Sunday Mirror, the Sunday Express, the News of the World and the Sunday Sport which is considered to lack much serious information.

Newspapers in The US

National and local newspapers

There are more than 1500 daily newspapers in the US. Each one is usually sold only in one part of the country, e.g. in a city, but they cover national and international news. In larger cities there is often more than one newspaper and the different ones express different political opinions. Some newspapers are sold in nearly all parts of the US. E.g. USA today and the National edition of the New York Times. Two other newspapers, the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post are know and respected all over the US but cannot be bought everywhere. Other important newspapers are: the Boston Globe, sold in New England, the Chicago Tribune, sold in the Midwest, the Christian Science Monitor and USA Today, both sold nationally, and the Washington Post on the East Coast.

There are also weekly newspapers in all parts of the US which cover local news, such as what is happening in the local neighborhood(地方). Fewer people read these than read the daily newspapers.

Daily and Sunday newspapers

Daily newspapers are published on every day of the week except Sunday. Sunday newspapers are very big, often having several separate parts. They contain many longer articles and a lot of advertisements. Each section deals with a different subject. E.g. national and international news, sport, travel, etc. One section, the classifieds(分类广告) has advertisements for jobs and things for sale. Another section is called the funnies. There is often also a magazine which is in color.

Alternative newspapers

In the 1960s a group of newspapers began to appear that were later called in “alternative press”. They expressed extreme(极端的) political opinions, especially left-wing opinion. Many of the newspapers which were part of this movement, such as the Village Voice in New York or the Reader in Chicago, are less extreme today and more widely read.


Law in Britain and the US

In both Britain and the US, when a person is accused of a rime it must be shown that they are guilty "beyond reasonable doubt". A person is always innocent(无罪) in the eyes of the law until they have been proved to be guilty by a court they can sometimes ask for permission to APPEAL(上诉) to a higher court in the hope that it will change this decision.

Criminal law in England and Wales

When someone is arrested (ARREST) by the police, a MAGISTRATE (=an official who judges cases in some types of courts) decides whether there is enough EVIDENCE(证据) against the person for the case to go to court. If there is enough evidence and the case is a serious one, the person accused(控告) of the crime (called 'the accused(被告)') is sent to a CROWN COURT for a TRIAL with a JUDGE and JURY (=12 members of the public who have to decide if the accused is guilty(有罪的), then the judge decides the SENTENCE(判决) (2) (=punishment). If there is enough evidence against the accused but the crime is not a serious one (for example a traffic offence) then the case is heard in a MAGISTRATES COURT.

If found guilty in the Crown Court the accused may apply to(请求) the COURT OF APPEAL (Criminal Division) where he or she will be heard by a judge. Sometimes a HIGH COURT judge from the Queen's Bench Division assists in dealing with criminal matters in the Court of Appeal or Crown Court.

Criminal law in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, as in England and Wales, someone accused of a crime may be tried in a Magistrates' Court or a Crown Court depending on how serious the crime is. Appeals from the Crown Court are heard in the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal.

Criminal law in Scotland

Scotland has a separate court system. After a person is arrested by the police, an official called the PROCURATOR FISCAL is in charge of deciding whether there is enough evidence against the accused for a trial. If there is enough evidence and the crime is a very serious one, the accused is sent to the HIGH COURT OF JUSTICIARY where there is a judge and jury(陪审团) (in Scotland there are 15 people on a jury). If there is enough evidence but the crime is a less serious one, the case is heard in a SHERIFF COURT (The sheriff is a trained lawyer who acts as a judge). Appeals from the Sheriff Court go to the High Court of Justiciary.

Criminal law in the US
The US has tow separate court systems. In general terms STATE COURTS are used when someone has done something against the laws of CONSTITUTION of a particular State. FEDERAL COURTS deal with cases to do with the laws and Constitution of the United States as whole. Federal courts also hear cases where the US Government is one of the sides involved(介入). Cases for crimes which are not serious are likely to be heard in state courts. Serious crimes may be tried in wither state courts of federal courts depending on the situation, for example cases where a crime has taken place in another state are often heard in federal courts.

After a person has been arrested a magistrate(地方官员), or in some cases a GRAND JURY made up of between 16 and 23 citizens, decides whether they should go to trial. If there is enough evidence for a trial the accused goes to court and has to state whether he/she is guilty or not guilty of the crime. If they say they are not guilty they are sent to trial with a judge and jury (of 16 or 20 citizens) in either a State or COUNTY COURT or, in federal cases, a DISTRICT COURT. If the accused is found guilty they may have the fight to appeal to a higher court, as shown below.

The final court of appeal in the US federal system and for some cases in the state courts is the US SUPREME COURT. It is made up of a CHIEF JUSTICE and eight ASSOCIATES. The accused does not have the fight to be heard by the Supremes Court, but the Supreme Court decides which cases it will hear.