Media Vocabulary for English Learners

There is no doubt that the media plays an important role in everyone’s life. The vocabulary we associate with it is extremely rich and varied. Essentially, there are two main types of media-related vocabulary: vocabulary related to the printed word and vocabulary related to the spoken word, as used in broadcasts on radio, TV, or through the internet. 

You can study the vocabulary below and take the gap-fill quiz at the end to check your understanding of some of the terms. You’ll find the answers at the bottom of the article. You can also use these tips on learning vocabulary to help you remember the words on this list.

Types of Print Media

Banner
Billboard
Book
Journal
Magazine
Newspaper
Tabloid

Types of News

Hard news
Soft news
Feature
Article
Editorial
Column
Review
Breaking news
News bulletin

Newspaper / Magazine Sections

International
Politics
Business
Opinion
Technology
Science
Health
Sports
Arts
Style
Food
Travel

Types of Advertising

Commercial
Native Advertisement
Ad
Spot
Advertainment
Billboard
Sponsored 

People in Print

Columnist
Editor
Journalist
Editorialist
Copy editor
Paparazzi

People on Television

Announcer
Anchor (person / man / woman)
Reporter
Weather (person / man / woman)
Sports / Weather reporter
Assignment reporter

People Consuming Media

Consumers
Target audience
Demographic

Media Type

TV
Cable
Public Television
Radio
Online
Print

Other Related Words and Phrases

Public service announcement
Primetime
Embedded reporter
Byline
Scoop

Media Quiz

Use each word or phrase once to fill in the gaps.

editorials, bylines, scoop, prime time, public service announcement, embedded reporters, paparazzi, sponsors, copy editors, target audience, anchormen and anchorwomen, journals, tabloids, public TV, cable TV, billboard

There’s no doubt that the media plays a huge role in everyone’s life. From driving down the freeway and seeing a _____________ to looking at photos of celebrities taken by _________ in the _________ at your local supermarket, everyone is someone’s ______________ for advertising. You would think that one way to avoid ads would be by watching ___________. Yet, many TV stations have ____________ as well. For example, if you watch ____________ during ____________, you’ll be bombarded with the paid-for commercials.

However, some media isn’t so bad. You can subscribe to quarterly academic ______________. Their articles are reviewed by _____________, and the writing is often excellent. In newspapers, feel free to check the _____________ on the articles. They will provide you with the author's name and sometimes even with a link to his or her social media. Or, you can read _____________ to get important opinions on trending news. Another idea is to follow certain TV stations, as many of them have great news coverage. They often have _______________ who visit war zones and cover the news on the scene. It is called a ___________ if a TV channel is the only one reporting on a story. To get an overview of the day’s news, you can also listen to the ___________ presenting the main stories of the day. Finally, many people also depend on the TV stations to provide ___________________ in case of an emergency.

Media Quiz Answers

There’s no doubt that the media plays a huge role in everyone’s life. From driving down the freeway and seeing a billboard to looking at photos of celebrities taken by paparazzi in the tabloids at your local supermarket, everyone is someone’s target audience for advertising. You would think that one way to avoid ads would be by watching public TV. Yet, many TV stations have sponsors as well. For example, if you watch cable TV during primetime, you’ll be bombarded with the paid-for commercials.

However, some media isn’t so bad. You can subscribe to quarterly academic journals. Their articles are reviewed by copy editors, and the writing is often excellent. In newspapers, feel free to check the bylines on the articles. They will provide you with the author's name and sometimes even with a link to his or her social media. Or, you can read editorials to get important opinions on trending news. Another idea is to follow certain TV stations, as many of them have great news coverage. They often have embedded reporters who visit war zones and cover the news on the scene. It is called a scoop if a TV channel is the only one reporting on a story. To get an overview of the day’s news, you can also listen to the anchormen and anchorwomen presenting the main stories of the day. Finally, many people also depend on the TV stations to provide public service announcements in case of an emergency.