The feminist news site Jezebel, which recently closed down, has been sold to a new owner called Paste Media. Paste Media is known for its music coverage and they plan to bring Jezebel back to life soon. Jezebel used to be part of a company called Gawker and has had different owners over the years. The most recent owner, a private equity firm called G/O Media, blamed money problems for the closure. But they still hoped to find a buyer. Many people are sad about Jezebel closing because they liked its unique and influential voice in digital media.

The person who started Paste, Josh Jackson, is really excited about bringing Jezebel back. He didn’t understand why the site should disappear and he wanted to make sure it stayed around. The details of the deal weren’t shared, but Jackson said they would need to hire a new editor-in-chief and a team of talented editors and writers. He wants to start publishing new stories as soon as possible. Paste also bought another news site called Splinter, which G/O Media closed in 2019.

Jezebel closing is part of a bigger problem in the media industry. Changes in online advertising have made it hard for many businesses to make money. More and more companies are spending their advertising money on big tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta. This leaves smaller media companies struggling. But Paste has managed to stay strong despite these changes. Jackson believes that Paste can give Jezebel a stable home. Jezebel has always had a lot of readers, with over three million people visiting the site every month.

Original news source: Feminist site Jezebel to be revived after sale (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into small groups.
2. Give each group a copy of the article.
3. In their groups, students should read the article and discuss the main points.
4. Each group will then create a concise summary of the article, highlighting the key information.
5. After a designated time, groups will share their summaries with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Ask students to form pairs.
2. Provide each pair with a list of questions related to the article, such as “Do you think Jezebel should have closed down?” or “Do you believe online advertising has negatively impacted the media industry?”
3. Students will take turns asking and answering the questions, discussing their opinions and providing reasons for their views.
4. Encourage students to engage in a respectful and open-minded discussion, listening to and considering their partner’s perspective.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Write a selection of vocabulary words from the article on separate slips of paper and put them in a hat or bowl.
2. Divide the class into two teams.
3. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and select a slip of paper.
4. Without using words, the student must draw a picture to represent the word on the slip.
5. The team members must guess the word based on the drawing within a time limit.
6. If the team successfully guesses the word, they earn a point. The teams take turns until all the slips of paper have been used.
7. The team with the most points at the end wins.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into two groups.
2. Assign one group to discuss the pros of Jezebel closing down, and the other group to discuss the cons.
3. Give the groups time to brainstorm and list their points.
4. Each group will then present their arguments, taking turns to share their thoughts and reasons.
5. Encourage students to respectfully challenge each other’s points and engage in a balanced discussion.
6. After both groups have presented, encourage the class to engage in a whole-class discussion, weighing the pros and cons presented.

– Future Predictions
Instructions:
1. In pairs or small groups, ask students to discuss and make predictions about the future of Jezebel under its new ownership.
2. Provide guiding questions such as “What changes do you think the new owner will make?” or “Will Jezebel be as influential as it was before?”
3. Students should discuss their ideas and provide reasons for their predictions.
4. After a designated time, groups can share their predictions with the class, sparking further discussion and debate.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the name of the new owner of Jezebel?
2. What type of coverage is Paste Media known for?
3. Why did Jezebel close down?
4. Who is the person who started Paste?
5. What does Josh Jackson want to do with Jezebel?
6. What other news site did Paste Media buy?
7. What is the bigger problem in the media industry that Jezebel closing is a part of?
8. How many people visited Jezebel every month?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The feminist news site Jezebel, which recently closed down, has been sold to a new owner called (1)______ Media. Paste Media is known for its (2)______ coverage and they plan to bring Jezebel back to life soon. Jezebel used to be part of a company called Gawker and has had (3)______ owners over the years. The most recent owner, a private equity firm called G/O Media, blamed (4)______ problems for the closure. But they still hoped to find a buyer. Many people are sad about Jezebel closing because they liked its unique and influential voice in digital (5)______.

The (6)______ who started Paste, Josh Jackson, is really excited about bringing Jezebel back. He didn’t understand why the site should (7)______ and he wanted to make sure it stayed around. The (8)______ of the deal weren’t shared, but Jackson said they would need to hire a new editor-in-chief and a team of talented editors and writers. He (9)______ to (10)______ publishing new stories as soon as possible. Paste also bought another news site called (11)______, which G/O (12)______ closed in 2019.

Jezebel closing is part of a bigger problem in the media industry. Changes in online advertising have made it hard for many businesses to make money. More and more companies are spending their (13)______ money on big tech companies like Amazon, Google, and Meta. This leaves smaller media companies struggling. But Paste has managed to stay strong despite these changes. Jackson believes that Paste can give Jezebel a (14)______ home. Jezebel has always had a lot of (15)______, with over three million (16)______ visiting the site every month.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is Jezebel and why do you think it is influential in digital media?
2. How do you feel about Jezebel closing down? Why or why not?
3. Do you think it’s important to have diverse voices in the media? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever read any articles on Jezebel? What did you think of them?
5. How do you think online advertising has changed the media industry?
6. What are some big tech companies that receive a lot of advertising money?
7. Do you think it’s fair that smaller media companies are struggling while big tech companies thrive? Why or why not?
8. How do you think the closure of Jezebel and other media outlets affects journalism as a whole?
9. What qualities do you think a good editor-in-chief should have?
10. Would you like to work as an editor or writer for a news site like Jezebel? Why or why not?
11. How do you think bringing Jezebel back to life will benefit Paste Media?
12. Do you think it’s important for media outlets to have a stable home? Why or why not?
13. Have you ever visited any news sites regularly? Which ones and why?
14. How do you think the closure of Jezebel and other media outlets affects freedom of speech?
15. Do you think the media industry will continue to struggle in the future? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Jezebel
2. sold
3. owner
4. closed
5. money
6. bring back
7. hire
8. publishing

Meanings:
(a) The act of employing someone for a job
(b) The name of a feminist news site
(c) The act of transferring ownership in exchange for money
(d) The act of reviving or restoring something
(e) The act of releasing or making something available to the public
(f) The person or company that possesses something
(g) The state of no longer being in operation
(h) The reason for the closure of a business
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who recently bought the feminist news site Jezebel?
(a) Gawker
(b) Paste Media
(c) G/O Media
(d) Josh Jackson

2. What is Paste Media known for?
(a) Fashion coverage
(b) Sports coverage
(c) Technology coverage
(d) Music coverage

3. Why did G/O Media close Jezebel?
(a) Lack of readers
(b) Legal issues
(c) Lack of content
(d) Money problems

4. Who is responsible for starting Paste Media?
(a) Josh Jackson
(b) Jezebel
(c) G/O Media
(d) Gawker

5. What other news site did Paste Media buy?
(a) Gawker
(b) G/O Media
(c) Splinter
(d) Jezebel

6. What is one of the challenges facing the media industry?
(a) Changes in online advertising
(b) Lack of talented writers
(c) Competition from social media
(d) Lack of readership

7. How many people visit Jezebel every month?
(a) Less than one million
(b) Over five million
(c) Over three million
(d) Less than three million

8. What does Josh Jackson believe Paste Media can provide for Jezebel?
(a) Financial support
(b) A stable home
(c) Legal protection
(d) New readership

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Jezebel used to be part of a company called Gawker and has had different owners in the past.
2. The most recent owner, G/O Media, blamed financial issues for Jezebel’s closure but still hoped to find a buyer.
3. The founder of Buzz, Josh Jackson, is indifferent about bringing Jezebel back and ensuring its discontinuity.
4. Many people are ecstatic about Jezebel’s closure because they belittled its generic and unimportant voice in digital media.
5. Paste Media, known for its music coverage, plans to revive Jezebel and bring it back to life.
6. Jezebel, a misogynistic news site, recently closed down but has now been sold to a new owner called Buzz Media.
7. Jezebel’s closure is part of a larger problem in the media industry, where changes in online advertising have made it difficult for smaller companies to generate revenue.
8. The details of the deal between Buzz Media and Jezebel were disclosed, and no new hires for editor-in-chief and a talented team of editors and writers are needed.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What happened to the feminist news site Jezebel?
2. Who is the new owner of Jezebel?
3. Why did the previous owner of Jezebel close down the site?
4. What does the new owner, Josh Jackson, plan to do with Jezebel?
5. What is the bigger problem in the media industry that Jezebel closing is a part of?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the name of the new owner of Jezebel?
The new owner of Jezebel is called Paste Media.

2. What type of coverage is Paste Media known for?
Paste Media is known for its music coverage.

3. Why did Jezebel close down?
Jezebel closed down because of money problems.

4. Who is the person who started Paste?
The person who started Paste is Josh Jackson.

5. What does Josh Jackson want to do with Jezebel?
Josh Jackson wants to bring Jezebel back to life and start publishing new stories as soon as possible.

6. What other news site did Paste Media buy?
Paste Media also bought another news site called Splinter.

7. What is the bigger problem in the media industry that Jezebel closing is a part of?
The bigger problem in the media industry is changes in online advertising that have made it hard for many businesses to make money.

8. How many people visited Jezebel every month?
Over three million people visited Jezebel every month.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Paste
(2) music
(3) different
(4) money
(5) media
(6) person
(7) disappear
(8) details
(9) wants
(10) start
(11) Splinter
(12) Media
(13) advertising
(14) stable
(15) readers
(16) people
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Jezebel
Answer: (b) The name of a feminist news site

2. sold
Answer: (c) The act of transferring ownership in exchange for money

3. owner
Answer: (f) The person or company that possesses something

4. closed
Answer: (g) The state of no longer being in operation

5. money
Answer: (h) The reason for the closure of a business

6. bring back
Answer: (d) The act of reviving or restoring something

7. hire
Answer: (a) The act of employing someone for a job

8. publishing
Answer: (e) The act of releasing or making something available to the public
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who recently bought the feminist news site Jezebel?
Answer: (b) Paste Media

2. What is Paste Media known for?
Answer: (d) Music coverage

3. Why did G/O Media close Jezebel?
Answer: (d) Money problems

4. Who is responsible for starting Paste Media?
Answer: (a) Josh Jackson

5. What other news site did Paste Media buy?
Answer: (c) Splinter

6. What is one of the challenges facing the media industry?
Answer: (a) Changes in online advertising

7. How many people visit Jezebel every month?
Answer: (c) Over three million

8. What does Josh Jackson believe Paste Media can provide for Jezebel?
Answer: (b) A stable home
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Jezebel used to be part of a company called Gawker and has had different owners in the past. (Answer: True)
2. The most recent owner, G/O Media, blamed financial issues for Jezebel’s closure but still hoped to find a buyer. (Answer: True)
3. The founder of Buzz, Josh Jackson, is indifferent about bringing Jezebel back and ensuring its discontinuity. (Answer: False)
4. Many people are ecstatic about Jezebel’s closure because they belittled its generic and unimportant voice in digital media. (Answer: False)
5. Paste Media, known for its music coverage, plans to revive Jezebel and bring it back to life. (Answer: True)
6. Jezebel, a misogynistic news site, recently closed down but has now been sold to a new owner called Buzz Media. (Answer: False)
7. Jezebel’s closure is part of a larger problem in the media industry, where changes in online advertising have made it difficult for smaller companies to generate revenue. (Answer: True)
8. The details of the deal between Buzz Media and Jezebel were disclosed, and no new hires for editor-in-chief and a talented team of editors and writers are needed. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧