IELTS writing task 2: Argumentative Essay topic: The influence of news media on people 's live

IELTS writing task 2: Argumentative Essay topic: The influence of news media on people 's live

Topic: Some people think that there is a great influence of news media on people’s lives and this is a negative development. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give your opinion and relevant examples.

Sample essay:


For many people, news is a regular pan of life. An issue in dispute is whether the massive influence of the news media on people’s daily lives denotes a negative development. It is my view that news media does more good than harm to the society.

The news media provides people with much of the information they need on a timely basis, although there are claims that it reports on issues and events purposely (only selecting those events that interest the audience). Anecdotal evidence shows that people from all walks of life have the habit of collecting information regularly from the news media, including print, broadcast and Internet-based media. Information assists people in decision making. For example, the Free Trade Agreement reached by the Chinese government and its New Zealand counterpart might open up many opportunities to both countries. For any business person, either in New Zealand or in China, failing to recognise and capitalise on this impending change would cause a costly loss.

Meanwhile it should be recognised that the news media can sometimes save lives and reduce casualties. There is a lot of uncertainty about the surroundings, and people are susceptible to the damage caused by accidents, crimes and natural calamity. The news media conveys the firsthand information to concerned audiences and enable them to take corresponding actions right away. The authority can declare a state of emergency when it is necessary, organise evacuation and distribute aid to the needy areas. All these efforts count on the news media as the messenger.

Despite their significant and ongoing contribution to the society, the news media might sometimes be harmful to society. It is a convention that the news media exaggerates the magnitude of the real threat (for example, the potential of a terrorism attack), in order to draw the attention of the desired audiences and in pursuit of high audience ratings. It ends up with causing panic among the population. Meanwhile, the news media tends to emphasise some issues or events, which virtually have little relevance to people’s daily lives, such as an occasional multiple vehicle accident, an affair that a celebrity is involved with, and the like. It distracts the audience from something that is much more noteworthy, for instance, poverty, environmental problems, to name but a few.

In summary, the role of news media as an information provider should be acknowledged. In case of emergency, it acts as a lifesaver. However, it is not to say that the news media can give people an overall view of the problems in society all the time.

Learn from the model essay:

1.denote = indicate = symbolise = represent = signify
2.capitalise advantage of = make the best of
3.impending = imminent = forthcoming = coming = approaching
4.casualty = fatality = victim
5.surroundings = environs
6.calamity = misfortune = catastrophe = disaster
7.firsthand = immediate
8.corresponding = relevant
9.messenger = courier
10.magnitude = scale = enormity = level

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