Media & Society Band 8.5 Model Essay IELTS Task 2

Reporting Good News vs Hard News in Modern Media

An exemplary Band 8.5 Academic Task 2 model response demonstrating how to articulate a balanced, nuanced stance ("agree to a large extent") by validating the psychological necessity of uplifting, knowledge-building journalism while preserving the sober vigilance demanded by critical emergencies.

6 Min Read
363 Words
Stance: Large Extent Agreement
Band 8.5+ Lexicon & Cohesion
IELTS Writing Task 2 Question To what extent do you agree or disagree?
"The media should include more stories which report good news. To what extent do you agree or disagree?"
Examiner Key Insight: High-scoring candidates avoid binary oversimplification (e.g., claiming all news should be positive). Instead, an effective candidate acknowledges that chronic sensationalism causes compassion fatigue and distress, justifying more constructive stories, while critically maintaining that grave crises require uncompromised attention so that citizens do not trivialize life-and-death realities.
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Text:
Paragraph 1: Introduction & Thesis 54 words

There is a general opinion that the content of pleasant information shared by the media must increase. I agree to a large extent with this notion because it spreads positivity in the minds of the listener and people can learn something from this. However, a certain amount of negativity is necessary to reflect the importance of the news.

Paragraph 2: Core Argument (Mental Well-Being & Inspiration) 153 words

To initiate, in today's digital era, most people receive notifications of the latest news on their computers or smartphones, so that they can stay updated about current affairs or what is happening in their city. However, if news channels continue to report only about robberies or terrorist activities, viewers may feel depressed and anxious. Hence, along with regular reporting, broadcasters should feature constructive positive stories, such as how a good Samaritan assisted the needy or the launch of a community afforestation drive. Such uplifting segments enhance the emotional well-being of the public, motivating them to perform acts of benevolence in their daily lives. Furthermore, when media outlets showcase how countries like Iceland have harnessed geothermal power or how vertical farming is thriving in South Korea, they not only foster optimism but also impart valuable global knowledge.

Paragraph 3: Concession (Maintaining Urgency for Serious Issues) 104 words

On the other hand, inserting feel-good stories in the middle of reporting escalating public health crises or the devastating realities of armed conflict may impair viewers' ability to grasp the gravity of the situation. For example, if a news broadcast highlights mandatory pandemic fines and immediately pivots to celebratory sports headlines like Gujarat Titans winning the IPL, the public may dismiss the imperative safety warning and remember only the entertainment. Hence, an indiscriminate increase in cheerful coverage is not always appropriate and could risk trivializing urgent civic dangers.

Paragraph 4: Conclusion & Balanced Synthesis 52 words

In conclusion, while disturbing events inevitably occur and must be reported objectively, integrating inspiring acts of human kindness and developmental triumphs alongside distressing bulletins is essential to boost public morale without diminishing the seriousness of critical global events.

Why This Essay Scores Band 8.5

IELTS Writing Task 2 is evaluated across four distinct official criteria. Here is how this response achieves exceptional scores across each dimension.

  • Nuanced & Sustained Thesis: The author explicitly states agreement "to a large extent" rather than adopting a naive, uncritical posture, maintaining this sophisticated balance throughout the essay.
  • Multi-Faceted Argumentation: Body Paragraph 1 substantiates why good news is beneficial by separating psychological benefits (preventing anxiety, inspiring community action) from educational advantages (technological advances in Iceland and South Korea).
  • Insightful Concession on Media Ethics: Body Paragraph 2 tackles the crucial counter-perspective—explaining that mixing feel-good sports stories with public health or warfare emergencies blunts the audience's perception of risk and civic urgency.
"Examiner Verdict: Fully addresses all aspects of the prompt with well-developed ideas, compelling supporting examples, and a mature critical stance."
  • Seamless Thematic Organization: The essay progresses from an overview of ubiquitous digital news delivery to the psychological impact of uplifting stories, followed by a rational caution against trivialization.
  • Sophisticated Signposting: Transitions like "To initiate", "On the other hand", "Furthermore", "Hence", and "In conclusion" connect thoughts logically without mechanical repetition.
  • Cohesive Anaphora & Referencing: Uses clear referencing structures ("Such uplifting segments", "this notion", "from these short clips") to avoid redundancies and glue paragraphs together.
"Examiner Verdict: Information and ideas are logically sequenced with clear paragraph progression and natural cohesive devices."
  • Topic-Appropriate Collocations: Deploys media-specific phrasing such as "digital era", "current affairs", "grasp the gravity", "boost public morale", and "trivializing urgent civic dangers".
  • Varied Domain Register: Incorporates concrete global terminology ("geothermal power", "vertical farming", "afforestation drive") demonstrating extensive vocabulary breadth.
  • Emotional & Psychological Nuance: Contrasts terms of distress ("depressed", "distressing bulletins") with constructive language ("acts of benevolence", "emotional well-being", "uplifting segments").
"Examiner Verdict: Demonstrates a wide range of academic vocabulary used with precision, flexibility, and awareness of style."
  • Complex Hypothetical & Conditional Clauses: Uses multiple conditional formulations ("if news channels continue to report only...", "when media outlets showcase...", "if a news broadcast highlights... and immediately pivots...").
  • Ingenious Gerund and Participial Openers: Uses constructions like "inserting feel-good stories in the middle of reporting..." as complex subjects to articulate sophisticated arguments.
  • Syntactic Subordination & Balance: The concluding sentence uses a concessive subordinate clause ("while disturbing events inevitably occur...") to unify the dual themes in a single, well-punctuated sentence.
"Examiner Verdict: Uses a wide variety of sentence structures with complete accuracy and sophisticated punctuation control."

High-Value Collocations from this Essay

Memorize these Band 8.0+ collocations and idioms for media, public communication, and mental health essay topics.

Constructive journalism Band 8.5+
Compound Noun Phrase
A domain of media reporting focused on solutions, resilience, and positive progress rather than mere catastrophe.
"...broadcasters should feature constructive positive stories alongside daily bulletins."
Grasp the gravity Band 8.0+
Verb + Noun Collocation
To fully understand and appreciate the seriousness or perilous magnitude of a situation.
"...may impair viewers' ability to grasp the gravity of the crisis."
Boost public morale Band 8.5+
Verb + Noun Collocation
To elevate collective optimism, mental confidence, and emotional fortitude across a population.
"...essential to boost public morale without diminishing the seriousness of events."
Sensationalist reporting Band 8.5+
Adjective + Noun
The deliberate exaggeration of robberies, violence, and terror to provoke shock and boost ratings.
"...constant exposure to sensationalist crime bulletins induces severe civic anxiety."
Trivialize civic danger Band 8.5+
Verb + Noun Collocation
To cause serious societal hazards or legal warnings to seem unimportant, lightweight, or trivial.
"...interleaving light entertainment risks trivializing urgent civic dangers."
Compassion fatigue Band 9.0
Psychological Collocation
Emotional exhaustion and indifference resulting from continuous exposure to distressing traumatic news.
"...incessant bad news triggers compassion fatigue, causing viewers to disengage."

4-Step 'Extent of Agree' Blueprint

Follow this structural template whenever an exam question asks whether media, social platforms, or education should alter their content balance.

1
Introduction & Qualified Thesis

Paraphrase the question. Agree to a "large extent" based on mental well-being and inspiration, while qualifying that hard news remains indispensable.

2
The Case for Good News

Explain the psychological harm of relentless negative news. Offer concrete examples of good deeds and innovative green technology (Iceland, South Korea).

3
The Concession on Critical Urgency

Present the peril of over-optimism: juxtaposition of lighthearted news right after public safety warnings may lead viewers to overlook critical hazards.

4
Synthesizing Conclusion

Summarize that journalism must balance realism with hope, keeping citizens vigilant while keeping their spirits resilient.

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