2025-08-20

IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion — Media: 15 Common Mistakes and Fixes

Master IELTS Writing Task 2 media discussion essays with advanced journalism and communication vocabulary, Band 9 samples, and expert strategies for consistent Band 7+ scores.

This comprehensive guide addresses the 15 most common mistakes students make in IELTS Writing Task 2 media discussion essays and provides expert fixes for achieving Band 7-9 scores. Master sophisticated media terminology, proven essay structures, and advanced argumentation techniques while learning from detailed Band 9 sample analysis and examiner insights.

Media discussion essays challenge candidates to explore complex relationships between traditional journalism, digital platforms, information quality, and societal influence. Success requires sophisticated vocabulary, balanced argumentation, and nuanced understanding of contemporary media's role in democracy, education, and social discourse.

Media discussion questions in IELTS Task 2 typically present contrasting viewpoints about media responsibility, digital versus traditional journalism, information verification, or media regulation. Your task is to present both perspectives fairly while demonstrating sophisticated understanding of media ethics and communication theory.

Common media discussion topics include:

  • Traditional journalism versus citizen journalism
  • Media regulation versus freedom of expression
  • Social media platforms versus established news outlets
  • Entertainment media versus educational content
  • Global media versus local news coverage
  • Media bias versus objective reporting

Success demands demonstrating nuanced understanding of how media shapes public opinion, influences democratic processes, affects social behavior, and adapts to technological change while maintaining professional standards.

Mistake 1: Oversimplified Media Arguments

Common Error: "Media tells people news and shows entertainment programs so people can know what happens and have fun."

Why It's Wrong: This lacks analytical depth expected at higher band levels. Media encompasses complex information ecosystems, democratic functions, cultural influence, and technological transformation requiring sophisticated analysis.

Expert Fix: "Contemporary media operates as multifaceted communication systems that shape public discourse, facilitate democratic participation, influence cultural narratives, and navigate ethical responsibilities while adapting to digital transformation and evolving audience expectations."

Advanced Vocabulary: multifaceted communication systems, public discourse, democratic participation, cultural narratives, ethical responsibilities

Mistake 2: Confusing Discussion with Personal Media Consumption

Common Error: Beginning with "I think social media is better than newspapers because I get news faster on my phone."

Why It's Wrong: Discussion essays require objective analysis of different viewpoints, not personal preferences or individual consumption habits.

Expert Fix: Begin analytically: "Media scholars and communication experts continue debating whether digital platforms or traditional journalism institutions more effectively serve public information needs and democratic accountability functions."

Mistake 3: Limited Media Vocabulary Range

Common Error: Repeatedly using basic terms like "news," "TV," "internet," "information."

Why It's Wrong: Restricted vocabulary limits band score potential and fails to demonstrate academic writing sophistication.

Expert Fix: Employ sophisticated alternatives:

  • News → journalistic content, information dissemination, public communication
  • TV → broadcast media, audiovisual platforms, traditional broadcasting
  • Information → news coverage, investigative reporting, media content

Mistake 4: Weak Media Industry Examples

Common Error: "Some newspapers are closing because people read news online now."

Why It's Wrong: Vague, unspecific examples that don't demonstrate analytical thinking or global media awareness.

Expert Fix: "The Guardian's successful digital transformation, combining subscription models with open access journalism, demonstrates how established media organizations can adapt to digital disruption while maintaining editorial independence and investigative capacity."

At BabyCode, we've guided 500,000+ students through media discussion essays using our specialized communication vocabulary modules and evidence-based argument development frameworks. Our comprehensive approach helps students master sophisticated media terminology while developing balanced analytical skills that consistently achieve Band 7+ scores.

Mistake 5: Unbalanced Media Argument Development

Common Error: Writing 180 words supporting digital media, 70 words for traditional journalism.

Why It's Wrong: Discussion essays require approximately equal development of both perspectives to demonstrate comprehensive understanding of media complexity.

Expert Fix: Allocate 125-140 words to each viewpoint, ensuring thorough analysis with specific examples and supporting evidence for both traditional and digital media approaches.

Mistake 6: Ignoring Media Ethics Issues

Common Error: "All media should be free so people can say whatever they want."

Why It's Wrong: This oversimplifies complex ethical considerations including misinformation, privacy rights, professional standards, and social responsibility affecting media operations.

Expert Fix: "While media freedom remains essential for democratic societies, responsible journalism requires balancing free expression with accuracy standards, privacy protection, and social accountability to prevent misinformation spread and protect vulnerable individuals."

Mistake 7: Poor Media Statistics Integration

Common Error: "Many people get news from social media nowadays."

Why It's Wrong: Vague statistics that don't support specific arguments or demonstrate research awareness of media consumption trends.

Expert Fix: "According to Reuters Institute research, 42% of adults now access news primarily through social platforms, while trust in traditional journalism remains 23% higher, highlighting tension between convenience and credibility in contemporary news consumption patterns."

Mistake 8: Inadequate Misinformation Analysis

Common Error: Focusing exclusively on media platforms without acknowledging information quality challenges.

Why It's Wrong: Modern media discussions require understanding complex relationships between information sources, verification processes, audience literacy, and democratic implications.

Expert Fix: "Contemporary media landscapes require sophisticated information verification systems, digital literacy education, and collaborative fact-checking initiatives to combat misinformation while preserving diverse perspectives and maintaining public trust in legitimate journalism."

Our specialized media vocabulary system teaches 450+ advanced journalism, communication theory, and digital platform terms through contextual application exercises. Students master sophisticated media terminology including editorial processes, audience engagement, and technology integration vocabulary, achieving significant improvements in Task 2 media essay band scores.

Mistake 9: Weak Transitions Between Media Arguments

Common Error: "Also, another point about media is..."

Why It's Wrong: Poor transitions disrupt essay flow and fail to demonstrate advanced academic writing sophistication.

Expert Fix: "Conversely, traditional media advocates emphasize..." or "While digital platforms offer immediacy, established journalism prioritizes..."

Mistake 10: Insufficient Global Media Analysis

Common Error: "Media is the same everywhere and affects all countries similarly."

Why It's Wrong: Lacks nuanced understanding of media systems, cultural contexts, regulatory frameworks, and diverse global approaches to journalism and communication.

Expert Fix: "Media systems vary significantly across cultural contexts, regulatory environments, and economic structures, with public broadcasting models in Northern Europe differing substantially from commercial media approaches in the United States or state-controlled systems in authoritarian contexts."

Mistake 11: Generic Media Conclusions

Common Error: "Both traditional and digital media are useful so people should use both."

Why It's Wrong: Fails to synthesize arguments or demonstrate sophisticated analysis of integrated media ecosystems.

Expert Fix: "While both traditional journalism and digital platforms offer distinct advantages, optimal information environments likely emerge from hybrid models that combine professional editorial standards with participatory engagement, ensuring both accuracy and accessibility in democratic communication."

Mistake 12: Misunderstanding Media Economics

Common Error: "Media companies should make money but also provide free news to everyone."

Why It's Wrong: Oversimplifies complex economic models including advertising revenue, subscription systems, public funding, and sustainability challenges facing media organizations.

Expert Fix: "Media sustainability requires balancing public service obligations with economic viability through diversified revenue models including subscriptions, advertising, public funding, and innovative approaches like membership programs that maintain editorial independence while ensuring financial stability."

Mistake 13: Poor Media Regulation Analysis

Common Error: "Government should control media to prevent fake news."

Why It's Wrong: Ignores complex tensions between media freedom, democratic accountability, and regulatory overreach that characterize media policy debates.

Expert Fix: "Media regulation must balance preventing misinformation with protecting press freedom through transparent frameworks, industry self-regulation, and democratic oversight that address harmful content while preserving investigative journalism and diverse viewpoints essential for democratic discourse."

Mistake 14: Inadequate Audience Perspective

Common Error: Focusing exclusively on media production without acknowledging audience agency and media literacy.

Why It's Wrong: Demonstrates limited understanding of media as interactive communication systems involving active audiences with varying literacy levels and information needs.

Expert Fix: "Effective media ecosystems require both responsible journalism and media-literate audiences capable of critical evaluation, diverse source comparison, and constructive engagement with complex information while contributing to democratic dialogue through informed participation."

Our comprehensive media writing program combines advanced vocabulary development, balanced argument construction, and detailed evidence-based analysis training. Students receive expert feedback on essay organization, media terminology usage, and analytical sophistication through our specialized communication studies assessment system, ensuring consistent Band 7+ performance.

Mistake 15: Weak Media Technology Understanding

Common Error: "New technology is changing media and that affects how people get information."

Why It's Wrong: Oversimplifies complex technological transformations including artificial intelligence, algorithmic curation, virtual reality, and platform economics affecting media production and consumption.

Expert Fix: "Media technology evolution encompasses artificial intelligence-driven content curation, immersive storytelling through virtual reality, blockchain-based verification systems, and algorithmic distribution that reshape journalism practices while creating new opportunities and challenges for democratic communication."

Question: Some people believe that social media platforms have democratized information sharing and given voice to ordinary citizens, while others argue that traditional professional journalism provides more reliable and well-researched content. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Sample Response:

Contemporary media debates increasingly examine whether social media democratization or professional journalism standards more effectively serve public information needs and democratic accountability requirements. This fundamental discussion influences media policy development, information literacy education, and democratic communication frameworks across diverse political and technological contexts worldwide.

Social media advocates emphasize accessibility, diverse perspectives, and immediate information sharing that digital platforms provide through citizen journalism and grassroots communication. Social media platforms enable marginalized voices, eyewitness reporting, and community-driven information sharing that traditional gatekeeping mechanisms often exclude or delay. Users can access real-time updates, diverse viewpoints, and direct communication from news sources while participating in information verification through crowdsourced fact-checking and collaborative investigation. Furthermore, social media democratizes information creation, reduces publication barriers, and provides platforms for underrepresented communities to share experiences and challenge dominant narratives that professional media may overlook or misrepresent.

Conversely, traditional journalism supporters argue that professional standards, editorial oversight, and investigative resources ensure information accuracy and democratic accountability that amateur content cannot consistently provide. Professional journalists possess specialized training in source verification, ethical reporting, and legal compliance that protect both information quality and individual rights. Traditional media organizations maintain fact-checking systems, editorial review processes, and institutional accountability that prevent misinformation spread while ensuring balanced coverage of complex issues. Additionally, professional journalism provides in-depth investigation, expert analysis, and contextual reporting that require substantial resources and expertise beyond individual citizen capabilities.

In my opinion, optimal democratic communication requires integrated approaches that combine social media's accessibility and diversity with professional journalism's standards and resources, recognizing that different information needs benefit from different media strengths. The most effective media ecosystems, exemplified by collaborative models in countries like Germany and Australia, demonstrate that coordinated citizen-professional partnerships achieve superior information quality while maintaining both democratic participation and journalistic integrity.

Analysis:

  • Task Response: Comprehensively addresses both viewpoints with clear, well-reasoned personal opinion advocating integration
  • Vocabulary: Sophisticated media terminology (democratization, gatekeeping mechanisms, crowdsourced fact-checking, editorial oversight)
  • Grammar: Complex sentence structures demonstrating advanced language control and academic register
  • Coherence: Logical progression with effective transitions connecting media arguments
  • Examples: Specific, relevant examples (Germany and Australia media models, citizen journalism, professional standards)

Traditional Journalism

  • Editorial independence maintenance
  • Investigative reporting standards
  • Professional ethical guidelines
  • Source verification protocols
  • Fact-checking system implementation
  • Journalistic accountability frameworks

Digital Media Platforms

  • Algorithmic content curation
  • User-generated content moderation
  • Social media engagement metrics
  • Viral information dissemination
  • Platform monetization strategies
  • Digital advertising ecosystems

Media Ethics

  • Information accuracy standards
  • Privacy protection protocols
  • Bias mitigation strategies
  • Conflict of interest disclosure
  • Public interest prioritization
  • Democratic accountability promotion

Communication Theory

  • Media literacy development
  • Audience engagement analysis
  • Information consumption patterns
  • Democratic discourse facilitation
  • Cultural narrative influence
  • Public opinion formation

Our comprehensive media vocabulary platform ensures students master sophisticated communication terminology through contextual application and repeated practice. The system's intelligent tracking monitors vocabulary development progress while providing personalized recommendations for expanding journalism and digital communication writing capabilities.

  1. Some people believe that media regulation is necessary to prevent misinformation, while others argue that press freedom requires minimal government intervention. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

  2. Entertainment media versus educational content each have their supporters among broadcasters. Discuss both perspectives and provide your viewpoint.

  3. Some argue that global media coverage provides better international perspective, while others believe that local news sources offer more relevant information. Discuss both views and state your opinion.

  4. Social media influence versus traditional advertising continue generating debate among marketing professionals. Discuss both approaches and give your own view.

  5. Some people think that media should prioritize objective reporting, while others believe that advocacy journalism serves important social functions. Discuss both viewpoints and provide your opinion.

Structure Mastery

  • Introduction: Present both media perspectives with balanced consideration
  • Body Paragraph 1: Develop digital platform arguments with technology evidence
  • Body Paragraph 2: Analyze traditional journalism benefits comprehensively
  • Conclusion: Synthesize arguments with integrated media philosophy

Vocabulary Enhancement Techniques

  • Replace basic media terms with sophisticated communication alternatives
  • Integrate journalism terminology and digital platform concepts appropriately
  • Use evidence-based media research and technology integration collocations accurately
  • Demonstrate understanding of media complexity while maintaining clarity

Example Development Strategies

  • Reference specific media organizations or journalism innovations
  • Include relevant research findings about media consumption and democratic impact
  • Compare different national approaches to media regulation and press freedom
  • Analyze real-world media transformation examples and outcomes

Our comprehensive media writing program combines advanced vocabulary development, balanced argument construction, and detailed evidence-based analysis training. Students receive expert feedback on essay organization, media terminology usage, and analytical sophistication through our specialized communication studies writing assessment system, ensuring consistent Band 7+ performance.

Q: How can I quickly develop sophisticated media vocabulary for IELTS Writing? A: Focus on learning journalism and communication collocations in academic contexts rather than basic media terms. Practice using expressions like "editorial oversight," "information verification," and "democratic accountability" in complete analytical sentences. Read peer-reviewed communication research to understand sophisticated terminology usage patterns.

Q: What's the optimal essay structure for media discussion questions? A: Use a balanced 4-paragraph structure: introduction presenting both media perspectives, two body paragraphs with equal development (approximately 130-145 words each), and conclusion synthesizing arguments with your communication philosophy. Maintain 290-310 words total for comprehensive analysis.

Q: How do I avoid oversimplifying complex media topics? A: Acknowledge multiple factors influencing media systems. Instead of stating "media informs people," discuss "contemporary media ecosystems facilitate democratic discourse through professional journalism standards, citizen participation, and technological innovation while addressing misinformation challenges and maintaining editorial accountability."

Q: Should I include personal media consumption habits in my discussion essay? A: Avoid personal anecdotes entirely. Focus on media research, policy analysis, communication theory, and global journalism approaches. Maintain objective, analytical tone throughout while demonstrating sophisticated understanding of media system complexity and democratic functions.

Q: How can I make my media arguments more academically sophisticated? A: Integrate communication theory concepts, journalism ethics principles, digital platform analysis, and democratic media perspectives. Discuss evidence-based effectiveness, regulatory considerations, and technological innovation rather than simple platform descriptions.

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