News Editors Decide What to Broadcast on Television and What to Print in Newspapers - IELTS Task 2 Band 9 Sample Essay

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Sample Essay 1

News selection for television and newspapers is often driven by various social and commercial factors. Editors make deliberate choices based on audience preferences, political influence, and profitability. While constant exposure to negative news may desensitize the public, shifting towards more positive reporting could have meaningful societal benefits. This essay will examine the key drivers behind editorial decisions, explore the psychological effects of frequent bad news, and argue why greater emphasis on uplifting stories is both necessary and beneficial.

One of the primary factors influencing editorial choices is the commercial imperative. News outlets are businesses, and their survival depends on viewership and circulation. Since sensational or alarming news typically garners more attention, editors often prioritise stories involving crime, conflict, or disaster. This strategy, while financially effective, risks distorting public perception by creating a disproportionate focus on societal problems. For example, extensive media coverage of violent crime in certain urban areas can make the public believe such events are more frequent than they truly are, a phenomenon known as the “mean world syndrome.” Additionally, political agendas can shape news priorities. Governments or powerful interest groups may indirectly influence coverage, ensuring favourable narratives dominate, while inconvenient truths receive minimal exposure. Thus, editorial decisions are not purely journalistic but often a blend of business strategy and political calculation.

Repeated exposure to negative news has a significant psychological impact, leading to emotional numbing and desensitisation. When audiences are bombarded with tragedy and crisis on a daily basis, their capacity for empathy diminishes, and they may begin to perceive suffering as normal or inevitable. This trend not only reduces public engagement with serious issues but can also contribute to a sense of helplessness or apathy. In contrast, increased reporting of positive developments—such as community initiatives, scientific breakthroughs, or acts of kindness—could foster optimism and collective motivation. Countries like Finland have experimented with “constructive journalism,” which focuses on solutions rather than problems, and have seen measurable improvements in public morale. Reporting more good news, therefore, does not mean ignoring reality but rather broadening the narrative to include hope and progress.

In conclusion, editorial decisions are shaped by commercial interests and political pressures, often favouring negative news for profit and influence. However, the societal effects of constant pessimism are concerning. Prioritising more positive stories could restore public trust, promote mental well-being, and encourage civic engagement.

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Sample Essay 2

News outlets play a powerful role in shaping public consciousness, and the decisions made by editors about what to feature are rarely neutral. These choices are often driven by cultural narratives, editorial bias, and the need to maintain a specific ideological stance. While audiences may indeed become desensitised to bleak headlines, the greater concern is that an imbalance in reporting distorts reality. This essay will critically examine how editorial perspectives and sociopolitical agendas influence news curation, and argue that diversifying content to include more constructive news is essential for a healthier, more informed public mindset.

One key factor shaping editorial decisions is the ideological alignment of the media institution itself, which determines not only what is reported, but also how it is framed. Editors, consciously or subconsciously, prioritise stories that reinforce the values or worldviews of their intended audience. For instance, a conservative outlet may highlight immigration as a national threat, while a liberal one may present it as a humanitarian issue. Both are technically reporting on the same event but crafting radically different public interpretations. This editorial bias is not confined to political stories; it extends to economics, education, even science. The result is a deeply fragmented information landscape in which citizens consume filtered narratives, reinforcing echo chambers and reducing critical engagement with complex issues. Therefore, the editorial lens itself—more than commercial factors—has a decisive influence on what audiences come to accept as “truth.”

The overrepresentation of negative news not only dulls emotional response, but more dangerously, distorts the perceived state of the world, contributing to cognitive biases such as catastrophizing and generalised mistrust. People may begin to believe that society is in a constant state of decay, which can affect democratic engagement, social cohesion, and even voter turnout. However, a broader editorial vision—one that includes progress stories, policy successes, or examples of resilience—could recalibrate public perception without compromising journalistic integrity. Take, for example, the reporting approach of The Solutions Journalism Network, which trains newsrooms to investigate responses to societal problems, rather than merely cataloguing crises. Such initiatives show that it is possible to report truthfully while also promoting informed optimism and deeper public interest in problem-solving.

In conclusion, editorial perspectives rooted in ideology and agenda significantly influence what news is selected and how it is conveyed. Meanwhile, a steady stream of grim headlines distorts public perception and undermines social trust. A more balanced approach, including solution-focused reporting, is urgently needed to restore media’s role as a constructive force in society.

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