Some people think that the detailed criminal description on newspapers and TV has bad influences, so this kind of information should be restricted on the media.

Practice this IELTS Writing Task 2 question on IELTSX. Some people think that the detailed criminal description on newspapers and TV has bad influences, so this kind of information should be restricted on the media.

Criminal Information Newspapers TV Bad Influence Restrict Media - IELTS Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give your own opinion.

Write at least 250 words.

A student's answer to this task, and the feedback on it

Written by an IELTSX user under exam conditions and published unedited and anonymously. Band 7 ยท 336 words.

It has become increasingly common that newspapers and tv channels show detailed information about crimes. It is proposed to restrict such data on media. While it has bad implications on pysychological behaviour of individuals, I firmly believe that newspapers and television channels can increase awareness of the audience.

On the one hand, it is true that the detailed description of criminal activities should be restricted on broadcast channels and papers due to deveral reasons. Many people watch television or to recharge after a stressful day of work or on weekends. At these times, they want to spend their time to more meaningful and enthusiastic programmes such as Family Feud rather than listening to criminal records. In addition, broadcast channels tend to exaggerate these descriptions to increase viewership, as people tend to pay attention to negativity more. Therefore, excessive exposure to criminal activities may deteriorate viewers' mental well-being, negatively influencing their moods . As a result, people will become prone to trust others in a society because of activities they are shown on tv or newspapers.

However, this kind of information about criminal activity should be widely broadcasted on media. One major reason for this is to increase awareness among the population about crimes and the consequences. This is primarily because the widespread technology made it easy for criminals to commit various crimes such as online fraud and scams. In order to protect people from becoming a victim, television channels provide ample information about criminal activities, potential offenses, the consequences of crimes. In other words, potential lawbreakers may also be discouraged to certain extent from committing crimes if they see what kinds of punishments they will receive by law. Consequently, detailed report of crimes foster transparency in a society.

In conclusion, media plays an indispensable role in raising awareness about crimes and activities. Although these types of news can have a negative influence on the mental health of viewers, I strongly believe this is a positive development in societal development and results in the prevention of offenses.

Examiner feedback

This is a strong Band 7.0 essay. It clearly addresses the prompt with a balanced argument and a well-defined personal stance. To reach a higher band, the writer should focus on eliminating minor spelling and collocation errors while deepening the analysis of how 'detailed' descriptions specifically (rather than just news) affect the public.

Task Response - 7

- The candidate addresses all parts of the task and presents a clear position throughout the essay. - Main ideas are relevantly developed: the negative impact on mental health and social trust versus the benefits of awareness and crime prevention. - The response could be strengthened by more specifically addressing the 'detailed' aspect of the descriptions rather than just 'news about crime' in general.

Coherence & Cohesion - 7

- Information and ideas are organized logically with a clear progression from the negative aspects to the positive benefits. - Cohesive devices (e.g., 'On the one hand', 'In addition', 'Consequently') are used effectively to link ideas. - Each paragraph has a clear central topic that supports the overall argument.

Lexical Resource - 7

- There is a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow for some flexibility and precision (e.g., 'deteriorate', 'viewership', 'indispensable', 'transparency'). - Some errors in spelling ('pysychological', 'deveral') and word choice/collocation ('spend their time to', 'broadcasted') are present but do not impede communication. - Style is generally appropriate for an academic task.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy - 7

- A variety of complex structures are used, such as conditional sentences and subordinate clauses. - The writer produces frequent error-free sentences, though there are minor slips in tense ('technology made it easy' instead of 'has made') and preposition use. - Punctuation is generally well-controlled.

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