IELTS Task 2 sample essay: Why the News Is Negative
Direct questionsMedia and advertising
The question
Most news stories in the media are negative. Why is this the case? Should the media report more positive news?
Try writing your own answer first, then compare. Reading a model before you write tends to make you copy it.
The plan
Position: Why: negative stories attract attention and are often more urgent. Yes, more positive and solution-focused news should be reported.
- Why: human attention is drawn to threats, and media compete for clicks.
- Should they change: yes, balanced reporting gives a truer picture and reduces anxiety, without hiding problems.
Model answer
290 wordsMost of the news reported in newspapers and online is negative, focusing on crime, disaster and conflict. This happens largely because bad news attracts more attention, and I believe the media should report more positive stories, although not at the expense of serious problems.
There are two main reasons why the news is so negative. The first is human psychology: people react more strongly to threats than to good news, because noticing danger once helped our ancestors survive. A headline about a violent crime therefore draws more readers than one about falling crime rates. The second reason is competition. News organisations depend on clicks and viewers for their income, so they have a strong incentive to publish the stories that attract the largest audience, which are usually alarming ones. In addition, sudden events such as accidents and attacks are easier to report than slow improvements in health or education, which rarely happen on a single day.
I believe the media should report more positive news, for two reasons. Firstly, a constant focus on disaster gives a distorted picture of the world. Many people believe that poverty and violent crime are rising when, in many countries, they have fallen, and this pessimism can make people feel that action is pointless. Secondly, a diet of bad news contributes to anxiety, and some people now avoid the news altogether, which leaves them less informed.
This does not mean hiding problems. The answer is reporting that includes progress and solutions, showing not only what has gone wrong but also what is working.
In conclusion, negative stories dominate because they attract attention and income. A more balanced approach, which reports serious problems alongside genuine progress, would leave audiences better informed and more willing to act.
Scored by the MyBandPrep checker on 7 October 2026. An estimate, not an examiner’s mark. How scoring works
Why it works
- Task Response
- Both questions are answered fully, each in its own paragraph, and the opinion is clear and qualified.
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Reasons are clearly separated (“The first is…”, “The second reason is…”), and the final body paragraph prevents a misunderstanding of the position.
- Lexical Resource
- Precise phrases: “a distorted picture”, “a strong incentive”, “a diet of bad news”.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Accurate complex sentences and a natural range, including a well-controlled “when” contrast.
Phrases worth reusing
- a strong incentive
- a distorted picture of the world
- a diet of bad news
- not at the expense of serious problems
- alongside genuine progress
Now write your own
Answer this question in 40 minutes and get an estimated band with the sentences to fix.