Lesson 16: Media – Writing Band 8

Lesson 16: Media

1. author – the writer of a book, article, play, etc.
2. bias – the fact of preferring someone or something
3. censorship – the act of censoring books, films, etc.
4. current affairs – political news about events happening now
5. exposé – a public report of the facts about a situation, especially one that is shocking or has been kept secret 6.
6. exposure – the attention that someone or something gets from newspapers, television etc
7. free press – a press having the freedom to operate without interference or censorship
8. ideology – the set of ideas and beliefs of a group or political party.
9. mass media – newspapers, television, radio, and the internet
10. newsstand – a small structure where newspapers and magazines are sold
11. paparazzi – photographers who follow famous people in order to take photographs they can sell to newspapers
12. publicity – notice or attention given to someone or something by the media
13. relevance – the degree to which something is related or useful to what is happening or being talked about
14. safeguard – a rule, agreement etc that is intended to protect someone or something from possible dangers or problems
15. tabloid – a type of newspaper that has smaller pages, many pictures, and short reports
16. attention–grabbing – attracting people’s notice; striking
17. biased – unfairly preferring one person or group over another
18. celebrity – someone who is famous, especially in the entertainment business
19. distorted – changed from the usual, original, natural, or intended form
20. entertaining – funny and enjoyable
21. factual – based on facts
22. informative – providing a lot of useful information
23. intrusive – affecting someone in a way that annoys them and makes them feel uncomfortable
24. investigative – intended to examine a situation in order to discover the truth
25. mainstream – (of beliefs or behaviour) common and shared by most people
26. sensationalist – a person who presents stories in a way that is intended to provoke public interest or excitement, at the expense of accuracy.
27. superficial – (of a person) never thinking about things that are serious or important
28. unbiased – able to judge fairly because you are not influenced by your own opinions
29. well-informed – having a lot of knowledge
30. exploit – to use something in a way that helps you
31. invade – to enter a place by force, often in large numbers
32. publicize – to make information about something generally available
33. corruption – illegal, bad, or dishonest behaviour, especially by people in positions of power
34. pride oneself on – be especially proud of a particular quality or skill
35. reveal – to make known or show something usually secret or hidden
36. ill-informed – knowing less than you should about a particular subject
37. comply – to act according to an order, set of rules or request
38. alarming – causing worry and fear
39. underreport – fail to report (something) fully
40. relegate – to put someone or something into a lower or less important rank or position
41. media hype – publicity
42. impartial – not supporting any of the sides involved in an argument
43. invasive – (especially of an action or sensation) tending to intrude on a person’s thoughts or privacy; spreading
44. reality TV – television programs in which real people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative.
45. glamorous – attractive in an exciting and special way
46. rectify – to correct something or make something right

Some questions asked in previous IELTS Writing Paper that you would be able to write with the help of the vocabulary in this lesson:

1. Some people think the media – television and films – negatively affect people’s behaviour. Others do not think so. How do you think the media affects people’s behaviour? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
2. The most popular modern media is the internet. Do you think it will replace all other available media of communication? Provide specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.