IELTS Writing 12 Topics Sample #8/12 : Media 02

We can get knowledge from news, but some people think we cannot trust the journalist.

What do you think?

What qualities do you think a successful journalist should have?

Opinion 1

Some people question whether we can trust the journalists who bring us the news. With this in mind, it is good to outline the qualities and characteristics of a successful journalist.

It is the responsibility of any journalist to supply readers, viewers, or listeners with an accurate and unbiased account of the news story he is covering. Journalists are taught to be accurate and objective. They are instructed to check and double-check their sources for any story on which they are reporting. A journalist who fabricates the facts of a story or plays loose with the details of a story may be risking his reputation and possibly his career.

That being said, journalists are human, and they sometimes make mistakes or have personal opinions or feelings regarding the news stories they are reporting. So it is possible that a journalist may slant the story that he is covering, providing a subjective voice to the story instead of an objective voice. In other cases, news agencies are not allowed to reveal the truth to the public for political reasons, so it is not fair to blame journalists. Readers. listeners and viewers of the news should consider this and should check multiple accounts of a news story if multiple accounts are available to make sure that the facts from those different accounts coincide.

Most journalists are trustworthy, but it is also good to remember that they are human and they may occasionally make errors in reporting the facts of a story or in providing an objective account of a story.

Opinion 2

It is increasingly difficult for modern-day journalists to write impartially, so people tend to be suspicious about the content in the news. There are now so many competing sources for news within the media today, so it is quite difficult to discern which ones are reliable and which ones are not.

Journalists often in the spotlight, and people look up to them for offering unbiased and truthful reporting. Sometimes the truth can be uncomfortable or does not sell the message that governments want to hear, so there is pressure on news organizations to limit their questions and criticism. This is why people may only know some parts of truth about an incident or even distorted facts.

In order to be successful in the news industry, the journalists must show that they have integrity and courage to stand up. It has always been the journalists ability to distinguish fact
from fiction which has been one of their most important qualities. other characteristics that are of great importance are tenacity, objectivity in presenting both sides of the argument, and to have courage and not to be afraid of being unpopular with the authorities.

The printed words have such power, which can influence and inform the minds of millions of readers in seconds. Due to the pressure of governmental policies, news can be distorted.Overall, successful journalists are those who are brave, objective and trying to give news which can be trusted, despite and difficulty that truth may hurt some authorities’ benefits.