Most people have forgotten the meaning behind traditional or religious festivals

 
101 
January 1, 2020 
89.
 
Advertising - influences 
Some people think that the news media has become much more influential in 
people’s lives today and it is a negative development. Do you agree or disagree? 
It is commonly held that the news has become an invasive force in people’s everyday lives. 
In my opinion, I completely disagree with this viewpoint because the news contributes 
greatly to the decision making process of discerning citizens. 
Modern news media properly consumed improves its readership’s ability to make quality 
decisions regarding their own interests. One standout example of this is the way that 
people follow political issues. In democratic countries, it is difficult to argue that there is 
anything more important than staying informed of political developments. When 
Americans learned about the harmful effects of global warming on our environment they 
began to advocate, through the ballot box and general public sentiment, for reforms. This 
has led to the election and overhaul of policies related to environmental conservation and 
is the direct result of information gleaned from experts on the news. 
Some rightly argue that the news is not always trustworthy. Individuals and organisations 
are always attempting to twist the news to their advantage. A good example of this would 
be the recent rise of online news. Online news goes up immediately and is therefore much 
more likely to contain mistakes than news verified and published in newspapers. 
Retractions in newspapers are rarely read and they are almost unheard of for online news, 
despite their increasing frequency. This is a decided consequence of the way people 
consume news today but readers can avoid this by only trusting reputable sources like The 
New York Times or the BBC and not naively believing every article they happen across.
In conclusion, I believe that the merits of staying informed far outweigh any perceived 
drawbacks. People should take the time to find reliable news sources and vet the articles 
most pertinent to them. 
Word count: 291 

---

Essays From Examiners