This model essay aims to provide some useful guidance for writing an insightful and

impactful argumentative essay on an A-Level essay question. The essay is periodically

interjected with Teacher’s Comments (TC) to allow a better understanding of the
strengths and weaknesses of the content.

Question Analysis

• A free press is an indispensable bulwark (a person or thing that acts as a defence) of an

open, democratic society because it defends the society against bias.
• One needs to get to the stage where one is acutely conscious of the damage that can be
done by inaccurate/over reporting, both to the reputation of individuals and to society
as a whole.
• People have to be discerning about the information they take in, and be aware of the
severity of inaccurate/over reporting, because that could ruin the reputation of
individuals (e.g. an innocent person accused of a crime) or harm the society (e.g.
reporting incorrect haze levels/Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) can harm people’s health
because their perceived level of safety is inaccurate).
• Media is plural. Medium is singular.

Fully-Guided Model Essay

The role of the media is to report and provide information, and to shape the perspectives of
people through its dissemination of information to the general public. [TC: Good opening
sentence: to highlight the role/purpose of the media but to evaluate critically, you need to
consider the differences between the responsible media and the irresponsible media. Your
stand supports instituting a responsible media.] There is a diverse array of topics which
could be covered in the media*, but there are also particular subjects that should not be
publicised under any circumstances, due to reasons such as the possible invasion of
personal privacy, or even potentially putting the safety of the country at risk. [TC: Good. You
have clearly stated your stand that you agree with the question.] It is essential to realize that
it is the liability of the media to exercise discretion wisely to ensure that privacy and security
at all levels are preserved. [TC: Good link] To be more specific, issues that should be kept at
length from public discussion or discourse include information on national security,
gruesome images or details and personal confidential information. [TC: Good introduction]

The responsible media have the obligation to restrict the circulation of security information,
especially when it jeopardises the national security of an entire country. It is imperative to
guarantee the protection of the country’s top-secret documents and information, whose
leakage could potentially unleash widespread destruction. This includes information relating
to defence against national threats such as transnational terrorism. [TC: Good example but
there is no link to the next line with a focus placed on the question. Add: Indeed, the media
should not publish materials relating to national security and defence that most countries
have placed restraints on.] The media should uphold the executive orders set out by
governments such as the recently revised United States government classification system, in
which it lays out the system of classification, declassification and handling of national
security information generated by the U.S. government and its employees and contractors,
as well as information received from other governments. Such security measures

Felicia Lee | More free notes at tick.ninja

 demonstrate the immense significance of handling national security information with care
in which the responsible media should not breach. [TC: Good link] Moreover, another case
discusses how WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange, were under fire for posting more
than a quarter million secret U.S. documents, many of which threatened national security.
When The New York Times published these U.S. State Department papers, the U.S. Air Force
responded by blocking its personnel from accessing the news sites with published leaked
cables. The availability of such sensitive information might endanger the US and coalition
personnel since the warring methods and strategies were disclosed to the enemies. These
two examples evidently prove that leaking classified information threatens the national
security of a country, which explains why every government places great value on upholding
the confidentiality of such information. Therefore, the media have a responsibility to refrain
from providing information that endangers the national security and may precipitate the
collapse of the national social fabric.

Another condition that the media must consider before publication is the manner in which it
describes heinous crimes. [TC: Good point] The media must recognise the fine line between
helping its audience to vividly comprehend the atrocity of the crime, and offending its
readers or viewers, particularly children. [TC: Good elaboration] Consequently it is crucial
that the media takes into consideration the audience to which it is targeting by the use of
the demographic factor. [TC: Good evaluation] Indeed, young children who are simple-
minded and undiscerning may be easily manipulated by others’ perceptions and false
factual information. Hence, it is vital that undiscriminating children are sheltered from the
profanity, nudity, violence and obscenity we often encounter in the media as adults as it
may undermine their beliefs and value system. Nonetheless, there may be readers, apart
from children, who are not able to stomach the violence and monstrosity contained in the
graphic images or details. To exemplify this, the censoring of morbid images and videos of
the Iraq War for the American society was essential to prevent any permanent damaging
psychological effects on the general audience. [TC: Good example] Thus, it is absolutely
critical for the media to exercise prudence in ensuring that the materials it produces for
public viewing are acceptable across all age groups, so as to not offend any of its
viewers. [TC: Good link]

Last but not least, it is the onus of the media to safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of
any individuals such as witnesses, victims, or sometimes even the perpetrators of
crime. [TC: Good point] When it comes to victims of rape, for instance, the identities of
these victims have to be concealed to protect them from public harassment, discrimination
or shame. [TC: Good elaboration] In the case of the rape victim of the actor Michael Le
Vell**, after her name was revealed on Twitter, a man suspected of disclosing this
information was detained. Greater Manchester’s police superintendent Phil Davies justified
these actions of detainment as public identifications of victims of sex abuse, in particular
child victims engaged in court proceedings can cause both immediate and long-term distress
and harm. The management of information concerning victims of crime should not be taken
lightly as this could be severely damaging and detrimental to their psychological wellbeing,
and may also adversely impact their recovery process. For that reason, the media have the
duty to ensure the privacy of individuals such as the victims, witnesses and young
perpetrators of crime, to protect their identities and any confidential information.

Felicia Lee | More free notes at tick.ninja

 To sum up, the media should exercise vigilance before bringing up any issue in the vast
array of topics. [TC: Vague. A better conclusion should summarise all three points mentioned
above. Consider this instead: To sum up, the media should exercise vigilance when it
concerns national security, gruesome images and details, and individuals’ privacy.] It is the
responsibility of the media to protect certain sensitive national security information or
confidential individual information. The media should also censor mentally-damaging
images to safeguard the psychological wellbeing of its viewers and ensure that they are not
at risk of any future repercussions, which may lead to dysfunctional lives. Therefore,
governments in any country should work closely with the media to ensure these
objectives are met adequately, so as to maximise the welfare of the citizens. [TC: This is
not a good closing statement. You need to understand the media should be independent of
the government to support the democratic processes. Consider this instead: Therefore, as far
as national security interests are at stake, a responsible media should respect the executive
orders of the government and limit the flow of socially destabilising information. At the
same time, a responsible media should also be quick to report on the government’s
misconduct and misdeeds in order to tighten the bolts on the country’s stability.]

Additional Notes:
*Give some examples: environmental issues like environmental degradation? Political issues
like corruption? Social issues like mortality, poverty and educational statistics?
**Actor Michael Le Vell has been cleared of a number of child sex abuse charges, including
rape.

For enquiries about our quality English/GP tuition, please contact The Useful English Tutor
at 9747-0937.

Felicia Lee | More free notes at tick.ninja