How to Write a Media Studies Essay

During your Media Studies course you will be required to learn how to communicate in a variety of different genres. Learning to identify these genres, their audiences, styles and conventions, and to adapt your writing style in accordance with them, will be essential to your progress. If you are aiming to achieve high grades, the first and foremost of these genres to master is academic essay writing.   

From film to Facebook, landlines to laptops, and television to tablets, life in the twenty-first century is increasingly dominated by a wide variety of new media. Media studies is a discipline that concerns itself with the form, content, production and effects of various kinds of media, with a special (but not exclusive) focus upon the so-called ‘mass media'.

Drawing upon both the humanities and the social sciences, researchers in media studies may employ methods and theories from disciplines as diverse as communication studies, critical theory, sociology, cultural studies, literary theory, political science, anthropology, film theory, information theory, aesthetics, gender studies and rhetoric. Whenever working in such a rich, interdisciplinary field, it is crucially important not to lose site of the basics.

Writing for an academic audience

Crucial to understanding media and communication of all kinds is to take into account the target audience, and this is no less the case when it comes to academic essay writing. The ‘end consumer' of your university assignments will be your lecturers, tutors and examiners, and they will expect you adhere to the rigorous standards and conventions of academic scholarship.

Most of the writing you will be required to submit on your media studies course will take the form of argumentative or thesis-based essays. Rather than merely summarising the ideas of others, this means that you will be expected to articulate a clear, coherent position of your own, and to back it up with carefully reasoned arguments and appropriate evidence. It is this emphasis upon objective inquiry, critical thinking and rational argumentation and that makes academic writing different from that of most other genres. 

How to Write a Good Media Studies Essay

• Begin by outlining what you are going to say, how you will structure your arguments, and what evidence you will draw upon to substantiate your claims.

• Make sure that your reading is always guided by the essay question in order to produce focused notes, and only include in the essay what is relevant to answering the question.

• Your introductory paragraph should clearly state your understanding of the question and outline the structure of the essay to follow.

• Use plain language to make your points and avoid convoluted sentences.

• Ensure that each step in the argument is clearly signposted so that the reader is never left wondering why a particular point is being made.

• Avoid excessive summarising, use of quotations, and over-reliance on particular texts and authors.

• Substantiate your claims with arguments and evidence, and always critically evaluate your sources.

• Demonstrate an awareness of different points of view, and be sure to anticipate counter-objections to your claims.

• Do not introduce new material into your conclusion but succinctly summarise your arguments and demonstrate how you have answered the question.

• Carefully proof-read, revise and edit your work (or have somebody else do it for you) to ensure correct spelling, grammar and punctuation, and be sure to format and reference it in accordance with your department's preferred specifications.

Consult an Expert

If you want to learn how to write a media studies essay that will get you the grade you want, there is no better way than to consult an academic expert in the subject. At Essay Writing Service UK we will assign to you an academic expert who will be able to assist you with every aspect of your essay, from first draft to final submission.

To find out how Essay Writing Service UK can help you with your media studies essay, take a look at our essay writing page. If you are looking for help with a dissertation, we have a variety of solutions available to assist you, from a dissertation proposal to the conclusion.

How Can I Order?

It's really simple to place an order with Essay Writing Service UK. Simply place the order online by clicking here, or alternatively feel free to call one of our consultants who can take your order over the phone on 0203 011 0100.