Onterra TutorIs getting news from social media a positive or negative change?
Duolingo English Test writing question in the official format, with a full model answer and notes on why it scores. Write your own version below it and get an instant rater-style score.
The question
Many people today get their news from social media instead of newspapers or television. Is this a positive or negative change? Explain your opinion with reasons and examples.
Model answer
On balance I think it is a negative change, though not for the reason most people give. The usual complaint is fake news, but false stories existed in print too. The deeper problem is that social media delivers news sorted by emotion rather than importance: the algorithm promotes whatever angers or frightens us, so a minor outrage travels further than a major policy change. Newspapers had editors deciding what mattered; feeds have engagement metrics deciding what spreads. I still see the positives, since social media gives ordinary witnesses a voice and breaks stories official channels suppress. My own solution is to treat feeds as alerts, not as news: I hear about events there, then read about them somewhere slower.
Why this answer scores
- Goes past the obvious 'fake news' answer to a more original mechanism.
- The editors-versus-metrics contrast is compact and precise.
- Ends with a practical personal rule, giving the answer a satisfying close.
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