IELTS Speaking · Part 3
Media and news: IELTS Speaking Part 3 questions
Last updated 2 September 2026
In short
Discussion questions
The examiner usually opens the discussion with: "How do most people in your country keep up with the news?", then works up from concrete to abstract.
Development (societal)
Why do you think people are drawn to bad news more than good news?
Cause & effectHow has the way people get their news changed in recent years?
ComparisonDo you think the news influences people's opinions too much?
OpinionWhat are the risks of getting your news mainly from social media?
Evaluation
Depth (abstract & hypothetical)
Should the news try to be entertaining, or only informative?
OpinionHow might the way news is reported change in the future?
SpeculationIf everyone only read news they agreed with, what would happen to society?
HypothesisIs it possible for the news to be completely unbiased?
Evaluation
Useful vocabulary for this theme
Band 7+ language for discussing media and news.
- breaking news
- important news reported as it happens
- “I check my phone for breaking news several times a day.”
- a current affairs programme
- a show discussing recent political and social events
- “My parents always watch a current affairs programme after dinner.”
- biased reporting
- coverage that unfairly favours one side
- “You have to watch out for biased reporting in the papers.”
- skim the headlines
- glance quickly over the main news titles
- “I usually just skim the headlines while I'm having breakfast.”
- stay informed
- keep yourself up to date with events
- “I read the paper mainly to stay informed about world events.”