Writing media essays involves gathering resources from a variety of outlets, including the Internet, TV, and movies, as well as music and radio. This type of essay is often written to make people aware of a certain event or happening that has, is, or will be taking place. Sometimes an author of this type of essay will provide his or her opinion on the topic and encourage readers to develop their opinion as well. Any time a media essay is written, the writer can follow several tips to make the writing process easier. These tips include selecting an interesting topic, creating a thesis statement and outline, incorporating the basics found within any type of essay, and properly citing any sources used.
All media essays should be focused on an interesting topic that will hold the readers’ attention. A well-chosen topic will allow the writer to organize and direct the readers' interest. In order for the writer to best organize his or her paper, a strong thesis statement must be developed. By relating each paragraph back to the thesis, the paper will be both cohesive and directed.
While conducting research for media essays may seem simple due to the wealth of information available, writers should strive to find reliable resources from authoritative sources. When researching online, using a search engine and doing a Boolean search is the best option for finding specific information. In addition, looking for sites that cite their own sources is a good sign that the information is more reliable.
Creating a detailed outline that includes the thesis statement will help a writer to stay focused. Based on the thesis statement, a writer should develop supporting paragraphs that back up the main argument or specific topic. Researching each paragraph separately is one way to focus each paragraph and then relate it back to the original thesis.
In general, an essay includes three basic elements: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. An introduction may include background information or leading statements, and the thesis statement. The body of the paper should consist of several paragraphs, depending on the parts of the argument or explanation, all which support the thesis statement. The writer should cite a number of different sources within the body of the paper. The conclusion simply reflects on what has already been stated throughout the paper by restating crucial facts and/or statements, and may project ideas for the future.
Correctly citing and referencing sources found within media essays is imperative in ensuring that the writing is credible. If the paper is not credible, the readers have no reason to believe what has been stated. Writers of media essays must remember that paraphrased statements must be cited and referenced the same as quoted statements. The entire format of this type of paper, including references, usually follows the American Psychological Association (APA) style or Modern Language Association (MLA) style; usually the person who has requested the essay will specify the style in which it should be written.