Any person who intends to write a critical media analysis must be good at writing essays. The analysis is not a normal type of document. It’s the result of intense research. One has to be ready to put in the hours to garner as much information and data that would then form the basis of the analysis. Nevertheless, you too can learn how to write one by following the steps listed below.
Identifying relevant search words
The first step in writing a critical media analysis is to identify the most relevant search words. Based on this information, you would then use the words to search for any information you consider pertinent to your media analysis. Additionally, you also need these words and terms to shortlist the sort of articles that are worth reading for more details. Otherwise, you may have an impossibly difficult time finding what you need for your analysis.
Researching
With the search words in place, your task should now focus on conducting detailed research. You will need to visit multiple websites for information that you need. The search terms will also help you to select the most important articles to read and build your analysis upon instead of going through everything you see. To put this in perspective, you can do nothing without research. Furthermore, your essay would lack credibility if you don’t base it on research.
Writing the introductory part
Now that you have prepared a list of search words and conducted sufficient research, your next task is to write the introductory part. You can’t and should never ignore this part of the essay. It’s just as important as any other. The introduction offers readers insights regarding the main purpose for writing the essay in the first place. It opens the doors through which readers get a hint of what is to follow and why they need to continue reading.
Writing a thesis statement
Since we have established that media analysis is an essay, it then follows that this type of document would be incomplete without a thesis statement. This statement is technically a part of the introductory section. In this part, you will make a statement that shows what you will seek to prove or disprove in the remainder of the essay. The statement should appear right at the end of the introductory segment.
Organizing the body into paragraphs
Now that you’re done with the introductory part and the thesis statement, you should now proceed to the body. Here, you will have to organize your content in various paragraphs. You are not limited to a specific number of paragraphs or pages. Everything depends on the scope of your media analysis and the content that you encounter. Nevertheless, remember to keep the analysis as detailed as possible.
By organizing the body into paragraphs, you would be:
- Presenting relevant information in logical manner and sections
- Presenting relevant information chronologically
- Making the written piece highly effective at passing the right information to the readers
- Structuring the body spatially, which allows readers to scan the sections easily
As important as the introductory section is in a media analysis, you also need to remember that most of your content is in the body. The truth is the introduction is like a door. What your readers need is in the rest of the body. For this reason, you should organize the body using persuasive-style appeals. Here, you would capture the readers’ attention by appealing to their emotions and sense of logic too. Persuasive-style approaches involve using the following:
- Ethos
- Pathos
- Logos
Conclusion
Lastly, do not finish and submit the media analysis without an accompanying conclusion. The conclusion is not just a place where you can ramble on, as you like. Instead, it offers you the space for recap the key aspects of the analysis. It reiterates the importance of the issues you covered. Additionally, it also reinforces the thesis statement while drawing the readers’ attention to any research that could be deemed necessary in future.
