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B2 vocabulary: media and entertainment

B2 media vocabulary helps you talk about news, television, films, music and online content with collocations such as the plot is gripping, binge-watch a series and keep up with the news. This page is part of our B2 vocabulary guide and gives you 48 items with original examples, false friends to avoid and exam-style practice.

By Eleanor BennettLast updated:

Why media vocabulary is so useful

Films, series, music and news are some of the easiest topics to practise because you consume them every day. In the exam, they appear as reviews in Writing Part 2, as Speaking Part 4 questions about fake news or celebrity culture, and in listening extracts with actors, musicians and journalists. Precise words make a big difference: the acting was convincing says much more than the actors were good.

Learn the groups below, especially the adjectives for reviews. Then connect them to technology vocabulary for streaming and social media, and to idioms for natural, informal reactions such as it's not my cup of tea.

Media and entertainment vocabulary: words and collocations

Use it to…Phrases
Nouns: media and entertainment
  • the news (uncountable, singular verb) – The news is on at nine.
  • headline – The story made the headlines all over Europe.
  • journalist / reporter / presenter – The presenter interviewed the mayor live.
  • programme (British) – a cookery programme, a documentary programme
  • series / episode / season – I've watched three episodes of the new series.
  • plot / storyline – The plot was hard to follow.
  • cast / character / soundtrack – The soundtrack was better than the film.
  • audience / viewers / listeners – The show attracts millions of viewers.
  • review / critic – The critics gave the film terrible reviews.
  • advert / advertisement / commercial – There are too many adverts during films.
Verbs and verb collocations
  • be released / come out – Her new album comes out next month.
  • star in / play the part of – She starred in two films last year.
  • binge-watch – watch many episodes at once. We binge-watched the whole season in a weekend.
  • broadcast – The concert will be broadcast live.
  • be set in – The novel is set in Glasgow in the 1980s.
  • report (on) – The paper reported on the floods.
  • go to the cinema / a concert / a gig – Let's go to a gig on Saturday.
  • subscribe to / cancel a subscription – I cancelled my subscription to save money.
  • censor / spread (rumours, fake news) – False stories spread faster than true ones.
  • recommend – I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes thrillers.
Phrasal verbs
  • tune in (to) – watch or listen to a broadcast. Millions tuned in for the final.
  • turn up / turn down (volume) – Can you turn the TV down?
  • keep up with (the news) – I keep up with the news on a podcast.
  • sell out – Tickets for the festival sold out in minutes.
  • come across – find by chance. I came across a brilliant documentary.
  • live up to – be as good as expected. The sequel didn't live up to the hype.
  • put on (a show) – organise or perform. The school puts on a musical every year.
  • look forward to – I'm looking forward to the next season.
Adjectives and word families (great for reviews)
  • gripping / thrilling – very exciting. a gripping thriller
  • predictable / far-fetched – The ending was predictable and the plot far-fetched.
  • moving / touching – making you feel emotion. a moving story about a refugee family
  • convincing / unconvincing – The lead actor gave a convincing performance.
  • hilarious – extremely funny.
  • overrated / underrated – I think that band is completely overrated.
  • entertain → entertainment → entertaining – an entertaining evening
  • inform → information → informative – an informative documentary
  • bias → biased / unbiased – Some newspapers are clearly biased.
  • perform → performance → performer – Her performance was outstanding.
Useful phrases for discussing media
  • be based on a true story / a novel – The series is based on a true story.
  • a spoiler – information that ruins a surprise. No spoilers, please!
  • celebrity culture – Celebrity culture puts a lot of pressure on young people.
  • fake news / clickbait – Clickbait headlines exaggerate to get clicks.
  • in the public eye – famous and watched by the public.
  • invade someone's privacy – Photographers invaded the singer's privacy.
  • a box-office hit / flop – a commercially successful / unsuccessful film.
  • it's worth watching – It's long, but it's worth watching.
  • it kept me on the edge of my seat – it was very exciting.
  • it's not my cup of tea (informal) – I don't really like it.

False friends and confusing pairs in media vocabulary

  • Trap: The public loved the concert. (Spanish público, Italian pubblico, German Publikum, Polish publiczność)

    Fix: For people watching a show, say the audience. The public means ordinary people in general: The museum is open to the public.

  • Trap: I read a good critic of the film. (Spanish crítica, Italian critica, German Kritik)

    Fix: The text is a review. A critic is the person who writes it; criticism is negative comment.

  • Trap: I watched a nice serial online. (Polish serial, Italian serie, German Serie)

    Fix: In modern British English say series (singular and plural).

  • Trap: The news are very bad today.

    Fix: News is uncountable and singular: The news is bad. One item is a piece of news.

  • Trap: I saw an advice on TV for a new car. (Spanish aviso, Italian avviso)

    Fix: Say an advert / advertisement (or commercial). Advice is uncountable and means recommendations.

  • Trap: The film was very argument. / What's the argument of the film? (Spanish argumento, Italian argomento)

    Fix: The story is the plot; the subject is the topic. An argument is a disagreement or a reason in a discussion.

  • Trap: The spectators of the TV show.

    Fix: Spectators watch live sport. For TV, say viewers; for radio, listeners; for a theatre or cinema, the audience.

Use it in the exam: Speaking Part 4

Media questions in Speaking Part 4 often ask about trust, influence or the role of celebrities. Show B2 range by using precise adjectives (biased, reliable, sensational) and give a concrete example from news or entertainment you know. More questions are in our Part 4 question bank.

Sample Part 4 answer: media

Examiner: Do you think people trust the news less than they used to?

Yes, I think so, and partly because there's so much information now. In the past people had a few TV channels and newspapers, and most of them were fairly reliable. Now anyone can post a video, and clickbait headlines spread much faster than careful reporting. A friend of mine shared a story about a celebrity that turned out to be completely fake. That said, I don't think the answer is to stop following the news. I try to keep up with it from two or three different sources, because even good newspapers can be a bit biased.

Why it works

  • Agrees clearly and gives a reason immediately.
  • Uses vocabulary from this page: reliable, clickbait, headlines, keep up with, biased.
  • Contrasts past and present, showing a range of tenses.
  • Uses 'That said' to add a balanced, personal conclusion.

Media and entertainment questions for speaking practice

Answer each question aloud for 30 to 45 seconds. Use at least one precise adjective from the review list in each answer.

Media and entertainment

  • Do you prefer watching films at the cinema or at home? Why?
  • Should celebrities be role models for young people?
  • Is it acceptable for photographers to follow famous people everywhere?
  • How do you decide which news sources to trust?
  • Has streaming made television better or worse?
  • Why do you think remakes and sequels are so popular?
  • Should advertising aimed at children be banned?
  • Is live music better than recorded music?

B2 media vocabulary: FAQ

Is 'news' singular or plural?

Singular and uncountable: The news is on. For one item, say a piece of news or a news story.

What is the difference between 'audience', 'viewers' and 'spectators'?

Audience is the group watching a performance or film. Viewers watch TV or online videos. Spectators watch a live event, usually sport.

What adjectives can I use in a film review?

Positive: gripping, moving, hilarious, convincing, outstanding. Negative: predictable, far-fetched, slow-moving, overrated, disappointing. Always add a short reason.

Is it 'programme' or 'program'?

In British English, a TV or radio show is a programme. A computer program is spelt the same in British and American English.

Which media words come up in word formation?

Common families are entertain/entertainment/entertaining, inform/information/informative, perform/performance/performer, advertise/advertisement/advertising and bias/biased/unbiased.