LSAT 105 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q18

LR Question 18 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Sociologist: The intended function of news …

QUESTION TYPE: Necessary Assumption

CONCLUSION: News cannot serve its intended function when it’s primarily entertainment.

REASONING:

1. Its intended function is to give us information on which to act.
2. News becomes a product for consumption, leading to an industry that prioritizes entertainment.

ANALYSIS: The argument is concluding that news that is meant to be entertainment cannot give us actionable information (its intended function). But why? It never links these two concepts. So there’s a gap that must be bridged.

We need an answer that explicitly states this assumption that entertainment is incompatible with providing information we can act on.

___________

1. The argument does not say news can never be entertaining. It says if news is primarily entertaining, it fails to be informative.
   Negation: News that serves its intended function can be entertaining.
2. Viewer preferences don’t matter to the argument about the effect of commercialization on the informative quality of news.
   Negation: Most viewers do not prefer that news be entertaining.
3. The argument doesn’t require that news only has one important function. It just focuses on what it deems the intended function.
   Negation: News has more than one important function.
4. CORRECT. This directly connects the premise and conclusion. If primarily entertaining news cannot provide actionable information, the argument holds. Conversely, the negation of D wrecks the argument.
   Negation: News that primarily entertains can still provide information on which to act.
5. The argument doesn’t rely on the idea that all profit-driven news is entertainment focused. Just that it happens to be the case in our consumer society.
   Negation: A news industry that aims to make a profit does not necessarily present news as entertainment.