LR Question 15 Explanation
QUESTION TEXT: Journalism’s purpose is to inform people about matters…
QUESTION TYPE: Complete the Argument
CONCLUSION: Often, sensationalistic gossip is included to sell papers/shows, rather than for journalistic reasons.
REASONING: The purpose of journalism is to help people make informed choices. But people often buy newspapers or watch journalism shows in order to learn about sensationalistic gossip that won’t help them make choices.
ANALYSIS: Increasingly, the LSAT wants you to make (reasonable) common sense deductions.
People who publish newspapers want to make money. Therefore, if people buy newspapers for the gossip, then it sounds like publishers include gossip in order to sell more papers.
The right answer phrases this as “non-journalistic reasons”. That’s just a way of adding one more layer of difficulty to the question, by making things slightly more abstract. (Gossip is non-journalistic because it doesn’t help people make decisions.)
While you need to assume things about newspapers’ motives, you also need to avoid assuming that gossip destroys journalism. Many people would disagree with that, especially newspaper owners.
___________
- CORRECT. See the analysis above. It sounds like gossip is included because it sells, rather than for journalistic reasons.
- Not necessarily true. Gossip doesn’t serve the purpose of journalism, but we have no evidence that it prevents the purpose of journalism. There is a middle ground – it could simply have no impact.
- Nonsense. The argument said that sensationalism isn’t relevant to people’s lives.
- Why? It sounds like sensationalism is entertaining. So it probably is a way of keeping the audience entertained.
- Not true. Sensationalism may have entertainment value. It just doesn’t serve the purpose of journalism. Something can be useful even if it doesn’t serve the purpose of journalism.
More Resources for Complete the Argument Questions
- Intro Course lesson: This intro course lesson covers Complete the Argument questions.
- Mastery Seminar lesson: This LR Mastery seminar lesson covers complete the argument questions.
Why in your explanation of answer choice D you state Something can be useful even if it doesn’t serve the purpose of journalism when the AC says it is “no value to those interested in journalism” . your explanation confirms that sensationalism doesn’t really serve the purpose of journalism yet you say D is not true? The explanation makes it seem like it is, no? I could see if D says sensationalism wasn’t valuable..like at all, but it is not in regard to journalism correct?
Based on your comment, I believe you are referring to answer choice E and not D as written. Answer choice E says “is of no value to people who are interested in journalism”. We know that sensationalistic gossip is not valuable to the purpose of journalism. That does not mean that it has no value to those who are interested in journalism. Clearly it does have some value if people are buying it. You can be interested in journalism and still derive value from sensationalistic gossip (e.g. for entertainment, to be updated on pop culture, etc) – they are not mutually exclusive.
I believe you may be conflating that gossip has no value to the purpose of journalism (correct) and having no value to those interested in journalism (incorrect). That’s the trap of answer E, and what the explanation is trying to clarify. Hope that helps!