Since the new publisher took control,a news !! Need Help !!

[Guest]

Since the new publisher took control, a news magazine’s covers have featured only models and movie stars. Previously, the covers had displayed only politicians, soldiers, and business leaders. A leading gossip columnist claimed that the changes made the magazine relevant again. However, many newspaper editorials disagreed and suggested that the new publisher is more interested in boosting sales than in reporting important news events.

Which of the following is an assumption necessary for the argument made by the gossip columnist’s opponents?

a.) The charitable activities of models and movie stars often focus public attention on pressing problems.
b.) Final authority for choosing the cover subject of the magazine lies with the publisher.
c.) A magazine can boost sales while highlighting the coverage of important world leaders.
d.) Some of the movie stars featured are now running for political office.
e.) Magazine issues with models or movie stars on the covers are purchased at a rate more than three times greater than is the case with issues featuring politicians on the covers.

I think the answer should be E coz editors suggest that new publishers is more interested in boosting sales obviously they assume that have having movie stars and models on the cover page results in increased sales and this what is stated in E

If this assumption is not true than their conclusion of increased sales motive stands null and void.....

Does somebody have any different opinion on this.......

Kindly pour in your thoughts.......

[Aragorn]

Since the new publisher took control, a news magazine’s covers have featured only models and movie stars. Previously, the covers had displayed only politicians, soldiers, and business leaders. A leading gossip columnist claimed that the changes made the magazine relevant again. However, many newspaper editorials disagreed and suggested that the new publisher is more interested in boosting sales than in reporting important news events.

Which of the following is an assumption necessary for the argument made by the gossip columnist’s opponents?

a.) The charitable activities of models and movie stars often focus public attention on pressing problems.
b.) Final authority for choosing the cover subject of the magazine lies with the publisher.
c.) A magazine can boost sales while highlighting the coverage of important world leaders.
d.) Some of the movie stars featured are now running for political office.
e.) Magazine issues with models or movie stars on the covers are purchased at a rate more than three times greater than is the case with issues featuring politicians on the covers.

I think the answer should be E coz editors suggest that new publishers is more interested in boosting sales obviously they assume that have having movie stars and models on the cover page results in increased sales and this what is stated in E

If this assumption is not true than their conclusion of increased sales motive stands null and void.....

Does somebody have any different opinion on this.......

Kindly pour in your thoughts.......

I think it is B
outside scope: A, D, E
Between B, C: C is about magazine, not about publisher
B: If B fails, that is if the publisher has no control on the publication, then the newspaper people can't complian that the publisher did it (boosting sales than in reporting important news events)
So B is needed to support the arg.
At best E is an inference (but would need additional premise), not an assumption. Think of cause-effect..or what happened first...

[Guest]

Gossip columnist’s opponents Argument: The new publisher is more interested in sales than reporting news.

a.) The charitable activities of models and movie stars often focus public attention on pressing problems. ["The charitable activities" is not even discussed - eliminate it]

b.) Final authority for choosing the cover subject of the magazine lies with the publisher. [Hold it]

c.) A magazine can boost sales while highlighting the coverage of important world leaders. [May be true but doesn’t fit the assumption - eliminate it]

d.) Some of the movie stars featured are now running for political office. [Irrelevant]

e.) Magazine issues with models or movie stars on the covers are purchased at a rate more than three times greater than is the case with issues featuring politicians on the covers. [Hold it]

Between B and E -

E - if true or not this will increase the revenues
For example: Magazine issues with models or movie stars on the covers are purchased at a rate more than two time ... can also be true


Answer: B

[RonPurewal]

Since the new publisher took control, a news magazine’s covers have featured only models and movie stars. Previously, the covers had displayed only politicians, soldiers, and business leaders. A leading gossip columnist claimed that the changes made the magazine relevant again. However, many newspaper editorials disagreed and suggested that the new publisher is more interested in boosting sales than in reporting important news events.

Which of the following is an assumption necessary for the argument made by the gossip columnist’s opponents?

a.) The charitable activities of models and movie stars often focus public attention on pressing problems.
b.) Final authority for choosing the cover subject of the magazine lies with the publisher.
c.) A magazine can boost sales while highlighting the coverage of important world leaders.
d.) Some of the movie stars featured are now running for political office.
e.) Magazine issues with models or movie stars on the covers are purchased at a rate more than three times greater than is the case with issues featuring politicians on the covers.

I think the answer should be E coz editors suggest that new publishers is more interested in boosting sales obviously they assume that have having movie stars and models on the cover page results in increased sales and this what is stated in E

If this assumption is not true than their conclusion of increased sales motive stands null and void.....

Does somebody have any different opinion on this.......

Kindly pour in your thoughts.......

remember the question type.

in this problem, you are looking for a NECESSARY ASSUMPTION. you are NOT looking for a statement that, if true, would just so happen to strengthen the conclusion.

in other words, you need a statement that, if NOT true, will cause the entire argument to fall apart.
(e) is definitely not such a statement, most notably because of its statistical exactness. let's say it's 2 times, or 2.9 times. is that fatal to the argument? obviously not, so (e) is not a necessary assumption.
if (e) were to be true, it would strengthen the argument somewhat - but that's irrelevant, as this is not that type of question.

--

on the other hand, all the onus for the decision is placed squarely on the shoulders of the publisher(s), so it is obvious that the publisher is being held responsible for the cover art.

other assumptions that are also necessary to this argument, but don't happen to be cited in the answer choices here (make sure you know why they are necessary, though):
* cover art correlates to what is reported inside the magazine
* increasing sales and reporting news are contradictory goals
* increased sales, if they do happen, won't ultimately make the readership more knowledgeable about the news content (i.e., which they wouldn't have read if britney spears hadn't convinced them to buy the magazine in the first place)

[akhp77]

Thanks Ron.

I agree that B is right.

If I change slightly E, what would be the effect.
Magazine issues with models or movie stars on the covers are purchased at a higher rate than is the case with issues featuring politicians on the covers.

[tim]

Hi akhp, it turns out your modification is not substantively different from the original answer E. Lessening the degree to which one type of cover outsells the other doesn’t make this assumption any more necessary than the original..