Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Medium

PT121 S1 Q8 Explanation

Commentator: Most journalists describe their

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

TopicsMain Conclusion

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Stimulus

Commentator: Most journalists describe their individual political orientations as liberal, and it is often concluded that there is therefore a liberal bias in current journalism. This is not the case, however, because newspapers, magazines, radio, and television are all in the business of selling news and advertising, and therefore face market pressures to maximize profits they must target the broadest customer base possible.

What this question is testing

Main Conclusion

Your task

Break the argument into its conclusion and evidence, then do exactly what the question stem asks with that structure.

Common trap

Answers that sound relevant to the topic but don't connect to the argument's actual reasoning.

Winning move

Predict what a right answer must do, then test each choice against the conclusion-evidence gap.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
8.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion drawn by

Answer choices

  1. Weak Match18% picked this

    The individual political orientations of journalists do not constitute acceptable evidence

    The author's conclusion is a definitive statement that "there is NOT liberal bias in current journalism". This answer is about what is / isn't acceptable evidence. The conclusion wasn't about what is or isn't acceptable evidence. It was definitively saying the claim about media bias is false.

  2. Intermediate Conclusion2% picked this

    Major media face significant market

    This was an intermediate conclusion (although it never said "major media"). It was supported by the fact that these major media companies need the broadest customer base possible since they're all in the business of selling news and advertising. But it was used to support the claim that there is not a liberal bias in current journalism.

  3. Correct74% picked this

    Current journalism does not have a liberal

    Why this is right

    This is our match for "there is not a liberal bias in current journalism".

    Skill tested: Main Conclusion · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

  4. Premise5% picked this

    Major media must target the broadest customer base possible in order

    Any claim prefaced by "since" will always be Support, never can be the Main Conclusion.

  5. Opposing Point2% picked this

    It is often maintained that current journalism has a

    Our author's conclusion is rejecting this position, not announcing that it exists.

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