Logical Reasoning

PT122 · S4 · Q4 Essayist: Politicians deserve protection from

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Essayist: Politicians deserve protection from a prying press.

Conclusion

It is time to put a halt to this trivial journalism (where the press focuses on politicians' private lives).

Evidence

Politicians deserve protection from a prying press. No one wants their private lives spread across the pages of a newspaper.

The threat of being hounded by the press deters talented people form pursuing a career in politics, and it turns journalists into "character cops" who just keep hoping to find some flaw or transgression related to a politician so that they can turn it into a news story.

Evaluate / Goal

Since there are several premises put forth and since this is an EXCEPT question, there are probably too many angles to consider.

We should just head to the answers and get rid of four answers that help the author. The answer should make it sound like - this trivial journalism is bad and should be stopped - we don't want talented people to be dissuaded from politics - politicians deserve protection just like everyone else

4.

Each of the following, if true, strengthens the essayist's argument EXCEPT:

  1. The press is unusually inaccurate

    Supports

    This provides an independent reason to agree with the author's conclusion that the press should stop going after politician's private lives. After all, as this answer explains, they usually don't even report accurately when they target someone's private life.

    5% picked this

  2. Reporting on politicians’ private lives

    Supports

    This provides an independent reason to agree with the author's conclusion that the press should stop going after politician's private lives. After all, as this answer explains, by reporting on politicians' private lives, the press is distracting voters from considering the important issues in a campaign.

    2% picked this

  3. Much writing on politicians’ private

    Supports

    This provides an independent reason to agree with the author's conclusion that the press should stop going after politician's private lives. Like (A), this answer explains that the reporting on personal lives is of pretty low quality evidence -- much of it is based on rumors circulated by people who are motivated to disparage the character of the politician in question.

    4% picked this

  4. In recent elections, the best

    Supports

    This increases the value of one of the author's premises. She had mentioned that the press's focus on private lives dissuades talented people from pursuing a career in politics. This amplifies that concern by citing a recent example in which the best politicians refused to run for a higher office, because of the press coverage.

    1% picked this

  5. Correct

    Politicians’ personality flaws often ultimately

    Why this is right

    This provides an independent reason to disagree with the author's conclusion that the press should stop going after politician's private lives and stop trying to catch them showing personality flaws. After all, as this answer explains, politicians' personality flaws are totally relevant to their job performance! So that's a reason that the press should be covering their personality.

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

    87% picked this

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