A recent survey quizzed journalism

Answer choices

1. A

   Not Causal Flaw1% picked this

   It takes what is more likely to be the effect of a phenomenon to

   This alludes to a different Famous Flaw, Causal Flaws, in which the author is overconfidently arriving at one possible causal explanation for a phenomenon when others exist. This answer is specifically accusing the author of looking at a correlation between X and Y and assuming that X caused Y, when it's really more likely that Y caused X (i.e. "Reverse Causality"). Nothing in this argument involves any cause/effect conversation. The author is just looking at this survey of journalism students and concluding that publishers are wrong to think that the public is more interested in celebrities/trends than they are in serious stories about the government.

   1%
2. B

   Not Intent vs. Result1% picked this

   It regards the production of an effect as incontrovertible evidence of an intention to

   This alludes to a semi Famous Flaw, Intent vs. Result, in which an author acts like some consequence/repercussion of action X was therefore deliberately intended by the person who committed action X. Nothing in this argument involves any cause/effect conversation. The author is just looking at this survey of journalism students and concluding that publishers are wrong to think that the public is more interested in celebrities/trends than they are in serious stories about the government.

   1%
3. C

   Correct95% picked this

   It relies on the opinions of a group unlikely to be representative of the group at

   Why this is right

   This describes a Sampling flaw: relying on an unrepresentative sample. The evidence relies on the opinions of journalism students, whereas the conclusion is about the opinions of the general public. That would be a sketchy move no matter what, but it's particularly sketchy given that the topic here is whether there's more interest in serious stories about government and politics or in lighthearted stories about trends/celebrities. Journalists / journalism students are, by their choice in career, likely to be more interested in serious stories about government and polities than is the general public.

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

   95%
4. D

   Out of Scope: unfair language1% picked this

   It employs language that unfairly represents those who are likely to reject

   The group that would likely reject the argument's conclusion would be "publishers", since the author is telling them that their assumptions about the interests of the public are wrong. Does the argument use any language that unfairly represents the publishers? Nope.

   1%
5. E

   Out of Scope: admittedly unsupported2% picked this

   It treats a hypothesis as fact even though it is

   This answer is saying that the author admits she has no support for X but treats it as fact anyway. The author presents a survey, factually reporting on its findings. And then the author's conclusion confidently tells us what that survey indicates. So the author might be guilty of treating the hypothesis in her conclusion as fact because of how confidently she announces what "this indicates". But the author can't be accused of admitting that this conclusion has no support. It does have support: the survey!

   2%