Logical Reasoning

PT148 · S3 · Q6 The word

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The word "loophole" is a loaded, partisan word, one that implies wrongdoing and scandal.

Conclusion (So)

News reporters shouldn't use the term "loophole" in their stories unless they provide evidence of wrongdoing.

Evidence

"Loophole" is a loaded, partisan word that implies wrongdoing and scandal, so when it creeps into news stories, they start to read like editorials.

Evaluate

On Principle-Justify tasks like this, we usually just predict an "If Premise, Then Conclusion" linking idea.

We're trying to conclude that reporters should avoid using a term (unless they've met some exception). So more than anything, as we judge answers, we can ask ourselves, loophole".

Conditionally, we could say,

If .... Then ... having the word in your news story makes it should not read like an editorial use that or → word in the word is loaded and your news implies wrongdoing story (and) you've provided no evidence of wrongdoing

Goal

Find an answer that says we shouldn't imply wrongdoing without providing evidence of it, or we shouldn't use words that make news stories read like editorials.

6.

Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning in the argument?

  1. Making use of a loophole

    Unrelated to Goal

    The language of this principle doesn't involve anything like "shouldn't use this word". We need a principle that applies to news reporters and talks them out of using this word.

    1% picked this

  2. Editorials should meet the same

    Unrelated to Goal

    We want a principle that applies to news reporters writing news stories and allows us to say "should not" use 'loophole'. This is a principle that applies to editorials and allows us to say "what journalistic standards editorials should meet".

    3% picked this

  3. Correct

    News stories need to give

    Why this is right

    We want a principle that applies to news reporters writing news stories and allows us to say "should not" use 'loophole'. This is a principle that is defining what news stories "need to give in order to do Y", so it relates to the language of the conclusion. In other words, we could use this principle to say to a news reporter, "Hey, you shouldn't do that --- you need to do X if you're going to do that". And since we're trying to tell reporters that they shouldn't use the term 'loophole', let's ask ourselves if that word qualifies for this rule. Is 'loophole' a suggestion of misconduct? Yes, we were told "it implies wrongdoing and scandal", both of which are synonyms for misconduct. So this answer says, "News stories need to give evidence to back up the term 'loophole'." Is that helping get us closer to saying the conclusion, "If a news reporter hasn't provided evidence of wrongdoing, then they shouldn't use the term 'loophole'?" Sure! Correct answers on Principle-Strengthen don't need to use all the ideas presented in the Evidence, so the fact that this doesn't use the buzzphrase "reads like an editorial" is not a problem with the answer. We just test whether the answer has any strengthening utility to it. And this answer sounds like a principle that reinforces the author's argument that, "Since 'loophole' implies wrongdoing, (and since news stories need to give evidence to back up suggestions of wrongdoing), news reporters shouldn't use 'loophole' unless they're providing evidence to back it up."

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

    93% picked this

  4. Editorial writers should be free

    Unrelated to Goal

    We want a principle that applies to news reporters writing news stories and allows us to say should not use 'loophole'. This is a principle that applies to editorial writing and allows us to say "they should be free to use the term 'loophole'."

    1% picked this

  5. News reporters should not report

    Out of Scope: public interest

    This answer has the most alluring beginning, because "news reporters should not" is how our Conclusion starts. But this is a principle about what subjects to report on, not about what word choice to use or what allegations need to be supported by evidence. This rule is saying, if a certain scandal then a news or act of wrongdoing → reporter should isn't a matter of not report on it. public interest We're trying to use a rule in connection with the term 'loophole'. Does using the term 'loophole' mean that you're talking about "a scandal/wrongdoing that isn't a matter of public interest"? No, it was never defined in that weird way, so this rule can't be applied to that term.

    2% picked this

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