#6 - The public interest comprises many interests and the

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Main Point. The correct answer choice is (A)

Fill in the Blank questions are, by definition, often conducive to prephrasing:
The broadcast media must serve a diverse public. Even if most people prefer action shows, this would not serve the public interest. Thus… Here we can conclude that the media must serve the public interest, not solely the interests of “most” of the public.

Answer choice (A): This is the correct answer choice. The prephrase above is restated in this answer choice, which provides that broadcasters should not only consider the interests of the majority.

Answer choice (B): The author is not stating such specific rules, but rather making the point that the general public interest must be considered.

Answer choice (C): The author does not assert that the public interest should be considered in the development of any new show, but rather that the overall schedule consider the general public interest.

Answer choice (D): This stimulus is about preference, not artistic quality, so this answer choice is incorrect.

Answer choice (E): The word “only” makes this answer choice incorrect—the example of schedule with too many action shows is presented simply as an example, not as a complete list of ways to neglect the public interest.

[ay514]

Hello,

I had a question about the wording of the answer choices. After reading answer explanations for the homework assignments, I have learned that a term or phrase from the stimulus can be changed to another term/phrase with essentially the same meaning. So with that in mind, I was torn between answer choice A and C for this question because I took "new program" to mean the program/schedule of the tv shows but as the explanation reveals, program actually means a show and not the schedule. How can I avoid making mistakes like this in the future? And am I just being stupid for interpreting program to be schedule (I only did because I've seen a pattern of changing terms from the stimulus to answer choices but essentially keeping the meaning) Any insight? Thank you!

[Steve Stein]

With fill in the blank questions, you should always try to prephrase your answer, even before looking at the answer choices. In this case the author begins by telling us that broadcasting should serve all of the many interests within the public interest. Even though most people probably prefer action over opera, showing nothing but action would not serve the public. Therefore...

What comes next? My prephrase would be something like "Therefore, we need to consider things other than just majority preference."

Answer choice A provides something along those lines: Thus broadcasters cannot just look at popularity when making decisions.

Answser choice C looks more like a premise on which this conclusion is based, which is why it is a very popular wrong answer choice--it looks quite a bit like the first sentence of the stimulus.

[lsatstudier]

Hi,

Could someone please explain how to approach fill in the blank questions. Every time I see them, I try to prephrase the conclusion of the stimulus but am still getting the questions wrong.

Thank you!

[Adam Tyson]

You're approaching them the right way, studier, so it may just be a matter of practice. Most fill-in-the-blank questions are Must Be True/Main Point questions, so you do need to think about what inferences you can draw, what conclusions you can come to, based on what was provided. Once in a while we see a fill-in-the-blank that is not in this category - there was fairly recently a Stregthen/Fill-In-The-Blank question, where we needed to pick an answer to complete the argument that would strengthen the conclusion that we had already been given. In other words, we were to add a premise. Like I said, though, those are rare. Stick to the facts that you are given and then make an inference based solely on those facts, with no outside information, and you should be on the right path.

Just keep at it - it will get easier!

[izbehr]

Couldn't the broadcaster's obligations be met by mere happenstance if the popularity of programs and programs required by the broadcasters obligations align? For instance, if their obligations requires x, y, and z and the popularity of shows dictate x, y, and z be shown. Wouldn't that make the statement false? Then again, this may be besides the point because it's a "logically completes" question.

[Paul Popa]

Hi Iz,

That's a great question! In that situation, the broadcasters would indeed get lucky, but there's no guarantee that they'll get lucky like that every time. Regardless of if popularity and obligations sometime align, the statement in A is still true because it ensures all interests are served, every time. Hope this helps!