#5 - Concept Reference, Must Be True

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (C).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (D):

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[avengingangel]

Where in the passage can the support for answer choice C be found? I don't see it all.

And why is the correct answer not D? Isn't that what passage 4 is saying ?

Thanks !!

[Adam Tyson]

Hey there angel, let me see if I can help with this quote from the passage, starting in line 49:

...mass media have made total ignorance of criminal cases among jurors a virtual impossibility. But if a jury is to be truly impartial, it must be composed of informed citizens representative of the community’s collective experience; today, this experience includes exposure to mass media.

So, exposure to mass media can actually be a good thing, because it helps to inform jurors.

Answer D isn't quite right, because it doesn't necessarily describe a benefit of mass media, but just an effect. Judges may question juries differently because of the pervasive influence of mass media, but is that a good thing, a bad thing, or a neutral thing? Hard to say, but it seems that it is presented as more of a problem than a benefit. Mass media has, at least in that way, made things more difficult, not better.

[avengingangel]

makes sense. thanks

[JocelynL]

Hello,
On this question, I was stuck between B & E in part because I took "biases" as meaning "impartiality" and interpreted it to mean that jurors would be more informed with mass media. I see why C is right, but I just need help in how I can eliminate B&E and why they're wrong.
thank you so much in advance!

[Adam Tyson]

Both B and E suffer from a similar problem, JocelynL, which is that the author never indicates that mass media helps do anything to change our biases or make us more aware of them. It just helps to inform the potential jurors and make the jury more representative of the community as a whole, which could potentially make them better at coming to a decision despite their individual biases.