#6- The word “loophole” is a loaded, partisan word, one that

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Strengthen—PR. The correct answer choice is (C)

Here, the author discusses the propriety of news reporters using the word “loophole.” According
to the author, it is “a loaded, partisan word, one that implies wrongdoing and scandal.” When news
reporters use the word “loophole,” the author says, their news stories start to resemble editorials.
Because of this, the author concludes that reporters should not use the word unless they can actually
provide some evidence that someone has done something wrong.

The author’s use of the word “should” in the conclusion tells us that the author has applied a
principle, or rule, to the facts to reach the conclusion. Since this rule was not stated explicitly, the
argument is weak. This is a Strengthen—Principle question. The correct answer choice will provide
the principle implicitly applied to the facts by the author.

To develop our prephrase, we can start by recognizing the qualified nature of the author’s conclusion.
The author does not say that news reporters should never use the word loophole. Instead, the
stimulus says that they should use the word only when there is evidence of wrongdoing. The reason
for this is that the word “loophole” implies scandal and wrongdoing. So, we can prephrase that
the correct answer choice will provide a rule stating that a news reporter should not use language
implying scandal or wrongdoing unless he or she provides evidence of wrongdoing.

Answer choice (A): This answer choice not only conflates the various parts of the stimulus, it
contradicts the stimulus. First, it jumbles together the portions of the stimulus regarding the
implications of the word and the use of the word. Next, it is inconsistent with the stimulus because
the author thinks that it is wrong for a news reporter to use the word “loophole” unless the reporter
provides evidence of wrongdoing.

Answer choice (B): The stimulus was not about what the editorials should do, but rather about what
news reporters should or should not do.

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer choice, and it could be restated as saying that
news stories need to give evidence to back up their use of the word “loophole,” which suggests
misconduct.

Answer choice (D): The stimulus implies that editorials do in fact use loaded, partisan words, but
makes no comment about whether editorial writers should be free to use those words.

Answer choice (E): The issue of public interest does not appear anywhere in the stimulus, and so this
rule is irrelevant to the conclusion.

[powerlsat]

Hello PowerScore team, I have a question about A. Is A a contradiction of the conclusion because even if news reporters provide evidence of wrongdoing, the word loophole should not be used at all or cannot be used because it will never be indicative of wrongdoing despite such evidence? The author doesn't necessarily disallow the use of word but rather says there must be evidence for it to be used.

[Jonathan Evans]

Hi, Power!

With respect to answer choice (A), there is no contradiction; instead the answer choice has nothing to do with the conclusion. The point at issue in the argument is when a journalist should use the term "loophole." The conclusion makes the conditional claim that to use the term "loophole" the journalist must provide evidence of wrongdoing:

use term "loophole" provide evidence of wrongdoing

Whether using actual loopholes is right, wrong, or somewhere in between does not have any bearing on whether journalists should or shouldn't use that term.

I hope this helps!