#15- Journalism’s purpose is to inform people about matters

[mokkyukkyu]

Hi,

I was not sure between A and B.
I was not sure about A because it says "sometimes included for nonjournalistic reasons" and thought this is against the "purpose" talked in the stimulus...
Does it mean it can include something for reasons other than what it intended?

[Adam Tyson]

Journalism's purposes, we are told, is to provide relevant information. Newspapers and TV news, however, often include irrelevant material. Since this material serves no journalistic purpose, it must serve some other purpose (perhaps to sell papers and commercial ads?)

Answer B is too strong, because we cannot know that these irrelevant inclusions prevent journalists from also including relevant ones. It could be just the opposite - perhaps including the irrelevant stuff, which helps the papers and tv shows sell things, affords journalists the opportunity to also provide relevant information?

[nihals23]

Hi ! In such questions, can we make a simple deduction like
Journalism = relevance
________ = non relevance
hence, non journalism

This sounds vague and stupid, but does it work on questions of this type?

Thanks!

[Dave Killoran]

Hi ! In such questions, can we make a simple deduction like
Journalism = relevance
________ = non relevance
hence, non journalism

This sounds vague and stupid, but does it work on questions of this type?

Thanks!

Yes, in this case that's a fast and dirty but reasonable way to see this

[glasann]

Why is answer choice (E) wrong? Is it because the argument isn't really about "people interested in journalism"?

thanks!

[Adam Tyson]

That's part of the problem, glasann. The other problem with that answer is "no value" is far too strong a statement. The gossip may have some value - it just doesn't by itself accomplish the purpose of journalism.