PTB.S1.Q18 - Intended Function of News Explanation

Comments

• luffyyyy Alum Member

  December 2023 699 karma

  Stimulus breakdown:
  - the intended function of news is to give us info so we can act on it
  - but in a consumer society, news is primarily entertaining

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  • so news cannot serve its intended function

  gap: did we ever say being entertaining means we can no longer act on it? no, so this is the hole in the argument.

  As to why C is wrong, ask yourself do we talk about "important" function? We talk about "intended" function but not important function. Also, let's negate C -- news has 2 important functions. Does that destroy our argument that news cannot serve its intended function? no, it doesn't wreck the argument at all. On the other hand, let's negate D -- news that primarily entertains does give us info on which to act. Well, that destroys our argument! If news that's primarily entertaining can still give us info on which to act, which is the intended function of news, our conclusion doesn't hold anymore.

  Hope this helps!