lstsch wrote:
I was torn between A and C. My reasoning for C was that if the definition is true, then it basically confirms the existence of another factor that causes the loss in viewership (as they had complaints about the report). I guess answer A is just more evident as it actually offers an explanation to that factor - Is that why I should pick A over C?
From the passage, we know that:
- "A major network news organization experienced a drop in viewership in the week following the airing of a controversial report on the economy."
- "The network also received a very large number of complaints regarding the report."
Despite these facts, the network "maintains that negative reactions to the report had nothing to do with its loss of viewers."
To answer the question, we need to find an answer choice that
supports the network's claim.
Take a look at (C):
Quote:
(C) Major network news organizations publicly attribute drops in viewership to their own reports only when they receive complaints about those reports.
From the passage, we know that the network DID receive a bunch of complaints about the report. So, if answer choice (C) were true, the network could well have attributed the drop in viewership to negative reactions to their own report.
Our task, however, is to support the claim that the drop in viewership is NOT related to complaints about the report. The only thing answer choice (C) does is limit the cases in which a network would tie a drop in viewership to their own reports. It does not provide any information that supports the network's claim that, in this case, the drop in viewership has nothing to do with negative reactions to their report. (C) is out.
Now take a look at (A):
Quote:
(A) The other major network news organizations reported similar reductions in viewership during the same week.
This answer choice provides additional information that supports the network's claim that negative reactions to the report had nothing to do with its loss of viewers. If
other networks also experienced a reduction in viewership, then there is likely some outside factor that caused people to not watch the news that week -- maybe the weather was really nice and everyone went outside, or maybe a large amount of people were suddenly quarantined with swine flu.
Whatever that outside factor was, it affected networks in addition to the one examined in the passage, which provides good evidence that the network's drop in viewership was not due to their controversial report, but rather to something else.
Answer choice (A) supports the network's claim, so (A) is our answer.
I hope that helps!