Straight E.

Opponents "suggested that the new publisher is more interested in boosting sales than in reporting important news events"

E clearly says the sales are 3 times when featured models or movie stars

Which of the following is an assumption necessary for the argument made by the gossip columnist’s opponents?

E looks like only possible choice here, so obvious that I am suspicious of some trick...
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I went with E a well. However, the OA is (B).
I still think that it is a stretch.
This is a Manhattan Gmat Question and here are the explanations:

The argument presents the facts of an apparent change in a magazine's cover features since the new publisher took control. While a gossip columnist hailed the change, newspaper editorials disagreed and concluded that the publisher favored profit over reporting. The editorials are the opponents of the gossip columnist; since their conclusion is about the publisher’s desires, there must be an assumption connecting the publisher to the covers.

(A) This choice is irrelevant, as it is not connected to the conclusion. The activities of celebrities have nothing to do with the publisher’s interests.

(B) CORRECT. Since the conclusion concerns the publisher’s desires based on the content of the magazine covers, the editorials have to assume that the publisher decides who is to be a cover subject. If not, there is no connection between the covers and the publisher’s interests.

(C) This choice is the opposite of a necessary assumption. For the editorials to conclude that the publisher prefers profits to reporting, they have to assume that the two are mutually exclusive.

(D) “Some” means “at least one,” so this is not a powerful statement in any direction. Furthermore, even if several such stars were running for political office, it is not at all necessary to assume that to conclude that the publisher was more interested in profits.

(E) This choice is not correct. While it is true that the editorials must assume model and movie star covers are likely to sell more copies, it does not have to be assumed that such covers will result in the sale of triple the number of copies, or any other specific number.
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Yeah! I did not even had an inkling that B could be an answer. It did not make any sense to chose B, but the more I read the explanation, the more it sounds correct. I believe E is also a good assumption but probably NOT necessary.

Lets hear from our new friend, grumpyoldman who explains in detail

OK then fortunately i was an exception here

i chose B at first ; and here is my reasoning :

We have to find out the assumption for the newspaper editorials who say that " new publisher is more interested in boosting sales than in reporting important news events."

So the assumption has to be some thing which goes to support their conclusion (above)

Which of the following is an assumption necessary for the argument made by the gossip columnist’s opponents?

a) The charitable activities of models and movie stars often focus public attention on pressing problems. (this will Hurt the conclusion of editorials)
b) Final authority for choosing the cover subject of the magazine lies with the publisher.
c) A magazine can boost sales while highlighting the coverage of important world leaders. (this is again against what editorials conclude)
d) Some of the movie stars featured are now running for political office. (irrelevant ; this will not affect the conclusion at all )
e) Magazine issues with models or movie stars on the covers are purchased at a rate more than three times greater than is the case with issues featuring politicians on the covers. (here we need to POINT on the fact that the conclusion talks about "Sales" -more no. of copies being sold- BUT in this choice COST is highlighted as the issue ; we are not looking for profits ; Also this might Hurt the conclusion in for hight rates may not lead to high sales)

i went with B...

the critics assumption is that the publisher is responsible for selecting the cover, what if some random poll of people was used to select the cover? that would break apart the critics argument..

Good question. Assumptions is giving me hard time. Is it the most difficult question on CR?

Note that the passage by itself doesn't have a clear conclusion. But, if you look at the question stem, we can treat the gossip columnist's views as the conclusion.
His/her claim is that the "publisher made the magazine relevant" -> this needs an assumption that the new publisher is making the decision to change the covers.
When I was looking at answer choices, one of the reasons I didn't consider E as a contender is that it has specific language of "three times greater".

hope this helps.

B, interesting ........ was homing towards E.

can some one have the official exp. please

I went also with B

Anyways on the real GMAT we have to eliminate answers like E
because of "at a rate more than three times greater " too specific