Hi
Sajjad1994,
bbGoing to write the Gmat in 5 days, pls evaluate my first AWA.
The following appeared in an announcement issued by the publisher of The Mercury, a weekly newspaper:
“Since a competing lower-priced newspaper, The Bugle, was started five years ago, The Mercury’s circulation has
declined by 10,000 readers. The best way to get more people to read The Mercury is to reduce its price below that of
The Bugle, at least until circulation increases to former levels. The increased circulation of The Mercury will attract
more businesses to buy advertising space in the paper.”
Discuss how well reasoned . . . etc.
The argument states that ever since the circulation of a rival newspaper started five years ago, The Mercury has gone down in circulation by 10000 readers and suggests that the Mercury should reduce its price lower than that of the Bugle to increase its reach. Stated this way, the argument reveals examples of leap of faith and poor reasoning. It also clearly makes an assumption for which no evidence has been provided. Several key factors basis which this argument could have been fairly evaluated have not been mentioned by the argument, making it a flawed and unconvincing one.
Firstly, the argument readily assumes that price is the most important factor which the readers look at when making a choice between two rival newspapers. The argument gives no supporting evidence for this claim. It even fails to mention whether the price of the Bugle was lower or higher to begin with. This fact is very important for the reader to know as it helps to assess the validity of the argument that price is a deciding factor. If the Bugle was sold at a higher price since the beginning, then how is it the case that the Bugle managed to snatch away readers from the Mercury? The argument would fall apart in such a case . The author could have strengthened their argument by telling us about the starting price points of both the newspapers.
Second, the argument insinuates that the Mercury can keep its prices low until the circulation increases and raise them thereafter. But never mentions what would be the cost of such a move to the Mercury. While lower prices might increase readership in the short run, what if this model is unsustainable in the long run and hence cannot be the best solution as stated by the author? It also does not answer the question that what should be the way forward if once the readership has increased through lower prices? If the argument had provided evidence that the Mercury was in a position to drive out its competition through lower prices, it would have clearly been more convincing.
Third, the argument never looks at alternate reasons for why the readership for the Mercury is down in the last five years. Has there been a changes in the management at the Mercury? Had the Bugle poached the best writers from the Mercury when it started? Had the readership of the Mercury already been on a declining trend and the Bugle was never the reason in the first place ?Or is it that the readers have become jaded with the pieces being written in the Mercury?
Without convincing answers to these questions, one is left with the impression that the claim made by the author is more of wishful thinking rather than well though out reasoning.
In conclusion, the argument is deeply flawed for the above mentioned reasons. The holes in the argument are many in number and massive in size. Both the facts and the contributing factors are missing from this argument, leading to the reader not being able to assess the merits and demerits of this argument.