Journalist: A free marketplace of ideas ensures that all ideas get a

Question

Journalist: A free marketplace of ideas ensures that all ideas get a fair hearing. Even ideas tainted with prejudice and malice can prompt beneficial outcomes. In most countries, however, the government is responsible for over half the information released to the public through all media. For this reason, the power of governments over information needs to be curtailed. Everyone grants that governments should not suppress free expression, yet governments continue to construct near monopolies on the publication and dissemination of enormous amounts of information.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the journalist’s argument?

(A) The freedom of the marketplace of ideas is in jeopardy.
(B) Preserving a free marketplace of ideas is important.
(C) The control that governments have over information needs to be reduced.
(D) Ideas that have malicious content or stem from questionable sources can be valuable.
(E) Governments have near monopolies on the dissemination of many kinds of information.

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

The conclusion to this argument is the fourth sentence, which begins with the conclusion indicator “For this reason...” By applying the Primary Objectives you should have identified this conclusion while reading, and then, upon classifying the question stem you should have looked for a paraphrase of this sentence. Answer choice (C) fits the bill, and is the correct answer.

Answer choice (A): The author would agree with this statement but this is not the Main Point of the argument; rather, it is closer to a premise that might support the conclusion. Incidentally, the author’s general agreement with this answer choice is signaled by the use of “however” in the third sentence. In the stimulus, the author begins by mentioning that a free marketplace of ideas, including dangerous ideas, ensures a fair hearing of ideas. In the third sentence, the author then says, “however, the government is responsible for over half the information released to the public,” indicating the author feels the government is a threat to this free marketplace.

Answer choice (B): The author would also agree with this statement, but again this is not the Main Point of the argument. As discussed in the analysis of answer choice (A), the author believes that the freedom of the marketplace of ideas is at risk, and in stating that we should curtail the government’s power over information, the author assumes that preserving a free marketplace of ideas is important. Thus this answer choice would be better described as an unstated premise that supports the conclusion.

Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer.  Remember, any answer that is a paraphrase of the conclusion of the argument will be the correct answer to a Main Point question.

Answer choice (D): The stimulus specifically notes that malicious or prejudicial ideas can “prompt beneficial outcomes.” The outcome of an idea is different than stating the ideas themselves “can be valuable.”

Answer choice (E): The stimulus states that “governments continue to construct near monopolies on the publication and dissemination of enormous amounts of information.” This phrasing is not the same as answer choice (E), which asserts that the government already has a monopoly on the dissemination of many kinds of information. The lesson learned from this particular problem is that you must isolate the conclusion and then look for a paraphrase of that conclusion.

mourinhogmat1 · Answer

The correct answer choice needs to add up from all the facts in the stimulus. 
Premise1: FM --> Fair hearing
Premise2: Even bad ideas --> Fair hearing
Premise3: PG --> curtailed
Premise4: G --> should not suppress FE
Premise5: G --> still prevent fair hearing

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the journalist’s argument?
(A) The freedom of the marketplace of ideas is in jeopardy. (Yeah we know that...NOT CONCLUSION)
(B) Preserving a free marketplace of ideas is important. (Yeah we know that...NOT CONCLUSION)
(C) The control that governments have over information needs to be reduced.  CORRECT 
(D) Ideas that have malicious content or stem from questionable sources can be valuable. OUT OF SCOPE
(E) Governments have near monopolies on the dissemination of many kinds of information. OUT OF SCOPE, enormous amounts NOT MANY Kinds.

joshnsit · Answer

@mourinhogmat1 
When I read this I see choice C as a subconclusion to the first statment, which thus becomes conclusion. A way in which C proves the first line/conclusion. 
where choice (C) is "The control that governments have over information needs to be reduced."
and Main Conclusion as per myself "A free marketplace of ideas ensures that all ideas get a fair hearing."

What is the conclusion you are referring to in your explanation and how you reached there?

rajeevrks27 · Answer

IMO the conclusion is mentioned here
 For this reason, the power of governments over information needs to be curtailed.

here the sentence starts with "for this reason" and the reason is mentioned in the preceding sentences..
IMO C

omerrauf · Answer

Wierd.... I agree with the answer C and it was easy to spot. So this kind of question should be an "Identify the Conclusion" question.

mourinhogmat1 · Answer

Your answer A is already mentioned in the passage. How can it be the conclusion? It can only be the premise or evidence right? (Provided the stimulus doesn't have any arguments in the first place)

If you read Powerscore : First rule is to identify whether the stimulus contains an argument or set of facts. In this case its a set of facts. So, how can a set of facts already contain the conclusion? This is not possible. Thats why we can rule out A and B using POE. D and E are not even mentioned in the passage thus OUT OF SCOPE. This leaves us with C.

Hope you got it by now.

joshnsit · Answer

Journalist: A free marketplace of ideas ensures that all ideas get a fair hearing. Even ideas tainted with prejudice and malice can prompt beneficial outcomes. ........ For this reason, the power of governments over information needs to be curtailed....... What I realized was: Since/Because A free marketplace......, therefore/so the power of governments ..... which makes "the power of governments over information needs to be curtailed." a conclusion here

Since, option C is an alternative way of writing this conclusion statement, as I just mentioned in my last statement, I conclusively came to the answer.

Guilio · Answer

Hey guys,

one question regarding the "find the conclusion" type of questions.

I have almost never come across this type of question at any of mine prep tests, either MGMAT or GMAT prep. Is it possible that the proportions or probability of this type of question has been significantly reduced lately or is this just me?

Thanks in advance!

Best,
Jay

Aviral1995 · Answer

hI EXPERTS  VeritasKarishma   GMATNinja   egmat   nightblade354

A and b can be rejected because these sentence although is not directly stated can only be inferred; however C is the one that can only be concluded
Please let me know if my reasoning is correct

auradediligodo · Answer

The conclusion is that the government power over information is to be reduced.

Option C

nandeta · Answer

Premise:   Free market place = Ideas get fair hearing. Government = responsible for half the information released to public.
  Argument:   Power of government over information needs to be curtailed because Government continues to have monopolies.
  Conclusion:   Attack the argument.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the journalist’s argument?

(A) The freedom of the marketplace of ideas is in jeopardy.  
 Wrong. If we skim read, then yes we will conclude this. But according to GMAT guidelines, we need to attack the argument.

(B) Preserving a free marketplace of ideas is important.  
 Wrong. They have not mentioned the drawbacks of having monoplies and so the importance cannot be realised. Plus, it is re-stating Premise.   (C) The control that governments have over information needs to be reduced.  
 Right. Attacks the argument and concludes it.

(D) Ideas that have malicious content or stem from questionable sources can be valuable.  
 Wrong. Out of context from the premise and argument.

(E) Governments have near monopolies on the dissemination of many kinds of information.  
 Wrong. Only concludes the  because   part of the argument.

carouselambra · Answer

I actually have a rather basic doubt :

In option C - The control that governments have over information needs to be reduced 
vs
the power of governments over information needs to be curtailed.

Usage of curtailed in the arguments points to extreme and gives an impression that the control should be abolished, not control. Does the word usage matter?

Can someone help me clarify this please?

unraveled · Answer

Journalist: A free marketplace of ideas ensures that all ideas get a fair hearing. Even ideas tainted with prejudice and malice can prompt beneficial outcomes. In most countries, however, the government is responsible for over half the information released to the public through all media.  For this reason, the power of governments over information needs to be curtailed . Everyone grants that governments should not suppress free expression, yet governments continue to construct near monopolies on the publication and dissemination of enormous amounts of information.

Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the journalist’s argument?

(A) The freedom of the marketplace of ideas  is in jeopardy .
(B) Preserving a free marketplace of ideas  is important .
(C) The control that governments have over information needs to be reduced.
(D) Ideas that have malicious content or stem from  questionable sources can be valuable .
(E) Governments have near monopolies on the dissemination of  many kinds of information .

Going by the flow of the passage Journalist is supposed to make a conclusion about govt's hold on dissemination of information where it has monopoly. The highlighted text is the key to our answer choice.

C gives a perfect reason and is the right answer.

aasthudragonpixie · Answer

from what I could gather from the passage, the govt hass a lot of control over the "distribution" of the information rather than the information itself. could someone guide me from here? what am I thinking wrong?

Journalist: A free marketplace of ideas ensures that all ideas get a

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Journalist: A free marketplace of ideas ensures that all ideas get a

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