Official Answers and Explanations
Q1) Where does the author discuss the reasons for structural bias? Review the beginning of ¶6: the author says that the structural biases are ―rooted in the very nature of journalism.‖ (A), which suggests that bias comes from intrinsic issues with the industry, reflects this view.
(A): The correct answer
(B): Faulty Use of Detail. This describes political assumptions, not structural biases.
(C): Distortion. Though the passage mentions that structural bias arises partly from ―the demands of communicating information to an unsophisticated audience,‖ the passage doesn‘t say that reporters are cynical about readers‘ intelligence, only that the intelligence may in fact be unsophisticated.
(D): Distortion. Though the passage mentions ―marketplace imperatives‖ it doesn‘t go so far as to say that the audience is shrinking.
(E): Foreign nations are outside the scope of the passage.
Q2) Go back to the beginning of ¶6 to review what structural biases consist of. Most of structural bias has to do with selling newspapers to an unsophisticated audience, so look for a situation that exemplifies this. (D) fits perfectly.
(A): Opposite. This would go against the author‘s idea that most journalism isn‘t overly partisan anymore. Even though newspapers are progressive according to the author, they wouldn‘t adhere loyally to the dictates of one position.
(B): Opposite. As above, the author doesn‘t think that the media is overly biased in its opinions.(C): Opposite. The author says that the media has to play to an unsophisticated audience, and so this would suggest something that went against structural bias.
(D): The correct answer
(E): Incorrect, as described above.
Q3) Summarize the main idea of ¶7: it‘s hard to tell systematic bias from political assumption because the newspapers write (with their political assumptions) what the public wants to read (thus driving systematic bias).(B) paraphrases this.
(A): Faulty Use of Detail. Though the author argues in ¶s 2 and 7 that newspapers support a ―Progressivist world view,‖ it does nothing to describe the ―conundrum‖ described in ¶7.
(B): The correct answer
(C): Opposite. The author is arguing that they have more or less the same effect, which is why they‘re so hard to tell apart.
(D): Faulty Use of Detail. While this might be true, it‘s only part of the puzzle. This choice includes the element of systematic bias (the desires of the audience) but nothing about the political assumptions of those writing the newspapers.
(E): Incorrect, as described above.