Aristotle RC 99 - Passage 3 Suspicious as they are of American intentions, and bolstered by court rulings that seem to give them license to seek out and publish any and all government secrets, the media‘s distrust of our government, combined with their limited understanding of the world at large, damages our ability to design and conduct good policy in ways that the media rarely imagine. The leak through which sensitive information flows from the government to the press is detrimental to policy in so far as it almost completely precludes the possibility of serious discussion. The fear that anything they say, even in what is construed as a private forum, may appear in print, makes many people, whether our own government officials or the leaders of foreign countries, unwilling to speak their minds. Must we be content with the restriction of our leaders‘ policy discussions to a handful of people who trust each other, thus limiting the richness and variety of ideas that could be brought forward through a larger group because of the nearly endemic nature of this problem? It is vitally important for the leaders of the United States to know the real state of affairs internationally, and this can occur only if foreign leaders feel free to speak their minds to our diplomats. Until recently, it looked as if the media had convinced the public that journalists were more reliable than the government; however, this may be changing. With the passage of time, the media have lost lustre. They—having grown large and powerful—provoke the same public skepticism that other large institutions in the society do. A series of media scandals has contributed to this. Many Americans have concluded that the media are no more credible than the government, and public opinion surveys reflect much ambivalence about the press. While leaks are generally defended by media officials on the grounds of the public‘s ―right to know,‖ in reality they are part of the Washington political power game, as well as part of the policy process. The "leaker" may be currying favour with the media, or may be planting information to influence policy. In the first case, he is helping himself by enhancing the prestige of a journalist; in the second, he is using the media as a stage for his preferred policies. In either instance, it closes the circle: the leak begins with a political motive, is advanced by a politicized media, and continues because of politics. Although some of the journalists think they are doing the work, they are more often than not instruments of the process, not prime movers. The media must be held accountable for their activities, just like every other significant institution in our society, and the media must be forced to earn the public‘s trust. 1 1. Based on the information in the passage, with which of the following statements would the author most likely agree? A. Feeding the public misinformation is warranted in certain situations. B. The public has a right to know the real state of foreign affairs. C. The fewer the number of people involved in policy discussions, the better. D. Leaders give up their right to privacy when they are elected. E. The media is not accountable to the public 2 2. Implicit in the author‘s argument that leaks result in far more limited and unreliable policy discussions with foreign leaders is the idea that: A. leaks should be considered breaches of trust and therefore immoral. B. leaks have occurred throughout the history of politics. C. foreign and U.S. leaders discussed policy without inhibition before the rise of the mass media. D. leaders fear the public would react negatively if it knew the real state of affairs. E. it is best to keep the media in the dark 3 3. What is the main idea of the passage? A. to argue that the media is acting against the national interests. B. to convince that journalists are attempting to enhance their own prestige. C. to discuss the negative effects that media ―leaks‖ have on foreign policy and the media‘s credibility. D. to criticize politicians for being dishonest in public. E. to suggest that the media needs to be regulated more strongly and effectively. 4 4. Based on the passage, when the media now challenge the actions of a public official, the public assumes that: A. the official is always wrong. B. the media is always wrong. C. the media may be wrong. D. the official and the media may both be wrong. E. the public ignores this piece of news completely Unfortunately I don't have the OA for this passage the answers provided are from my understanding, If your answers are different please feel free to let me know. I am open for a discussion.

Last visit was: 19 Nov 2025, 05:51

It is currently 19 Nov 2025, 05:51

Toolkit

Reading Comprehension (RC)

GMAT Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Go to My Error Log Learn more

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel

Nov 19
GMAT 705 in 30 days: Best Study Strategy for Working Professionals
12:30 PM EST
-
01:30 PM EST
Learn how Keshav, a Chartered Accountant, scored an impressive 705 on GMAT in just 30 days with GMATWhiz's expert guidance. In this video, he shares preparation tips and strategies that worked for him, including the mock, time management, and more
Nov 20
UCR MBA Impact - Live Q&A with UCR AdCom & Student
07:30 AM PST
-
08:30 AM PST
Learn what truly sets the UC Riverside MBA apart and how it helps in your professional growth
Nov 20
GMAT 675 with 96th percentile in DI- Kamakshi’s Winning Strategy
01:30 PM EST
-
02:30 PM IST
Learn how Kamakshi achieved a GMAT 675 with an impressive 96th %ile in Data Insights. Discover the unique methods and exam strategies that helped her excel in DI along with other sections for a balanced and high score.
Nov 22
GMAT RC Masterclass
11:00 AM IST
-
01:00 PM IST
Do RC/MSR passages scare you? e-GMAT is conducting a masterclass to help you learn – Learn effective reading strategies Tackle difficult RC & MSR with confidence Excel in timed test environment
Nov 23
Conquer Algebra on the GMAT Focus Edition
11:00 AM IST
-
01:00 PM IST
Attend this free GMAT Algebra Webinar and learn how to master the most challenging Inequalities and Absolute Value problems with ease.
Nov 24
FREE Focus Edition Mock!
07:00 PM PST
-
08:00 PM PST
Full-length FE mock with insightful analytics, weakness diagnosis, and video explanations!
Nov 25
Try OnDemand GMAT Masterclass
10:00 AM EST
-
11:00 AM EST
Prefer video-based learning? The Target Test Prep OnDemand course is a one-of-a-kind video masterclass featuring 400 hours of lecture-style teaching by Scott Woodbury-Stewart, founder of Target Test Prep and one of the most accomplished GMAT instructors.

Back to Forum

Create Topic

Suspicious as they are of American intentions, and bolstered by court

1 2

ashu2503

Joined: 15 Mar 2020

Last visit: 06 Feb 2025

Posts: 24

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 31

Posts: 24

Kudos: 3

25 Jul 2020, 21:40

Kudos

Bookmarks

Can someone explain the 1st and 4th question?

bM22

Retired Moderator

Joined: 05 May 2016

Last visit: 17 Jul 2025

Posts: 716

Own Kudos:

784

[1]

Given Kudos: 1,316

Location: India

Schools: IIM (A) IIM (A) IIM-A '24 (A) ISB '24 (A)

Products:

Schools: IIM (A) IIM (A) IIM-A '24 (A) ISB '24 (A)

Posts: 716

Kudos: 784

[1]

25 Jul 2020, 21:45

Kudos

Bookmarks

ashu2503

Can someone explain the 1st and 4th question?

Hi ashu2503,

Please refer the below link for OE's:

https://gmatclub.com/forum/suspicious-a ... l#p2159841

Let me know if you have doubts.

Thanks.

Sukhbir

Joined: 12 May 2019

Last visit: 24 Dec 2021

Posts: 1

Given Kudos: 1

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

05 May 2021, 07:33

Kudos

Bookmarks

Why Option c is incorrect for Q1 can anyone tell...

Sajjad1994

GRE Forum Moderator

Joined: 02 Nov 2016

Last visit: 18 Nov 2025

Posts: 17,289

Own Kudos:

49,302

Given Kudos: 6,179

GPA: 3.62

Products:

Posts: 17,289

Kudos: 49,302

05 May 2021, 16:26

Kudos

Bookmarks

Sukhbir

Why Option c is incorrect for Q1 can anyone tell...

Official Explanation

1. Based on the information in the passage, with which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?

Difficulty Level: 750

Explanation

Review the author‘s main arguments before looking for an answer choice that he‘s agree with.

(A) recalls the author‘s point in paragraph 2: ―Leaders often say one thing in public and something quite different in public conversation...‖ The author explains why this occurs—fear of media leaks—and clearly opposes such leaks. Therefore, the author must agree with (A)‘s contention that misinformation is sometimes warranted.

(A): The Correct Answer

(B): Opposite. This is the opposite of (A); for the same reasons that (A) is a valid inference, (B) isn‘t.

(C): Opposite. The author argues in paragraph 3 that policy benefits from a ―richness and variety of ideas.

(D): Opposite. The author‘s point in decrying leaks is that privacy is a necessary component of leadership.

(E): Opposite

Answer: A

vijayvikram26

Joined: 21 Jun 2021

Last visit: 18 Oct 2021

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

24 Jun 2021, 05:34

Kudos

Bookmarks

The Answer to Q1 is given option A which says "Feeding the public misinformation is warranted in certain situations"
Correct me if i'm wrong ...warranted means important
why would author support feeding the public misinformation is important in some cases??

kittle

Joined: 11 May 2021

Last visit: 19 Nov 2025

Posts: 318

Own Kudos:

161

Given Kudos: 618

Products:

Posts: 318

Kudos: 161

03 Aug 2021, 07:25

Kudos

Bookmarks

I do not agree that there is a possibility for option (A) to be correct in Q.1
No where in the passage is it written directly or indirectly that providing mis information is justified

bM22

Retired Moderator

Joined: 05 May 2016

Last visit: 17 Jul 2025

Posts: 716

Own Kudos:

784

Given Kudos: 1,316

Location: India

Schools: IIM (A) IIM (A) IIM-A '24 (A) ISB '24 (A)

Products:

Schools: IIM (A) IIM (A) IIM-A '24 (A) ISB '24 (A)

Posts: 716

Kudos: 784

27 Aug 2021, 12:16

Kudos

Bookmarks

vijayvikram26

kittle

I do not agree that there is a possibility for option (A) to be correct in Q.1
No where in the passage is it written directly or indirectly that providing mis information is justified

Hi vijayvikram26, kittle,

Do let me know if you find my reasoning for Question 1 helpful:
https://gmatclub.com/forum/suspicious-as-they-are-of-american-intentions-and-bolstered-by-court-253178.html#p2562627

Thanks.

einstein801

Joined: 23 Jan 2024

Last visit: 18 Feb 2025

Posts: 168

Own Kudos:

179

[1]

Given Kudos: 138

Posts: 168

Kudos: 179

[1]

07 Mar 2024, 00:01

Kudos

Bookmarks

Frankly if you are using so much inference to get to the answer - E requires less "inference" and should actually be the more correct answer to Q1.

bM22

mrcentauri

ArupRS

Q1. I agree teh author's view is negative towards media's role. But in Option A it tells "Feeding the public misinformation is warranted in certain situations.". Isn't it far stretched than mentioned in the passage?
Please suggest.

Regards,
Arup

Yeah this seems far fetched, can someone enlighten us?

Hi mrcentauri, ArupRS,

We could say that option A is a little difficult to infer, since its not explicitly mentioned in the passage and we have to thoroughly understand what the author is trying to convey. What could help you figure it out are the lines: "The fear that anything they say, even in what is construed as a private forum, may appear in print, makes many people, whether our own government officials or the leaders of foreign countries, unwilling to speak their minds.", implying that if sometimes some important information is withheld from the public, it might not be such a bad thing, as then the leaders would be able to express themselves freely, without the fear of what people might make of it.

Another thing that could help you is using the elimination technique. If at all, option A cannot be inferred straight away, we can easily eliminate the other options as they are clearly mentioned as points of criticism by the author.

Let me know if this helps.
Thanks.

Guntabulla

Joined: 24 Jul 2023

Last visit: 04 Jul 2025

Posts: 24

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 16

Posts: 24

Kudos: 83

17 Mar 2024, 09:29

Kudos

Bookmarks

bM22

mrcentauri

ArupRS

Yeah this seems far fetched, can someone enlighten us?

Isnt leaving out information and actively feeding misinformation two very different things?

adhanapuneet

Joined: 08 Nov 2024

Last visit: 14 Sep 2025

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

12 Nov 2024, 05:10

Kudos

Bookmarks

READ LAST PARA ...and its also mentioned in question that answer should be (based on para)

SomwyaaSukriti

Can someone please explain why D is wrong in question 4?

thisismitubhai

Joined: 02 Jul 2025

Last visit: 02 Aug 2025

Posts: 2

Kudos: 0

02 Jul 2025, 06:19

Kudos

Bookmarks

but isn't that also concluded that officials may be wrong too. as they were not reliable earlier.

madvarsha14

NiruSinghal

Can someone explain the answer of the 4th question?

As per below excerpt from the passage,
Until recently, it looked as if the media had convinced the public that journalists were more reliable than the government;
-which means that public always thought that the government (official) was not reliable (again it does not mean that the official was always wrong).
Hence, A and D are eliminated.
Further,
However, this may be changing. With the passage of time, the media have lost lustre. They—having grown large and powerful—provoke the same public skepticism that other large institutions in the society do. A series of media scandals has contributed to this. Many Americans have concluded that the media are no more credible than the government, and public opinion surveys reflect much ambivalence about the press.
- Which means that now the public can’t even trust media blindfolded (again this does not mean that the media is always wrong).
Hence, B is eliminated and the answer choice is C.
E is out of scope.
Hope this clarifies your doubt.

delectus

Joined: 02 Jul 2025

Last visit: 07 Oct 2025

Posts: 1

Given Kudos: 3

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

26 Sep 2025, 21:53

Kudos

Bookmarks

The media must be held accountable for their activities, just like every other significant institution in our society, and the media must be forced to earn the public’s trust.”

This tells us clearly and explicitly that the author believes the media is accountable to the public

suramya26

Thanks for the explanation.
But I didn't understand that If the author is saying that The media must be held accountable for their activities........
This means that presently media is not accountable. Please correct me on my reasoning.

Secondly, can you give me the reasoning behind option A?

1 2

Moderators:

GMATNinja

GMAT Club Verbal Expert

7443 posts

GMATNinjaTwo

GMAT Club Verbal Expert

231 posts

Sajjad1994

GRE Forum Moderator

17289 posts

miag

188 posts

Prep Toolkit

Announcements

How the UC Riverside MBA Helps You Thrive Personally & Professionally

Thursday, Nov 20, 2025
10:30am NY / 3:30pm London / 9pm Mumbai

Master in Management, Finance, Business Analytics and more Master’s Programs!

Live Profile Evaluation Chat Session with ARINGO

Wednesday, November 19, 2025
09:00 am PDT | 10:30 pm IST
Location: GMAT Club Chat

Top GMAT Focus Debriefs

Suspicious as they are of American intentions, and bolstered by court

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Suspicious as they are of American intentions, and bolstered by court

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards