When a major fire occurs in the city of Springfield, the number of med

Question

When a major fire occurs in the city of Springfield, the number of media reports about fires increases, a fear-factor response that often lasts many months after the original incident. These media sources also include discussions about fire safety. Emergency response officials in Springfield claim that the fear frenzy whipped up by the media is responsible for the increased number of reports that appear in the city's media outlets, rather than an increase in the number of actual fires causing the reports.

Which of the following, if true, would seriously weaken the claim of the emergency response officials?

A. The publicity surrounding fires is largely limited to the city in which the accident happened.

B. Fires tend to occur more often during certain summer months when it is dry and hot.

C. News organizations do not have any guidelines to help them decide how severe or close a fire must be for it to receive coverage.

D. Fires receive coverage only when news sources find it advantageous to do so.

E. Studies by the government show that the number of fires in Springfield is almost the same every month.

KarishmaB · Accepted Answer

It is a very straight forward question once you hash out the given data and what is asked:

After a major fire, media reports increased number of fires. 
Emergency officials claim that number of fires is the same - this is just media frenzy.

We need to WEAKEN the claim of emergency officials. So we need to say that number of fires actually DOES INCREASE (it's not just media frenzy).

A. The publicity surrounding fires is largely limited to the city in which the accident happened.

Irrelevant. Doesn't say anything about number of fires.

B. Fires tend to occur more often during certain summer months when it is dry and hot.

Correct. It says that there are time when actually more fires happen. A major fire might happen during the summer months and more fires might follow. So it may not be just media frenzy.

C. News organizations do not have any guidelines to help them decide how severe or close a fire must be for it to receive coverage.

This says that media decides on ad hoc basis which fires to cover and which not. This strengthens the emergency response team's claim that it is all media frenzy only. It does seem that media could start covering smaller fires too after a major fire.

D. Fires receive coverage only when news sources find it advantageous to do so.

Same as (C). This says that media decides which fires to cover and which not. This strengthens the emergency response team's claim that it is all media frenzy only. It does seem that media could start covering smaller fires too after a major fire.

E. Studies by the government show that the number of fires in Springfield is almost the same every month.

Again, supports the emergency response team's claim. No of fires is same throughout. It is just media frenzy.

Only option (B) is a weakener.

globaldesi · Answer

Confused between B and C
B. Fires tend to occur more often during certain summer months when it is dry and hot. <Another possible explanation >

C. News organizations do not have any guidelines to help them decide how severe or close a fire must be for it to receive coverage.<Another possible explanation >

Can someone please explain why B is better

chaitralirr · Answer

When a major fire occurs in the city of Springfield, the number of media reports about fires increases, a fear-factor response that often lasts many months after the original incident. These media sources also include discussions about fire safety. Emergency response officials in Springfield claim that the fear frenzy whipped up by the media is responsible for the increased number of reports that appear in the city's media outlets, rather than an increase in the number of actual fires causing the reports.

Which of the following, if true, would seriously weaken the claim of the emergency response officials?

The officials response "the fear frenzy whipped up by the media is responsible for the increased number of reports that appear in the city's media outlets, rather than an increase in the number of actual fires causing the reports" .  The officials are stating that the media is reporting more than the actual number of fires

A. The publicity surrounding fires is largely limited to the city in which the accident happened.

B. Fires tend to occur more often during certain summer months when it is dry and hot.

C. News organizations do not have any guidelines to help them decide how severe or close a fire must be for it to receive coverage.

D. Fires receive coverage only when news sources find it advantageous to do so.

E. Studies by the government show that the number of fires in Springfield is almost the same every month.

In between B and C. C states that the news is covering all types of fire be it large or small; however we have to weaken the stimulus that the news is reporting more fire than actually happens.

I am stuck between E and B

Shishou · Answer

Answer is B.
What we must know is that for Weaken questions an answer that casts even a a little doubt on the argument weakens it.If we are in a month/period in which fires are actually frequent then the argument becomes less likely.

dcummins · Answer

Would be good to see the official response on this one. Do you have this @ajjadahmad

dcummins · Answer

Hi  VeritasKarishma

In C - why can't we interpret that with no criteria to assess fires the media could perhaps report all fires? It could go both ways.

omadangopal123 · Answer

I gave answer as D and after reading posts and trying to analyze again, i felt B should be the answer.

When a  major fire  occurs in the city of Springfield, the number of media reports about fires increases,  a fear-factor  response that  often lasts many months  after the original incident. These media sources also include discussions about fire safety.  Emergency response officials in Springfield claim that   the fear frenzy whipped up   by the media is responsible  for the increased number of reports that appear in the city's media outlets, rather than an increase in the number of actual fires causing the reports.

Which of the  following, if true , would  seriously weaken    the claim   of the emergency response officials?

I have highlighted few parts in the argument and question stem for analysis. Argument begins with a context of media report when there is a major fire. Subsequently, author also mentioned that these reports raise a fear among people which last long. And in the Claim of officials, they state that this fear factor is raised by media with false reports (this is the conclusion that has to be weakened.).

A. The publicity surrounding fires is largely limited to the city in which the accident happened.
 Even though the publicity is limited to city, there is no information on number of fires reported.
 
B. Fires tend to occur more often during certain summer months when it is dry and hot.
 This option says that fire occur more often during summer. Presenting this timeline, this option brings in the context when can a Major Fire accident occur. Which mean media can not give any false reports about fires. As question stem states that we need to consider these options as true, So if major fires occur only during summer, then media can not report them falsely and officials claim could hurt with this fact, as increased reports may also suggest increased fire accidents.

C. News organizations do not have any guidelines to help them decide how severe or close a fire must be for it to receive coverage.
 This option states there are no proper guidelines to receive coverage on fire. So the reports could be falsified too. So this option can strengthen instead of weakening the claim of officials
 
D. Fires receive coverage only when news sources find it advantageous to do so.
 From this option, if media feels some source of fire could be advantageous for them, then they would report even those fire which inturn lead to say that media reports could be false. So this can be inline with Official's claim and strengthen it.

E. Studies by the government show that the number of fires in Springfield is almost the same every month.
 if number of fires are same every month then obviously media's reports are false i.e., what Officials claim that fear is just caused by faulty media reports would be true. but we need something to weaken that claim.

Kindly correct me if I missed anything.

KarishmaB · Answer

(C) doesn't imply that media reports all fires. It just says that there are no guidelines. So media channels report as they please.

dcummins · Answer

Thanks Karishma,

Perhaps I'm over analyzing things. I've been hitting weaken questions pretty much this entire week.

0Lucky0 · Answer

"It says that there are time when actually more fires happen. A major fire might happen during the summer months and more fires might follow. So it may not be just media frenzy.."
Lets assume that more fires happen in January and less in Feb and so the media reports more fires in Jan and less in Feb. The emergency response team says it's all media frenzy.
This assumption breaks B. I can't see how B weakens the conclusion. Sure, it doesn't strengthen the conclusion but doesn't weaken either.

When a major fire occurs in the city of Springfield, the number of med

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When a major fire occurs in the city of Springfield, the number of med

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