#20 - Reporters, by allotting time to some events

[ltoulme]

Hi!

Could someone please help me understand this problem a little better? I incorrectly chose (A), but (E) was my other contender. Since it's a point at issue question, I know that I should use the Agree/Disagree Test. I want to make sure my thought process is correct on why (E) is right.

Since Ramon wants his reporters to decide whether or not a story is newsworthy, but he doesn't want them to interpret the news, he disagrees that "reporting on certain events rather than others qualifies as interpreting the news." Obviously Sarah agrees with the statement in (E) because that's her definition of reporting.

I don't totally understand why (A) is incorrect, however. It seems to me that Ramon couldn't agree with (A) because if that was true, and if he thinks reporters should never interpret the news, how could they ever do their jobs?

Thanks so much as always!
Laura

[David Boyle]

Hi!

Could someone please help me understand this problem a little better? I incorrectly chose (A), but (E) was my other contender. Since it's a point at issue question, I know that I should use the Agree/Disagree Test. I want to make sure my thought process is correct on why (E) is right.

Since Ramon wants his reporters to decide whether or not a story is newsworthy, but he doesn't want them to interpret the news, he disagrees that "reporting on certain events rather than others qualifies as interpreting the news." Obviously Sarah agrees with the statement in (E) because that's her definition of reporting.

I don't totally understand why (A) is incorrect, however. It seems to me that Ramon couldn't agree with (A) because if that was true, and if he thinks reporters should never interpret the news, how could they ever do their jobs?

Thanks so much as always!
Laura

Hello Laura,

Yes, maybe Ramon doesn't agree with answer A; but that doesn't mean Sarah agrees with it either. For her, interpretation happens when reporters choose a story; but how do we know that she thinks interpretation also occurs when reporters report the story? Maybe, like Ramon, she thinks that reporters just relay the facts at that point. So answer A is not necessarily something about which they disagree.
Also, there is "do" vs. "should". Maybe Ramon also believes that reporters DO interpret when they report, even though they SHOULDN'T. And, for all we know, maybe Sarah too believes that reporters DO interpret when they report.

Hope this helps,
David

[ltoulme]

Hi David - thanks so much for the response. Makes sense now!