LSAT Explanation PT 22, S4, Q9: Television news coverage gives viewers a

LSAT Question Stem

The reasoning in the argument is flawed because the argument 

Logical Reasoning Question Type

This is a Flaw question. 

Correct Answer

The correct answer to this question is A. 

LSAT Question Complete Explanation

First, let's analyze the argument in the passage. The argument's structure is as follows:

Premise 1: Television news provides a sense of direct involvement but lacks depth of coverage.

Premise 2: Newspapers provide depth of coverage but lack a sense of direct involvement.

Premise 3: A full understanding of current events requires both depth of coverage and a sense of direct involvement.

Premise 4: Few people seek out news sources other than newspapers and television.

Conclusion: Few people ever fully understand current events.

The question type is a Flaw question, which asks us to identify the flaw in the argument's reasoning.

Now, let's evaluate each answer choice:

a) The correct answer is (A). The argument assumes that people either watch television or read newspapers, but not both. This is treating the two sources as mutually exclusive when they could be used together to gain a full understanding of current events. The argument is flawed because it does not consider the possibility that people could use both sources to achieve the required depth of coverage and sense of direct involvement.

b) Answer choice (B) is incorrect because the argument's focus is on the ability of people to gain a full understanding of current events, not on their reasons for using newspapers or television. Whether people use these sources for other reasons is irrelevant to the argument's conclusion.

c) Answer choice (C) is incorrect because the argument's reasoning does not depend on the definition of "depth of coverage." The argument is comparing the depth of coverage provided by newspapers to the sense of direct involvement provided by television, and it's the comparison that is flawed, not the undefined term.

d) Answer choice (D) is incorrect because the argument is not concerned with the possible disadvantages of having a sense of direct involvement with tragic or violent events. The focus is on whether people can gain a full understanding of current events, and this potential disadvantage is irrelevant to the argument's conclusion.

e) Answer choice (E) is incorrect because the argument does not claim that just because something has the capacity to perform a given function, it actually does so. The argument is about the limitations of television news and newspapers in providing a full understanding of current events, not about their potential to do so.

In summary, answer choice (A) is correct because the argument treats television news and newspapers as mutually exclusive sources of information when they could be used together to gain a full understanding of current events, leading to a flawed conclusion.