[Help] Analysis of argument 79

Leon-WangUID: 2772364

79) Since those issues of Newsbeat magazine that featured political news on their front cover were the poorest-selling issues over the past three years, the publisher of Newsbeat has recommended that the magazine curtail its emphasis on politics to focus more exclusively on economics and personal finance. She points to a recent survey of readers of general interest magazines that indicates greater reader interest in economic issues than in political ones. Newsbeat's editor, however, opposes the proposed shift in editorial policy, pointing out that very few magazines offer extensive political coverage anymore.
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

I have discovered two flaws in this argument: 1) other factors affect the sales (writer's insight is not as trenchant as other magazines on political issues); 2)Participants' opinion only involves the general interest magazine (how about the specialized magazine?)

But I have encountered difficulties in finding a flaw in the highlighted sentence. Actually, I don't quite understand the relationship between this guy's view and the publisher's view.

I cannot type pingyin on school's computer.

writing101UID: 3473575

My understanding is that，you are not supposed to find flaws in the highlighted sentence, because it's an opposition to the recommendation. This sentence is a clue meant for you to question the recommendation.

I think the editor's point is that extensive political coverage is what makes Newsbeat unique among all the magazines so it will be a grave mistake to abandon that and become like everyone else.

For this argument, I will ask:

How's the circulation of Newsbeat compared to those of other magazines in the same category?

How were the sales of those poorest-selling issues compared to the sales of other magazines' issues during the same time?

And exactly what's the number of those poorest-selling issues?

If we look into the best-selling issues of Newsbeat, what will we find? More political content or economics and finance?

How many of the survey participants are actual readers or potential readers of Newsbeat?

Leon-WangUID: 2772364

writing101 发表于 2013-9-23 22:28
My understanding is that，you are not supposed to find flaws in the highlighted sentence, because it ...

非常感谢
但是你题的问题貌似没有涉及到哪个editor的意见？

writing101UID: 3473575

editor的意见本身就是在质疑publisher的建议，当然你可以在此基础上进一步提问，is extensive political coverage the primary reason for which readers buy or subscribe Newsbeat? If yes, has the reader base remained relatively stable or diminished?

小飞行UID: 2980207

poorest selling for the past three years, maybe can prove that readers did not focus on politics in the past, but how about this year? or even the in coming years?

Is using political cover the main reason, causing the poorest selling?

great interest in economics & finance dose not equal to they will buy a magazine to focus on them. there are lots of other methods.

depending on the editor's opposition, if they change their category, maybe some contradiction would generate inside

小飞行UID: 2980207

well, I also have a question. I m so confused by the publisher's objective to change their category. Only for raising their selling numbers? Or for profit? I cannot find their purpose in this argument.

IRIS凹UID: 3471287

Another angle: Do the poorest-selling issues with political news on their front cover neccesarily emphasize on political news in their contents? Is it possible these issues sell badly because the front covers are not arresting to its potential readers?

I'm also puzzled by the editor's oppostition. I suppose a refutation is not quite conventional in Argument?

Leon-WangUID: 2772364

IRIS凹 发表于 2013-9-24 15:35
Another angle: Do the poorest-selling issues with political news on their front cover neccesarily em ...

Yes, this one is peculiar in the pool comparing to all other arguments for its including an vague opposing opinion.