Argument173 =August Rush=小组第4次作业 by 尾羽

尾羽UID: 2482591

173The following is a memorandum issued by the publisher of a newsmagazine, Newsbeat, in the country of Dinn.
"Our poorest-selling magazine issues over the past three years were those that featured international news stories on their front covers. Over the same period, competing news-magazines have significantly decreased the number of cover stories that they devote to international news. Moreover, the cost of maintaining our foreign bureaus to report on international news is increasing. Therefore, we should decrease our emphasis on international news and refrain from displaying such stories on our magazine covers."

提纲：
1.这些杂志除了销量最差、都以国际新闻为封面以外，还有其他共同点么？也许就是因为这些其他共同点导致了销量最差，而并非是因为封面。
（1）这几期编辑出版的时间段内，正好没有什么特别爆炸性新闻，平淡无奇
（2）也许那几期封面正好都登载了某个政治人物，而当地的人很讨厌这个人，而并非讨厌国际新闻
2.竞争对手的情况没有可比性。竞争对手减少国际新闻作杂志封面的原因不一定就是国际新闻不受欢迎，也许是他们报道国际新闻的人手不够、信息来源发消息不够快速畅通、这部分的运作成本较高。如 果然如此，却正是一个争夺客户群的好机会，应该大力发展国际版块。
3.没有给出该杂志的整体盈利状况，如果整体状况不错，保持着稳定的盈利增长，赴外记者站的成本增加也在有限范围内，就没必要限制、削减甚至裁撤这方面的开支。

尾羽UID: 2482591

words:442  time:90minutes

In this argument, the author claims that the magazine should turn their attention to some other topic in content and front covers except the one with international news. To substantiate this conclusion, the author provides a calculation showing that the poorest-selling magazines over the past three years were covered by international news stories. It seems to be a reasonable deduction, while a close inspection would reveal how groundless it is.

To begin with, the author has analyzed the data of calculation with several critical flaws. He or she fails to present any information about all the details that may affect a correct conclusion made from the study. There is no information about other probable reasons may result in that the magazines with international news stories on their front cover are poorest-selling. Perhaps, it might be a coincidence that few shocking international news happened during the time when these magazines were published. Quite possibly, these magazines’ front covers were printed with a politician who was unpopularity among the local residents. People just do not like to read anything about the politician rather than the international news. Therefore, the author must provide a elaborate research considering what is the reasons that truly actuate people do not to buy those poorest-selling magazines.

What further weakens the conclusion made by the author in the argument is the fact that even if the investigation is efficient, there is “no comparison” between the situations of competent and of the author. No evidence has been proved that decreasing the devotions to the international news stories onto magazines’ covers is caused by people disliking this theme. It is entirely possible that the competent is lacking of the employees to report international news, and that they are out of funds to offer an increasing expenditure for foreign bureaus. If so, ironically, it is a good opportunity to take marketing sharing of the international news market, rather than decline the amount of publishing.

Moreover, even assuming that these companies are comparable in the circumstance about no magazine with a cover of international news stories, the author also ignores to lend the fact that the overall earning performance of the company, which is a determinant to judge whether decreasing the emphasis on international news is necessary. Inasmuch, if the company’s total profit is steady-state growth and the increasing cost of foreign bureaus is affordable, the author have no occasion to suggest that the focus on international news should be receded.

As it stands, the conclusion of this argument is not well reasoned. To take it more logically acceptable, the author would have to demonstrate more detailed investigations with solid facts and appropriate deductions.

yangguang_86UID: 2414818

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