The following appeared in a memorandum from the publisher to the staff of The Clarion, a large metropolitan newspaper:
“During the recent campaign for mayor, a clear majority of city readers who responded to our survey indicated a desire for more news about city government. To increase circulation, and thus our profits, we should therefore consistently devote a greater proportion of space in all editions of The Clarion to coverage of local news.”
Discuss how well reasoned you find this argument. In your discussion be sure to analyze the line of reasoning and the use of evidence in the argument. For example, you may need to consider what questionable assumptions underlie the thinking and what alternative explanations or counterexamples might weaken the conclusion. You can also discuss what sort of evidence would strengthen or refute the argument, what changes in the argument would make it more logically sound, and what, if anything, would help you better evaluate its conclusion.
The Clarion’ is becoming a profitable metropolitan newspaper, but it is suffering financially due to declining circulation. The publisher therefore seeks a solution in devoting more space to news stories on city government. Given that most city readers seem to want something more than news about city government, I question the wisdom of such a decision
The publisher is making several assumptions that premise his argument and lead him to this conclusion. First, the publisher assumes that newspaper circulation is an indicator of success. While it may certainly be an indicator of a publication’s popularity, it is simplistic to assume that a high circulation rate directly translates into high profitability. Many factors contribute to a newspaper’s profitability, including advertising rates, the cost of production and distribution, and the selling price of the paper. The publisher also assumes that The Clarion, as a newspaper, has a monopoly on its readership. In reality, the newspaper may compete with a number of local publications for the same readership. If one of these papers offers a more engaging or informative product, that paper may gain market share at the expense of the Clarion. Finally, the publisher assumes that the readership wants more news about city government. Certainly, the readers might be interested in this, but it is not necessarily the case that they want it at the expense of other content. Perhaps some readers would prefer to read stories on city government, but others may disagree. Perhaps these readers would rather read stories about the mayor’s activities, sports, or entertainment. In any event, the publisher has not considered the possibility that readers may want to consume their news in different ways, which would require The Clarion to produce more different types of stories
While the publisher’s argument has some appeal, it contains several flaws that weaken the argument. First, the publisher assumes that readers want more news about city government. However, readers may simply want the newspaper to provide more different types of news stories. Second, the publisher assumes that the readership has a monopoly on newspaper preferences. The reality is that readers may have different preferences for different publications. A reader interested in sports, for example, may prefer to read a sports news publication, while a reader interested in local government issues may prefer a publication that covers that topic. Finally, the publisher does not acknowledge that The Clarion may be competing with other publications for the same readership. If one of the competing papers produces better content and attracts a greater number of readers, The Clarion may suffer as a result
While the publisher’s argument is sound in some aspects, it also contains several assumptions that weaken it. In the face of declining circulation, The Clarion’s publisher should consider the possibility that the readership may prefer to consume its product in different ways. He might also consider the possibility that competing newspapers may offer better content. Finally, he should realize that The Clarion may have to contend with other publications competing for the same readership.