assumption

gmatnmein2010 wrote:The increase in the number of false new stories revealed to be false serves to strengthen the argument that the media company CEO's first priority is audience size over reporting the truth. Local TV stations even have teams to identify false stories. The argument above assumes that:

Conclusion : CEO's want to increase audience size and not report the truth.

A) the media company's CEO decides what stories are broadcast.
Correct : If this is not assumed, that CEO's dont decide what stories to broadcast and the decision was up to someone else, the argument would fall apart.

B) news stories exposed as fabrications are a recent phenomenon.
Incorrect : Since the argument claims only an increase in number of false new stories its not necessary that they be a recent phenomenon.

C) every news story must be factually verifiable.
Incorrect : It is not necessary that every news story be factually verifiable in order for there to have been an increase in false new stories.

D) fact checking is more comprehensive for small news organizations than major ones.
Incorrect : The author's claim that even Local TV stations have teams to identify false stories is meant to emphasize that the media companies know they are not reporting the truth, not that small news organizations are better at fact checking than major ones.

E) Until last year, news companies did not even admit to broadcasting fictional stories.
Incorrect : This brings up admission of guilt, which the author never mentions - the news stories in question were exposed as frauds, not admitted to be frauds.