Loganath Jagadeesan wrote:Hi,

I am also a GMAT learner. According to me, option A seems to be correct.

Despite the criticism in the early 1890's that if journalists use pictures the intellectual quality of publications would diminish, by the late 1890's photographs were found in most newspaper and magazines.

A) that if journalists use pictures the intellectual quality of publications would diminish
B) that if journalists use pictures it will diminish the intellectual quality of publications,
C) that the use of pictures by journalists would diminish the intellectual quality of publications,
D) of the intellectual quality of publications being diminished by the use of pictures by journalists,
E) of the use pictures by journalists diminishing the intellectual quality of publications,

Reasons:

Let us review all the other options

Op B:The pronoun IT is not clear.i.e.,(The antecedent is unclear).Improper use of pronoun.Eliminate B
Op c: Unnecessary passive voice in the statement.use of pictures by journalists.So eliminate C
Op D: Despite.... that is a proper idiom. so eliminate D
Op E: Despite.... that is a proper idiom. so eliminate E
OP A: Proper use of If clause (refer conditionals)

request some expect to check this reasoning and to advise us.