GMAT Essays (AWA)

"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. (used with permission from mba.com)


Below is my Essay

As per the memorandum, newspaper staff should act as per the indication of survey. They should devote more space in all editions of the Clarion to cover the local news. Publishers thinks that this will increase the circulation and thus will increase the profit as well. This argument is totally based on the authenticity of the survey and thus is flawed.

This argument will be correct only if the survey results are good. In case if the survey is not properly conducted or it is not representative of the population of the City then any conclusion drawn based on the survey does not makes sense.

Even if the survey results are true The Clarion can first try to bring a weekly supplement covering local news and see how is the response to this supplement. Also a City is likely to have limited number of news so it does not make sense to devote certain number of pages for the city on daily basis. This also can prohibit the newspaper from publishing some important national and international news.

It is also possible that The Clarion is not doing best possible marketing for there newspaper. If this is the case then improved efforts on marketing also can lead to improved circulation and profits.

Based on above mentioned issues argument is flawed and should adress these issues as well.