When a major fire occurs in the city of Springfield, the number of media reports about fires increases, a fear-factor response that often lasts many months after the original incident. These media sources also include discussions about fire safety. Emergency response officials in Springfield claim that the fear frenzy whipped up by the media is responsible for the increased number of reports that appear in the city's media outlets, rather than an increase in the number of actual fires causing the reports.

Which of the following, if true, would seriously weaken the claim of the emergency response officials?

A. The publicity surrounding fires is largely limited to the city in which the accident happened.

B. Fires tend to occur more often during certain summer months when it is dry and hot.

C. News organizations do not have any guidelines to help them decide how severe or close a fire must be for it to receive coverage.

D. Fires receive coverage only when news sources find it advantageous to do so.

E. Studies by the government show that the number of fires in Springfield is almost the same every month.



OA B

Source: Manhattan Prep