"Community Newspaper Under Siege"

Question

by Tim Grobaty

Last February, just moments after the president declared that the media is “the enemy of the American people,” a friend and now former colleague of mine spun around in his chair and proclaimed, or rather predicted (Andrew mostly spoke in prophecies), that “journalists will be killed because of this.”

So, here we are, just a little over four months later, mourning the deaths of five newsroom employees—four journalists and an advertising assistant—at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland.

The shooter reportedly had a grudge against the newspaper going back long before the president’s incendiary words, and it’s certainly unclear that those words had any influence on the shooter’s motives, but nevertheless, these are times when a growing number of people are feeling emboldened to act on long-subsumed biases and hatreds.

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Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

What reason does the author give to convince the reader that their claim is believable?

(1 point)
Responses

It is unclear whether the president’s words inspired the shooter to act on his hatred of the press.
It is unclear whether the president’s words inspired the shooter to act on his hatred of the press.

The deaths of five local newspaper employees shows that a growing hatred toward the media is dangerous.
The deaths of five local newspaper employees shows that a growing hatred toward the media is dangerous.

The author’s former colleague predicted that journalists will be killed because of the president’s words.
The author’s former colleague predicted that journalists will be killed because of the president’s words.

It is clear that more people are becoming emboldened to act on their hatred of the media.

Answer 1

The reason the author gives to convince the reader that their claim is believable is:

The deaths of five local newspaper employees shows that a growing hatred toward the media is dangerous.

This response highlights the direct consequences of increased hostility towards journalists, reinforcing the idea that such animosity can lead to real harm.