Comprehension
Some readers wondered whether my reading of the crisis in the news media is about journalism or about the news industry. Though the fortunes of the news industry have a bearing on journalism, there is, indeed, a difference between looking at issues that govern journalism and the factors that contribute to the financial stress of the media industry. Over the last few years, I have been discussing the impact of digitalisation on journalism. The pandemic has accelerated the process of digital transformation of the news media. Therefore, these issues need close scrutiny. One of the defining elements of analog journalism was the way two crucial functions of journalism — bearing witness and making sense — complemented each other and helped people make informed choices. When I talk about the strength of analog, I am neither romanticising the past nor am I a Luddite. Most importantly, I do not believe in nostalgia. Many scholars have established “how rose-coloured glasses always leads to an unfair distortion — looking back on the best of the past while comparing it to the worst of the present.” Hence, when I talk about the digital information news environment, I am talking about how there needs to be a conducive atmosphere for credible information to resonate with the people. Literature on misinformation, disinformation and malinformation reveals a new distinction in the minds of the citizens. Editors and journalists have to contend with a new breed of sceptics. These are the people who trust social media forwards more than evidence-based, data-driven journalism. Their confirmation bias flows from encrypted social media platforms that are full of conspiracy theories.
[Excerpt from an Article by A.S. Panneerselvan, The Hindu, dated August 10, 2020]
[Excerpt from an Article by A.S. Panneerselvan, The Hindu, dated August 10, 2020]
Question: 1
Which of the following conveys the main idea expressed in the passage?
Which of the following conveys the main idea expressed in the passage?
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Those who subscribe to newspapers are sceptics.
- Those who subscribe to newspapers and news channels often contribute in distortion of the truth.
- Social media journalism distorts the truth.
- All of the above.
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The Correct Option is C
Approach Solution - 1
The correct option is (D): Social media journalism distorts the truth.
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Approach Solution -2
The passage discusses how digitalisation has changed journalism, and warns that many readers now trust unverified social media forwards over evidence-based, data-driven reporting because of confirmation bias fed by encrypted platforms full of conspiracy theories. We need the option that best captures this central concern.
- Those who subscribe to newspapers are sceptics: The passage actually describes sceptics as people who trust social media forwards more than newspaper style, evidence-based journalism, which is the opposite grouping. This option misreads who the sceptics are, so it is wrong.
- Those who subscribe to newspapers and news channels often contribute in distortion of the truth: Nowhere does the passage blame traditional newspaper or news channel subscribers for distorting the truth; the concern raised is about social media users following unverified forwards. This option attributes the problem to the wrong group.
- Social media journalism distorts the truth: This lines up with the passage's warning that encrypted social media platforms are full of conspiracy theories, and that many people now trust these forwards over credible, data-driven journalism. The passage's real worry, once its background discussion of the news industry is set aside, is that unverified social media content is pulling readers away from accurate reporting and spreading distorted information.
- All of the above: Since the first two options misstate who the passage is describing, they cannot be bundled with the third option, so this combined answer fails.
Reading the passage as a whole, its main worry is the credibility gap opened up by digital and social media, not any claim about newspaper subscribers.
So the correct answer is Social media journalism distorts the truth.
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Question: 2
In this line, "Hence, when I talk about the digital information news environment, I am talking about how there needs to be a conducive atmosphere for credible information to resonate with the people" the Author assumes that:
In this line, "Hence, when I talk about the digital information news environment, I am talking about how there needs to be a conducive atmosphere for credible information to resonate with the people" the Author assumes that:
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- The Digital news is neither evidence based nor data driven.
- The Digital journalism does not help people in making informed choices
- Both a) and b)
- The impact of Digital journalism has created an informed platform of journalism.
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The Correct Option is C
Approach Solution - 1
The correct option is (C): Both a) and b)
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Approach Solution -2
The quoted line says the author is talking about the need for "a conducive atmosphere for credible information to resonate with the people." Saying something is needed implies it does not fully exist yet. Let's check what that implies about each option.
- The Digital news is neither evidence based nor data driven: If the author felt digital news already had a fully credible, evidence-based atmosphere, there would be no need to call for one to be built. So this assumption, that current digital news often falls short of being evidence-based and data-driven, is implied by the author's call for a "conducive atmosphere."
- The Digital journalism does not help people in making informed choices: The wider passage links journalism's job of "bearing witness and making sense" to helping people make informed choices. If credible information is missing from the digital space, then that informed-choice function is also being undermined, so this assumption follows from the same premise as the first option.
- Both a) and b): Since both underlying assumptions, that digital news currently lacks a credible, evidence-based footing, and that this failure weakens people's ability to make informed choices, follow directly from the author's call for a "conducive atmosphere," combining them captures the full assumption behind the line.
- The impact of Digital journalism has created an informed platform of journalism: This says the opposite of what the author implies. If digital journalism had already created a fully informed platform, the author would not need to call for a more "conducive atmosphere" for credible information. This option contradicts the quoted line.
The author's call for improvement only makes sense if he assumes the present digital information environment is falling short on both credibility and its ability to inform people.
So the correct answer is Both a) and b).
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Question: 3
Which of the following strengthens the Author‘s argument?
Which of the following strengthens the Author‘s argument?
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Conspiracy theories have become an alternative truth.
- The Pandemic is the only reason behind the dependence of people on Social media journalism
- The News industry is witnessing a tremendous change.
- None of the above.
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The Correct Option is A
Approach Solution - 1
The correct option is (A): Conspiracy theories have become an alternative truth.
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Approach Solution -2
The author's argument is that many readers now trust social media forwards over evidence-based journalism because of confirmation bias, and that this is fed by conspiracy theories circulating on encrypted platforms. An option that strengthens this argument should add support for that specific claim.
- Conspiracy theories have become an alternative truth: This directly backs up the author's point. If conspiracy theories are being treated by readers as an "alternative truth," that is a real-world instance of exactly the confirmation bias and drift away from evidence-based journalism that the author is warning about, so it strengthens his case.
- The Pandemic is the only reason behind the dependence of people on Social media journalism: The author frames the shift as being driven by confirmation bias and encrypted platforms full of conspiracy theories, factors that exist independent of the pandemic. Claiming the pandemic is the only reason narrows the cause to something the author never singles out this way, so it does not support his actual argument.
- The News industry is witnessing a tremendous change: This is a general statement about industry change that the author himself distinguishes from the journalism-specific issues he wants to discuss. It is too vague and does not speak to the credibility or confirmation bias point at the heart of his argument.
- None of the above: Since the first option does strengthen the argument, this cannot be correct.
Only the statement about conspiracy theories becoming an alternative truth speaks directly to the author's specific worry about misplaced trust in unverified content.
So the correct answer is Conspiracy theories have become an alternative truth.
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Question: 4
What does the Author indicate when he quotes that “Rose coloured glasses always lead to unfair distortion"?
What does the Author indicate when he quotes that “Rose coloured glasses always lead to unfair distortion"?
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Digital Journalism is twisted
- Author means to say that he does not have any disproportionate bias for analog journalism.
- Rosy picture of every news cannot be created.
- All of the above.
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The Correct Option is B
Approach Solution - 1
The correct option is (B): Author means to say that he does not have any disproportionate bias for analog journalism.
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Approach Solution -2
Right before the quoted line, the author says he is neither romanticising the past nor is he a Luddite, and that most importantly, he does not believe in nostalgia. He then quotes scholars on how rose-coloured glasses distort our view of the past. We need to see what this quote is doing in context.
- Digital Journalism is twisted: The quoted line about rose-coloured glasses is about looking back at the past, that is analog journalism, with unfair favour, not about digital journalism being twisted. This option points to the wrong subject.
- Author means to say that he does not have any disproportionate bias for analog journalism: This matches the surrounding sentences directly. The author first insists he is not romanticising or being nostalgic about analog journalism, and then backs that up by quoting how rose-coloured glasses create an unfair, one-sided comparison favouring the past. The quote is his way of showing self-awareness against exactly this kind of bias toward analog journalism.
- Rosy picture of every news cannot be created: This turns the quote into a generic statement about news content in general, but the quote is specifically about the author's own attitude toward the past versus the present, not about news stories being rosy or not.
- All of the above: Since the first and third options misplace the subject of the quote, this combined option cannot be correct either.
The quote is best read as the author defending himself against being unfairly biased in favour of analog journalism, which is exactly what the surrounding sentences say.
So the correct answer is Author means to say that he does not have any disproportionate bias for analog journalism.
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Question: 5
The Author has severely targeted and criticized which one of the following factors of Digital Journalism?
The Author has severely targeted and criticized which one of the following factors of Digital Journalism?
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Social Outreach
- Credibility of Information
- Lack of Information
- None of the above.
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The Correct Option is B
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The correct option is (B): Credibility of Information
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The passage repeatedly circles back to one theme: whether information reaching people in the digital age can be trusted, given misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, and conspiracy theories on encrypted platforms. Let's test which factor the author is really targeting.
- Social Outreach: The passage does not criticise digital journalism for how far or wide it reaches people; if anything, wide reach is part of what makes the trust problem serious, but outreach itself is not what the author is attacking.
- Credibility of Information: The author's repeated concern, calling for "a conducive atmosphere for credible information," pointing to misinformation and disinformation, and describing readers trusting unverified forwards over evidence-based reporting, is squarely about whether digital information can be trusted. This is the factor he is criticising.
- Lack of Information: The digital age, as the passage itself implies, actually produces an overload of content, not a shortage. The problem the author raises is about the quality and trustworthiness of that content, not its quantity, so "lack" of information is not the right description.
- None of the above: Since credibility of information is directly supported by the passage, this cannot be the answer.
Every specific worry the author raises, misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, and conspiracy theories, comes back to one thing: whether the information itself can be trusted.
So the correct answer is Credibility of Information.
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