from the editors 

Informal logic is concerned, to use one 
vocabulary, with the material conditions of 
arguments. Part of its subject matter, to use 
another idiom, are the conditions of the ac-
ceptability of premises in arguments. Infor-
mal logic is informed by the goal of 
understanding "the use of reason in ever-
day life" -to borrow some words from the 
apt subtitle of Howard Kahane's landmark 
text, Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric. 
These considerations direct our interest to 
the sources of the information available to 
us-of the material that typically makes up 
our premises. In today's world that interest 
must focus on the mass media. 

This issue contains four articles and a 
critical study which relate informal logic to 
the media of mass communication, from one 
point of view or another. John May recom-
mends a fine-grained reading of news 
reports and suggests a detailed set of 
categories to guide us in that attempt. John 
McMurtry proposes that we look closely at 
what is absent from news reports. Lenore 
Langsdorf draws our attention to "the logic 
of television communication. " And Gary 
Jason looks at one particular species of dis-
ingenuousness in political discourse in the 
media. John Dolan's critical study of 
Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky's 
recent book, Manufacturing Consent, com-
plements McMurtry's thesis. 

Also in this issue is Roger Smook's 
Reply to papers by Rolf George and David 
Hitchcock, the latter of which appeared in 
Vol. VII, Nos. 2&3 of this journal. 

In this issue, following the example of 
some other journals, we list, and would like 
publicly to thank, colleagues who have 
made contributions to the scholarship of in-
formal logic by refereeing articles for this 
journal. Refereeing work is both time 
consuming and valuable intellectual work 
which ought to be viewed as a scholarly 
contribution by university and college 
administrators. 

Finally, this issue contains the index for 
Volumes VI-X, inclusive. This is the final 
issues of the first five years of publication 
of Informal Logic as a refereed journal of 
record. The quality and quantity of articles 
reflects significant growth and depth in the 
field of informal logic. 

looking ahead ... 

In the next issue we will welcome an 
expanded Editorial board, some new 
policies, and a competition featuring a cash 
prize! The journal needs prompt payment 
of subscriptions. Please fill in the enclosed 
form and return it with your cheque right 
away. 0