Question

4. An organization that strives to hold agencies accountable for truth in news reporting plans to select a random sample of 100 news stories from major U.S. news agencies in order to estimate the proportion of news stories produced by major U.S. news agencies that contain false information. A 90 percent confidence interval for the proportion of all news stories that contain false information will then be constructed. Before selecting the sample, the organization determines that they want to make the margin of error as small as possible. Which of the following is the best way for them to decrease the margin of error?

(A)Increase the confidence level to 95%.
(B)Increase the confidence level to 99%.
(C) Include a wider diversity of sources, such as local and international news agencies.
(D)Include news stories over a broad period of time, such as over the past decade.
(E) Increase the sample size.​

Answer 1

Answer: E) Increase the sample size

Explanation: with the confidence level and sample proportion held constant, the margin of error will decrease as the sample size increases.