Which statement about a claim in a news text is correct?

• A. A claim is a statement the author argues is true
• B. A claim is a proven fact
• C. A claim is always supported by data
• D. A claim is the author’s personal opinion

Answer: (A)

In a news text, a claim is the statement the author argues is true. It’s the proposition the piece is trying to persuade you to accept, serving as the main point or thesis the author will support with evidence, reasoning, or examples. It isn’t guaranteed to be a proven fact on its own—claims can be supported, challenged, or interpreted differently, depending on the evidence provided. It also isn’t necessarily just the author’s personal opinion; a claim can be an assertion about events or realities that the author builds an argument around, whether it leans factual, interpretive, or evaluative. That’s why this option—the idea that a claim is a statement the author argues is true—best captures what a claim functions as in a news story.