Deck 10: Politics and Media

Question 1

The Internet, including e-mail and the World Wide Web, came into widespread use by the general public in the _____.

A) 1960s
B) 1970s
C) 1980s
D) 1990s
E) 2000s

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following forms of mass communications media was the most recent to be extended First Amendment protections by the U.S. Supreme Court?

A) Newspapers
B) Books and magazines
C) The cinema
D) The Internet
E) Cable television

Answer 2

E

Question 3

proved to be more devastating to newspapers, in the sense of declining circulation, than other forms of media.

A) The Internet
B) Radio
C) Broadcast television
D) News magazines
E) Cable television

Answer 3

A

Question 4

When a television show or Internet blogger provides information on the relatively low rates of U.S. taxation compared with the rest of the world, with the idea that this information may sway viewers in favor of a tax increase, the journalist is using the agenda-setting technique of .

A) managed news coverage
B) podcasting
C) narrowcasting
D) framing
E) priming

Question 5

When a journalist fits events into a familiar story or filters information through preconceived ideas, the journalist is engaging in the agenda-setting technique known as .

A) hyperlocalism
B) podcasting
C) narrowcasting
D) framing
E) priming

Question 6

The Supreme Court extended First Amendment protections to the cinema in .

A) 1915
B) 1949
C) 1952
D) 1987
E) 1997

Question 7

The media's ability to determine which issues are considered to be important by the public and by politicians means that the media are engaged in

A) agenda setting.
B) narrowcasting.
C) podcasting.
D) hyperlocalism.
E) citizen journalism.

Question 8

"The press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly successful in telling its readers what to think about." Bernard Cohen's classic statement on the media and public opinion best describes

A) narrowcasting.
B) hyperlocalism.
C) managed news coverage.
D) spin.
E) agenda setting.

Question 9

Cable television networks arrived in the .

A) 1950s
B) 1960s
C) 1970s
D) 1980s
E) 1990s

Question 10

The has been called the first "television war."

A) First Gulf War
B) war on terrorism
C) war in Iraq
D) Vietnam War
E) war on drugs

Question 11

Considering the electorate as a whole, remain(s) the dominant medium in terms of political influence.

A) television
B) newspapers
C) radio
D) the Internet
E) news magazines

Question 12

The media are a dominant presence in people's lives largely because they provide

A) entertainment.
B) leisure time.
C) political information.
D) government censorship.
E) opportunity for financial gain.

Question 13

Strictly defined, the term means "communication channels."

A) broadcast television
B) blogosphere
C) media
D) citizen journalism
E) social networking

Question 14

Beginning in about , the number of adults reading a daily paper began to decline even though circulation remained steady due to population growth.

A) 1990
B) 1980
C) 1970
D) 1960
E) 1950

Question 15

The to the Constitution upholds the important role of a free press.

A) First Amendment
B) Second Amendment
C) Third Amendment
D) Tenth Amendment
E) Fourteenth Amendment

Question 16

In its first opportunity to rule on the issue, the Supreme Court extended First Amendment protections to the Internet in _.

A) 1978
B) 1984
C) 1997
D) 2001
E) 2008

Question 17

Following World War II, became the dominant form of communication.

A) the Internet
B) radio
C) broadcast television
D) print media
E) cable television

Question 18

The concept of freedom of the press

A) is not always immediately extended to new types of media as they come into existence.
B) has never been applied to print media.
C) has not been extended to any form of media except print media.
D) has not been extended to the Internet.
E) has not been extended to cable television.

Question 19

The Internet was created by

A) the United States military.
B) Al Gore.
C) university researchers.
D) the public at large.
E) the World Conference of International Telecommunications.

Question 20

Cable TV received substantial First Amendment protections from the Supreme Court in .

A) 1979
B) 1985
C) 1990
D) 1997
E) 2000

Question 21

Political advertising first appeared on television during the presidential campaign.

A) 1936
B) 1948
C) 1952
D) 1960
E) 1964

Question 22

Debates have been a part of every presidential election since .

A) 1996
B) 1976
C) 1960
D) 1968
E) 1992

Question 23

Today, consumes at least one-half of the total budget for a major political campaign.

A) traditional face-to-face campaigning
B) social media networking
C) advertising placed on the Internet
D) televised political advertising
E) arranging appearances on television programs

Question 24

In the news business, priming refers to

A) the collection and dissemination of information online by independent journalists and the general citizenry.
B) establishing the context of a media report.
C) narrowing the focus of news to the local area.
D) news coverage that is manipulated by a political consultant to gain media exposure for a political candidate.
E) promoting specific facts or ideas that may affect the public's thinking on related topics.

Question 25

The 1964 "daisy girl" ad is an example of

A) a personal attack ad.
B) a sound bite.
C) a negative issue ad.
D) a podcast.
E) citizen journalism.

Question 26

In 2008, was spent on political advertising for broadcast TV.

A) $500 million
B) $780 million
C) $1 billion
D) $2.3 billion
E) $4.5 billion

Question 27

The concept of "infotainment" refers to

A) programs that inform and entertain at the same time.
B) television networks competing with each other for advertising revenue.
C) the vulnerability of television networks to pressure from advertisers.
D) the ability of the public to retain information presented by the media.
E) the pressure on the media to report stories quickly.

Question 28

The infamous "daisy girl" ad appeared in which presidential race?

A) Eisenhower-Stevenson (1952)
B) Nixon-Kennedy (1960)
C) Goldwater-Johnson (1964)
D) Bush-Gore (2000)
E) Obama-McCain (2008)

Question 29

A is a political candidate's press adviser who tries to convince reporters to give a story or event concerning the candidate a particular interpretation or slant.

A) narrowcaster
B) primer
C) spin doctor
D) gyro guru
E) blogmeister

Question 30

A very short televised comment that captures a thought or perspective with immediate impact on viewers is known as a(n) _.

A) blog
B) story fragment
C) opinion piece
D) sound bite
E) podcast

Question 31

Which of the following statements is accurate?

A) Campaign managers typically assert that they use negative advertising because it works.
B) Negative TV ads never work.
C) The more negative the TV ad, the less likely it is to get free media coverage.
D) Negative ads are less likely to focus on substantive political issues and thus they do a poorer job of informing the voters about important campaign issues than positive ads do.
E) Negative TV ads are less likely than positive ads to grab the viewers' attention and make an impression.

Question 32

For the 2012 election cycle, total spending on political advertisements reached about .

A) $2 billion
B) $3.5 billion
C) $5 billion
D) $7.2 billion
E) $9.8 billion

Question 33

Rupert Murdoch's media holdings in the United States, which include , promote conservative politics.

A) the New York Times and the CBS television network
B) the Washington Post and the ABC television network
C) the Fox television networks and the Wall Street Journal
D) The Colbert Report on the Comedy Central channel
E) CNN and MSNBC

Question 34

Candidates use to focus on flaws in their opponents' positions on various issues.

A) the backfire approach
B) nuke ads
C) personal attacks during debates
D) bloggers
E) negative issue ads

Question 35

In 1800, an article describing Thomas Jefferson as having a "weakness of nerves, want of fortitude, and total imbecility of character" appeared in the Federalist Gazette of the United States. This is an example of

A) a personal attack ad.
B) an issue ad.
C) managed news coverage.
D) a sound bite.
E) spin.

Question 36

The first televised presidential debate took place in

A) 1952, between Eisenhower and Stevenson.
B) 1960, between Kennedy and Nixon.
C) 1964, between Johnson and Goldwater.
D) 1968, between Nixon and Humphrey.
E) 1972, between Nixon and McGovern.

Question 37

The televised presidential debates in included a third-party candidate, H. Ross Perot.

A) 1984
B) 1992
C) 1996
D) 2000
E) 2004

Question 38

Candidates' campaign managers and political consultants use to create newsworthy events for journalists and TV camera crews to cover.

A) narrowcasting
B) managed news coverage
C) priming
D) citizen journalism
E) podcasting

Question 39

In the news business, framing can mean

A) fitting events into a familiar story or filtering information through preconceived ideas.
B) determining which issues are considered to be important by politicians.
C) narrowing the focus of news to the local area.
D) news coverage that is manipulated by a political consultant to gain media exposure for a political candidate.
E) promoting specific facts or ideas that may affect the public's thinking on related topics.

Question 40

Television is the primary news source for of the citizenry.

A) only 17 percent
B) about 38 percent
C) nearly 55 percent
D) more than 65 percent
E) nearly 90 percent

Question 41

From its beginnings, radio has been a favorite outlet for

A) the Democratic party.
B) traditional news reporters.
C) the political right.
D) the political left.
E) radical and extreme views.

Question 42

In a recent study, the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that 64 percent of reporters in both national and local media applied the term to themselves.

A) moderate
B) liberal
C) conservative
D) progressive
E) libertarian

Question 43

In a 2013 Gallup poll measuring the public's confidence in various institutions, of the respondents stated that they had a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in television news.

A) 76 percent
B) 51 percent
C) 37 percent
D) 23 percent
E) 12 percent

Question 44

This Fox news commentator promoted the Tea Party movement in 2009 and sponsored the Restoring Honor rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

A) Rush Limbaugh
B) Glenn Beck
C) Bill O'Reilly
D) Sean Hannity
E) Michael Savage

Question 45

Ever since held his first "fireside chats" on radio, politicians have realized the power of that medium.

A) Warren G. Harding
B) Franklin D. Roosevelt
C) John Kennedy
D) Richard Nixon
E) Jimmy Carter

Question 46

In a recent poll, of respondents believed that the news media leaned left.

A) 26 percent
B) 46 percent
C) 63 percent
D) 58 percent
E) 30 percent

Question 47

Which president made the following remark regarding the importance of freedom of expression and the press? "A nation that is afraid to let its people judge truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people."

A) John F. Kennedy
B) Lyndon B. Johnson
C) George Washington
D) Ronald Reagan
E) Thomas Jefferson

Question 48

Talk radio is sometimes characterized as the Wild West of the media because

A) the leading shows are broadcast from western states.
B) the audiences are larger in the West than in any other part of the country.
C) talk-radio shows only air in the West.
D) talk-show hosts often exaggerate their political biases for effect; no journalistic conventions are observed.
E) the views that the most popular talk-show hosts promote are left (or west) of center.

Question 49

The government of Great Britain banned commentator from entry into that country due to his remarks about Muslims.

A) Rush Limbaugh
B) Glenn Beck
C) Bill O'Reilly
D) Sean Hannity
E) Michael Savage

Question 50

In a 2013 poll by the Pew Research Center, of respondents agreed that "press criticism of political leaders keeps them from doing things that should be done."

A) 68 percent
B) 75 percent
C) 42 percent
D) 39 percent
E) 84 percent

Question 51

During the 1930s, Father Charles Edward Coughlin, advocated anti-Semitism and expressed sympathy for Adolf Hitler. Coughlin's connections eventually destroyed his popularity.

A) Democratic
B) libertarian
C) Republican
D) socialist
E) fascist

Question 52

Perhaps the most important protection against bias in news reporting is

A) public reaction to news coverage.
B) advertiser pressure on the news media.
C) oversight by owners and editors of the news media.
D) the commitment to professionalism of most journalists.
E) fact checking services.

Question 53

Eight of the top ten talk-radio shows are politically

A) conservative.
B) progressive.
C) libertarian.
D) liberal.
E) moderate.

Question 54

About of the public regularly listens to talk radio.

A) 4 percent
B) 17 percent
C) 28 percent
D) 41 percent
E) 57 percent

Question 55

Media scholar Kathleen Hall Jamieson suggests that media bias plays a role in shaping presidential campaigns and elections. It is a bias

A) that favors Democrats.
B) that favors Republicans.
C) against winners.
D) against losers.
E) against conservatives.

Question 56

The talk radio audience is predominantly

A) male, middle-aged, and liberal.
B) female, middle-aged, and conservative.
C) male, young, and liberal.
D) male, middle-aged, and conservative.
E) female, young, and conservative.

Question 57

In talk radio, no liberal commentator ranks higher than place in the ratings.

A) 25th
B) 20th
C) 30th
D) 40th
E) 35th

Question 58

Modern talk radio took off in the United States during the , after the .

A) 1940s; creation of the Federal Communications Commission
B) 1940s; passage of the fairness doctrine
C) 1950s; repeal of the fairness doctrine
D) 1980s; passage of the fairness doctrine
E) 1990s; repeal of the fairness doctrine

Question 59

In the context of news coverage, spin is

A) an agenda-setting technique that establishes the context of a media report.
B) advertising undertaken by or on behalf of a political candidate to familiarize voters with the candidate and his or her views on campaign issues.
C) the distribution of audio or video files to personal computers or mobile devices.
D) a reporter's slant on, or interpretation of, a particular event or action.
E) an agenda-setting technique in which a media outlet promotes specific facts or ideas that may affect the public's thinking on related topics.

Question 60

During the 1930s, the nation's most successful radio commentator was

A) Rush Limbaugh.
B) Sean Hannity.
C) Father Charles Edward Coughlin.
D) Glenn Beck.
E) Bill O'Reilly.

Question 61

According to a Pew Research Center survey following the 2012 presidential elections, of Americans said they went online for election news.

A) 64 percent
B) 36 percent
C) 29 percent
D) 53 percent
E) 47 percent

Question 62

Online activists who support a particular candidate but are not controlled by the candidate's organization are known as _.

A) hacktivists
B) netroots groups
C) bloggers
D) web managers
E) citizen journalists

Question 63

Podcasting can best be defined as

A) establishing the context of a media report.
B) spinning a story or an event in a way that is favorable to a political candidate.
C) narrowing the focus of news to the local area.
D) managing news coverage to gain media exposure for a political candidate.
E) the distribution of audio or video files to personal computers or mobile devices such as smartphones.

Question 64

Today, almost of the world's inhabitants use the Internet.

A) 4 percent
B) 40 percent
C) 25 percent
D) 37 percent
E) 49 percent

Question 65

Among United States Internet users, about read blogs.

A) 35 percent
B) 42 percent
C) 56 percent
D) 77 percent
E) 83 percent

Question 66

Some news organizations have created special niches in which to build their audiences, like particular ethnic groups and hobbyists.

A) citizen journalism among
B) hyperlocalism aimed at
C) narrowcasting to
D) participatory journalism aimed at
E) personal commentary regarding

Question 67

Increased Internet usage has

A) caused most advertising revenues to go to aggregators, such as Google, lowering ad revenues for the news media.
B) allowed the news media to tap into a new and wider audience for news.
C) given the traditional news media a new source of audiences and profits.
D) made the news media more responsive and accountable to citizens.
E) encouraged the media to use personal political commentary more often.

Question 68

Mitt Romney was dogged by negative media coverage during the 2012 presidential campaign when he claimed that

A) Barack Obama was not born in the United States.
B) small business owners need government to help them be successful.
C) veterans programs and Medicare should face significant budget cuts.
D) 47 percent of the people think they are victims, pay no taxes, and will vote for Obama no matter what.
E) standardized tests for elementary students should be abolished.

Question 69

The dangers of 24/7 exposure were reflected in one of the most damaging gaffes that dogged Barack Obama during the 2012 presidential campaigns. It came about when he attempted to explain

A) why the U.S. government should help provide valuable national infrastructure.
B) why small businesses have made America great.
C) why the rich are out of touch with ordinary citizens.
D) why the wealthy should pay more taxes.
E) why people are entitled to health care, food and housing.

Question 70

In the news business, hyperlocalism refers to

A) the collection and dissemination of information online by independent journalists and the general citizenry.
B) establishing the context in which an issue is understood.
C) narrowing the focus of news to the local area.
D) news coverage that is manipulated by a political consultant to gain media exposure for a political candidate.
E) promoting specific facts or ideas that may affect the public's thinking on related topics.