Deck 11: Mass Media

Question 1

The mass media is the means to

A) distribute information broadly.
B) compile information for public officials.
C) direct public opinion.
D) establish national policies.
E) publish newspapers.

Answer 1

distribute information broadly.

Question 2

The term for media that focuses on politics is

A) political media.
B) press media.
C) news media.
D) corporate media.
E) total media.

Answer 2

news media.

Question 3

It is appropriate to refer to news organizations as "media" because they

A) serve as a medium between government and the people.
B) serve as a medium, filtering a sea of facts to present just bits to the public.
C) cover the middle ground between the left and right wings.
D) mediate between political figures.
E) strike a middle ground between policy discussions and entertainment.

Answer 3

serve as a medium, filtering a sea of facts to present just bits to the public.

Question 4

The Federalist Papers were originally published as a

A) book.
B) memo to delegates at the Constitutional Convention.
C) scholarly article in a professional journal.
D) series of newspaper articles.
E) series of pamphlets.

Question 5

The Federalist Papers were a response to

A) Anti-Federalist essays critiquing the Constitution.
B) critiques in the New York Post.
C) opponents of the Declaration of Independence.
D) the Articles of Confederation.
E) Thomas Paine's Common Sense.

Question 6

Deliberation between the Federalist Papers and Anti-Federalist essays in newspapers resulted in the

A) adoption of the Bill of Rights.
B) foreign recognition of the United States as an independent nation.
C) outbreak of the War of 1812.
D) passage of the Sedition Act.
E) ratification of the Constitution.

Question 7

Freedom of the press is granted in the

A) Articles of Confederation.
B) First Amendment.
C) original Constitution.
D) Sedition Act.
E) Tenth Amendment.

Question 8

In 1792, Congress assisted newspapers by

A) providing them with low postal rates.
B) allowing reporters to attend all meetings of Congress.
C) purchasing high quality printing presses for the major papers.
D) establishing a press secretary to answer reporters' questions.
E) creating the Bureau of Journalistic Affairs.

Question 9

In 1798, Congress prohibited criticism of the government through the

A) Anti-Federalist essays.
B) creation of the Federal Communications Commission.
C) fairness doctrine.
D) First Amendment.
E) Sedition Act.

Question 10

How did technological improvements affect the production of newspapers?

A) Improvements increased the number of printed books, thereby decreasing newspaper readership and production.
B) Improvements made it more cost-effective to produce newspapers in mass quantities, thereby creating a larger readership.
C) Production suffered as newspapers competed more with privately printed pamphlets.
D) The ease of the new printing method created an influx of competing newspapers, none of which could command a large enough readership to be effective in news distribution.
E) The high cost of new technologies reduced the amount of papers a news organization could afford to produce.

Question 11

Railroads and the telegraph made an impact on newspapers because they

A) decreased the cost of shipping newspapers.
B) increased readership.
C) increased the speed in which reporters were able to transmit their stories.
D) made production more cost-effective.
E) reduced the public's reliance on newspapers as their main source of information.

Question 12

The system of horse riders, railroads, and telegraphs that allowed newspapers to report on the Mexican-American War was the forerunner of the

A) Chicago Tribune.
B) New York Sun.
C) Washington Post.
D) New York Times.
E) Associated Press.

Question 13

What development of the 1840s allowed for the publication of accurate transcripts of the Lincoln-Douglas debates?

A) A new method of shorthand
B) Improvements in printing
C) The telegraph
D) The telephone
E) The transcontinental railroad

Question 14

The sensational stories of sex and violence emphasized by Pulitzer and Hearst are early examples of

A) agenda setting.
B) embedded journalism.
C) framing.
D) priming.
E) yellow journalism.

Question 15

In contrast to the practice of yellow journalism, Adolph Ochs bought the New York Times and focused its reporting on

A) stories previously printed in other papers.
B) reports of foreign affairs.
C) graphic accounts of Civil War battles.
D) key speeches and other documents.
E) editorials and political mudslinging.

Question 16

Muckrakers were journalists who

A) published important speeches and government documents.
B) fabricated stories about candidates.
C) exposed misconduct in government and business.
D) followed a military unit in battle.
E) focused on entertainment more than on news.

Question 17

Compulsory education affected newspapers because it

A) decreased the circulation as most newspaper peddlers were children.
B) expanded the market by increasing the literacy rate.
C) increased publication costs by reducing child labor.
D) placed greater demands on newspapers to provide more scholarly reports.
E) reduced the market by encouraging more people to seek out books rather than newspapers.

Question 18

Broadcasting became part of the mass media after

A) the Civil War.
B) the Spanish-American War.
C) World War I.
D) World War II.
E) the Vietnam War.

Question 19

A system by which a broadcasting company simultaneously supplies programs to stations in different cities is called a(n)

A) conglomerate.
B) network.
C) news medium.
D) ombudsman network.
E) wire service.

Question 20

Franklin Roosevelt made use of radio network broadcasts for political communication by

A) addressing the American public on a weekly basis.
B) addressing the radio audience as if they were at a rally that helped to unite them behind his cause.
C) adopting a conversational tone that allowed millions of Americans to feel connected to him.
D) buying air time on radios to promote the more controversial plans of his administration.
E) funding broadcasters through his New Deal program.

Question 21

How did early movies most often bring politics to people?

A) Most movies between 1920 and 1945 dealt with political issues.
B) Newspapers were commonly sold at stands outside movie theaters.
C) Newsreels were shown before the main features at movie theaters.
D) The most popular movies were political documentaries.
E) Theaters were popular meeting places, which fostered political discussion in a social setting.

Question 22

Edward R. Murrow's documentary on Senator Joseph McCarthy helped to

A) secure the Republican nomination for McCarthy.
B) hasten the senator's fall.
C) increase the cooperation between the government and the media.
D) solidify his reputation as a whistleblower.
E) rid the nation of Communism.

Question 23

What shift increased the ability of television news programs to cover politics and to surpass newspapers and radio as Americans' primary source of news?

A) The change from 15-minute to 30-minute news programs
B) The change from black and white to color pictures
C) The development of national evening news programs
D) The end of newsreels
E) The establishment of networks

Question 24

Why is public ownership of the airwaves a potential problem for news broadcasters?

A) Television stations must prove that they provide a necessary service to the public in order to qualify for a share of the airwaves.
B) Broadcasters are bound by strict rules governing the content of their broadcasts.
C) Journalists are subject to strict scrutiny under the Fair and Balanced Act.
D) Television stations must obtain government licenses that may give public officials an avenue for pressuring journalists.
E) Government licenses are costly, so the wealthy have the advantage in control of the airwaves.

Question 25

Broadcast television networks make most of their money from

A) acting as government watchdogs.
B) airing policy deliberation.
C) engaging in yellow journalism.
D) interviewing political candidates.
E) selling ads on non-news based programs.

Question 26

How did cable news give Americans unprecedented access to news and political information?

A) The public could watch many speeches and government proceedings in their entirety without depending on reporters to condense the information.
B) Cable news channels were available at no charge to viewers.
C) Viewers had access to government proceedings that were not made available to the big three broadcast networks.
D) Cable news channels bought out the major newspapers.
E) Cable news channels relied on government grants so they did not have to air commercials during their programs, giving them more time to cover political news.

Question 27

Corporations who own several different kinds of media businesses are called

A) embedded corporations.
B) media conglomerates.
C) muckrakers.
D) networks.
E) wire services.

Question 28

Most political blogs offer

A) commentaries on stories from existing news sources.
B) expert commentary on specific topics.
C) original reporting.
D) public access to a greater variety of news sources.
E) reports from which news networks draw their information.

Question 29

The Internet has cut deeply into

A) accuracy in printed reporting.
B) advertising in print media.
C) experts willing to publish their findings in print media.
D) politicians willing to be interviewed for traditional news sources.
E) reporters interested in working in print media.

Question 30

Many newspapers have cut the scope of their coverage because

A) fewer reporters are interested in covering news and politics.
B) the government has become less accessible, causing reporting to become more and more difficult.
C) there is less public interest in news and politics.
D) they are losing readers to scholarly magazines.
E) they have lost much of their revenue from advertisers to online competitors.

Question 31

What do many people cite as an important reason for keeping fully informed about news and public issues?

A) It is a substitute for formal education.
B) It is an obligation of citizenship.
C) It requires little effort.
D) News sources are good substitutes for public deliberation.
E) The news is extremely relevant to their lives.

Question 32

Agenda-setting is the process by which

A) topics come up for deliberation in the political world.
B) the parliamentarian determines the order of business for congressional sessions.
C) the media defines an issue by emphasizing or deemphasizing certain aspects of it.
D) politicians determine which matters to bring to their constituents.
E) voters determine what issues to place on the ballot.

Question 33

In the 1990s, Congress presented a series of anti-crime initiatives and proposals in response to heavy media coverage of crime despite a decrease in the actual crime index. This action by the media is an example of

A) dictating.
B) embedding.
C) framing.
D) leaking.
E) priming.

Question 34

Framing is the way in which

A) topics come up for deliberation in the political world.
B) the parliamentarian determines the order of business for congressional sessions.
C) the media defines an issue by emphasizing or deemphasizing certain aspects.
D) politicians determine which matters to bring to their constituents.
E) voters determine what issues to place on the ballot.

Question 35

News coverage that concentrates on who is ahead or behind in a race is called

A) civic journalism.
B) embedded journalism.
C) framing.
D) horse race journalism.
E) priming.

Question 36

Editorials that endorse a candidate or ballot measure often have the most impact on

A) foreign policy deliberations.
B) local elections.
C) presidential elections.
D) public deliberation on key policy issues.
E) senatorial races.

Question 37

Journalists often try to refrain from partisan activities in order to

A) escape fines imposed by the FCC for political activities in journalism.
B) increase their audience.
C) keep their union memberships.
D) maintain an image of objectivity.
E) remain free from legal limits set on donations from the media.

Question 38

What reason do most journalists cite for entering their profession?

A) Citizenship
B) Economic gain
C) Fame
D) Exciting events
E) Relaxed atmosphere

Question 39

Many journalists believe that investigative reporting deters

A) bias.
B) Internet competition.
C) low standards of professionalism.
D) network competition.
E) official wrongdoing.

Question 40

What is the main guardian of professional standards in journalism?

A) Federal laws governing journalism
B) Network executives
C) Professional reputation
D) State laws
E) The Society of Professional Journalists

Question 41

A journalist's beat is

A) the agenda set out by the newspaper prioritizing current stories.
B) a specific issue, institution, or geographic region in which he specializes.
C) an editorial written anonymously to avoid accusations of bias.
D) pressure by the network in order to report the story as quickly as possible.
E) the bias he unintentionally brings to a story.

Question 42

Beat reporting is useful in journalism because it

A) prevents other media institutions from reporting a story first.
B) reduces instances of plagiarism.
C) keeps down costs for newspapers that are struggling to compete with Internet and television news sources.
D) encourages reporters to learn about a wide array of issues and topics.
E) allows journalists to develop the expertise to report with depth, accuracy, and speed.

Question 43

Inconsistencies in documents posted by CBS regarding the military service of George W. Bush were first noticed by

A) bloggers.
B) CNN's investigative reporting team.
C) rivals at NBC and ABC.
D) viewers who regularly watched the CBS evening news broadcast.
E) White House aides.

Question 44

Since the 1960s, news broadcasts have tended to devote

A) less time to advertising.
B) more journalists to foreign bureaus.
C) more reporters to specific beats.
D) more time to news coverage than any other type of story.
E) less time to international affairs.

Question 45

Journalists seldom deliberately tilt their coverage in favor of one side over another because

A) advertisers are reluctant to air ads on biased networks.
B) federal law requires balanced reporting.
C) the FCC is quick to penalize any network showing bias.
D) they are committed to presenting all sides of an issue.
E) they fear alienating large segments of the population.

Question 46

Research has shown that when two people of opposing viewpoints are shown the same article, each will think that it

A) shows a bias in favor of the other side.
B) shows a liberal bias.
C) shows a conservative bias.
D) leaves out key facts.
E) focuses on sensationalism instead of the facts.

Question 47

The fact that three-quarters of American sources in news in 2003 were current or former government officials supports the suggestion that media bias is a matter of

A) conservatism.
B) corporate influence.
C) favoritism towards the United States and its government.
D) liberalism.
E) race and ethnicity.

Question 48

In Gitlow v. New York the Supreme Court ruled that

A) Congress could not suppress radical newspapers.
B) Congress has the power to regulate radical speech in times of war.
C) the First Amendment applied to the states as well as the federal government.
D) the First Amendment is applicable only to federal laws.
E) the Sedition Act was unconstitutional.

Question 49

Broadcast television and radio are subject to federal oversight despite constitutional protections because

A) improvements in technology have placed news organizations in a position in which they could gather and report sensitive government information.
B) the public demanded regulation after several scandals disrupted broadcasts in the 1960s.
C) the public owns the airwaves.
D) they reach all Americans.
E) they threaten to become too large and powerful without regulation.

Question 50

An area that receives broadcasts from a set of stations is called a(n)

A) broadcast region.
B) conglomerate.
C) media market.
D) network.
E) ombudsman.

Question 51

According to the FCC, none of the four major broadcast networks may

A) show any bias in news reporting.
B) assign reporters to beats.
C) purchase radio stations.
D) run political advertisements.
E) buy any of the others.

Question 52

If one presidential candidate bought airtime on a television network, FCC regulations require that all other candidates be given the same opportunity. This is called

A) embedded journalism.
B) framing.
C) horse race journalism.
D) the equal time rule.
E) the fairness doctrine.

Question 53

An evening news program during the Vietnam War covered numerous anti-war rallies. The FCC ruled that they must also broadcast coverage of war supporters in accordance with

A) civil liberties regulations.
B) embedded journalistic practices.
C) framing policies.
D) the equal time rule.
E) the fairness doctrine.

Question 54

The Freedom of Information Act gives people the right to

A) place information on the Internet without government interference.
B) access federal agency records.
C) access news from media sources in a variety of ways.
D) receive news on mobile devices without incurring fees.
E) view all government proceedings on networks such as CSPAN.

Question 55

A reporter who stays with a single military unit for a long period is called a(n)

A) embedded journalist.
B) conglomerate.
C) broadcast journalist.
D) beat reporter.
E) ombudsman.

Question 56

Dow Jones and Reuters are examples of

A) foreign bureaus.
B) journalists' lobbies.
C) journalists' unions.
D) Wall Street investment firms.
E) wire services.

Question 57

The effort by newsmakers to influence news coverage in a particular direction is called

A) a leak.
B) a spin.
C) a beat.
D) civic journalism.
E) embedded journalism.

Question 58

Which of the following is not a common tool of spinning?

A) Leaking
B) News conference
C) Ombudsman
D) Press release
E) Talking points

Question 59

Proposals that newsmakers disclose to gauge the public's reaction are called

A) trial balloons.
B) civic journalism.
C) framing.
D) priming.
E) agendas.

Question 60

The movement to enlist the news media in the service of deliberative democracy is called

A) agenda-setting.
B) beat reporting.
C) civic journalism.
D) embedded journalism.
E) yellow journalism.

Question 61

The goal of an ombudsman is to

A) check problems with accuracy, fairness, and taste in an organization's news coverage.
B) ensure balanced reporting and adherence to the equal time rule.
C) identify plagiarized articles.
D) increase in-depth news coverage.
E) increase the number of advertisers for a news organization.

Question 62

How did technological changes contribute to the growth of newspapers in the nineteenth century and their role in deliberation?

Question 63

How might one argue that radio and television have fostered public deliberation in the United States?

Question 64

What role has the development of the Internet played in public deliberation and the political process? What impact has it had on other forms of media?

Question 65

How can the media help to shape the direction of public and government deliberation?

Question 66

How has technology changed journalism? In what ways has it made journalism more difficult?

Question 67

What new challenges do modern journalists face in their efforts to compete with the Internet and 24-hour cable networks?

Question 68

What accusations of bias do journalists face?

Question 69

In what ways has the federal government regulated television and radio broadcasting?

Question 70

How do public figures try to influence media content? To what extent are they able to be successful?

Question 71

What debate is created by the civic journalism movement?