Deck 12: The Role of Global News Agencies

Question 1

The three major wire services are

A) Thomson Reuters, Associated Press and Bloomberg
B) Thomson Reuters, Associated Press and Agence France Presse
C) Associate Press, Agence France Presse, and Xinhua
D) Associated Press, United Press International and Inter Press Services

Answer 1

Thomson Reuters, Associated Press and Agence France Presse

Question 2

One major issue with the wire services is their focus on coverage in _______.

A) Peripheral nations
B) Core nations
C) East-West, North-South balance
D) Semi-peripheral nations

Answer 2

Core nations

Question 3

Another issue with wire service coverage of peripheral nations was

A) Predominantly negative or sensational news items
B) Given an East-West North-South bias
C) Ignored major breaking news stories
D) Did not garner enough column inches to be cost efficient

Answer 3

Predominantly negative or sensational news items

Question 4

Reuters was established to transmit what information in 1851?

A) Transmit battle news during the Napoleonic Wars
B) Gossip and society news
C) Business and stock market quotations between London and Paris
D) Business and stock market quotations between London and New York

Question 5

Reuters's corporate position as an international market leader is based on its four strengths. Which of the following is NOT a "strength"?

A) A worldwide information and news-reporting network known for speed, accuracy, integrity, and impartiality
B) A constantly developing communications network and a product line distinguishable by its breadth and quality
C) Comprehensive financial databases for both real-time and historical information
D) A reputation for promoting the status quo and non-interference

Question 6

In 2008 Reuters was purchased by whom?

A) Thompson Paper Co .
B) Thomson Corporation
C) Tomison Telephone and Telegraph
D) Thomson Financial Services

Question 7

A major advantage for Reuters to establish an international wire service was:

A) Following the growth of the British Empire's colonies
B) Following the growth of the telegraph overseas
C) Following the growth of French colonization
D) Following the growth of the United States

Question 8

Associated Press was established by

A) The American Rockefeller Group
B) The Carnegie Mellon Foundation in Philadelphia
C) A consortium of San Francisco newspapermen
D) A group of six New York newspapers to save costs

Question 9

The high cost of newspaper coverage during which war was the impetus for creating the Associated Press?

A) The Cuban Missile Crisis
B) The Mexican-American War
C) The US Civil War
D) World War I

Question 10

Today AP offers news directly in five languages. Which is NOT one of those languages?

A) French
B) Chinese
C) Spanish
D) English

Question 11

United Press merged with what newspaper conglomerate?

A) Andrew Carnegie Corporation's Pall Mall Gazette
B) Rockefeller South Improvement Company
C) William Randolph Hearst's International News Service
D) JP Morgan & Co .

Question 12

UPI was sold in 2000 to what church whose founder specializes in sensation journalism and thus making UPI a laughingstock?

A) The Unification Church
B) The Vatican See
C) Lakewood Church
D) Apostolic Pentecostal Union

Question 13

Agence France Presse's largest customer is

A) The French Government
B) Newspapers of 102 different countries
C) French West African Countries
D) The Belgian Government

Question 14

Agence France Presse has regional centers in all BUT

A) Washington DC
B) New York City
C) Montevideo
D) Hong Kong

Question 15

Bloomberg was started in 1986 by Michael Bloomberg for what purpose?

A) Financial news in several languages
B) Financial news from the cities with stock exchanges
C) Financial news around the clock
D) Financial news in the early morning on cable channels

Question 16

The Dow Jones & Company has been publishing the major global newspaper of business since 1889. Which newspaper is it?

A) Wall Street Journal
B) New York Times
C) Washington Post
D) Boston Globe

Question 17

The Dow Jones & Company is known for and consists of a pool of 30 blue chip stocks. What is it called?

A) S&P
B) NASDAQ
C) NYSE
D) DJIA

Question 18

Xinhua is the leading news agency in Asia. It is striving for a global role by delivering media services to the regions of China through print and the internet. There is one glaring problem. What is it?

A) Its only focus is on Chinese issues
B) Is tightly controlled and watched by the Chinese government
C) It has too many interests in things like journalism schools, periodicals, etc.
D) Publishes only in Mandarin which is not a universal language in Asia

Question 19

Inter Press Services is unique among the other press services why?

A) It promotes a horizontal, cooperative basis among developing countries
B) It has a bilateral agreement with the Vatican
C) It promotes a North-South delineation not present in the other news agencies
D) It promotes an East-West bias that upsets the peripheral and semi-peripheral nations

Question 20

The popularity of news services are increasing because:

A) The high cost of placing correspondents abroad
B) Their coverage of non-peripheral issues
C) Their collaborations with NGOs to highlight otherwise dead stories
D) The specificity of Reuters, Bloomberg, and Dow Jones helps sell to a wider range of customers

Question 21

Wire services focus on covering news that was mainly relevant to colonial powers.

Question 22

With the demise of the Cold War, East-West tensions have lessened but criticism remains in North-South media coverage.

Question 23

Reuters was the first wire-service company in Europe to report the assassination of President Lincoln.

Question 24

The undersea telegraph cable is why it's called a "wire" service.

Question 25

One year after the AP was established, Boston newspapers joined AP Regional.

Question 26

The establishment of the transatlantic cable made Halifax outmoded for a news hub.

Question 27

Due to the growing demand for Sports news AP founded APTN.

Question 28

In 1941 television was the most important means of communication in the United States.

Question 29

APTN is currently Reuters' only major competitor.

Question 30

ANR affiliates are currently having bankruptcy problems.

Question 31

Nearly every newspaper is losing money and circulation pressuring the wire services to drop their prices.

Question 32

UPI was the first news service to provide news to only US networks.

Question 33

AP and Reuters beat out AFP to be the first to report the deaths of Stalin and Pope John Paul I.

Question 34

Bloomberg focuses coverage on economics, business, financial markets, tech and global stock markets and trends.

Question 35

With its financial orientations Dow Jones competes directly with Reuters and Bloomberg.

Question 36

Xinhua is the leading integrated news agency out of Taiwan.

Question 37

Inter Press Services was started in 1964 in Spain.

Question 38

IPS works with NGOs to cover peripheral nations' causes.

Question 39

AP and Reuters have both dropped TV news services as part of their product lines.

Question 40

Companies focused on financial news are thriving opposed to broader spectrum service companies.