Question 1

The mass media are defined not so much by the size of the organizations that deliver the news and entertainment as by the size of the audience they reach through devices such as televisions, the Internet, magazines and so forth.

True

Accepted Answer

Mass media is characterized by its ability to reach a large audience through various platforms like television, the Internet, and magazines, rather than the size of the organizations behind these platforms.

Question 2

A majority of journalists describe themselves as &#34;Republican or conservative.&#34;

Accepted Answer

Surveys and studies have consistently shown that a majority of journalists identify as independent or lean towards the Democratic Party, rather than identifying as Republican or conservative.

Question 3

Stories critical of powerful corporations and the media itself seldom appear in the mainstream press.

Accepted Answer

Mainstream media often have financial and political ties to powerful corporations, leading to potential conflicts of interest that can result in the underreporting or avoidance of stories that could cast these entities in a negative light.

Question 4

Many news stories are chosen, not because they serve the public interest, but because they reflect the entertainment preferences of viewers or readers.

Accepted Answer

Many news outlets select stories that are likely to attract viewers or readers, often prioritizing entertainment value or sensationalism over public interest or importance. This approach is driven by the need to increase audience size and advertising revenue.

Question 5

Persistent issues, long-term trends, and root causes typically receive little coverage in the news media.

Accepted Answer

News media often focus on immediate events and sensational stories, which can lead to less coverage of persistent issues, long-term trends, and root causes that require deeper investigation and analysis.

Question 6

Social media pose few critical thinking challenges.

Accepted Answer

Social media can present challenges to critical thinking, such as the spread of misinformation and the need to evaluate the credibility of sources.

Question 7

According to the text, most mass media news reporting&#10;A) has a pronounced liberal bias&#10;B) has a pronounced conservative bias&#10;C) has a strong anti-government bias&#10;D) fits into a narrow band of ideology that hovers around the center of the political spectrum

Accepted Answer

Most mass media news reporting tends to fit into a narrow band of ideology that hovers around the center of the political spectrum, as it aims to reach and maintain a broad audience base. This centrism helps in appealing to a wide range of viewers or readers, avoiding extreme biases that could alienate large segments of the audience.

Question 8

In advertising, &#34;puffery&#34; refers to&#10;A) the use of repetitive jingles and meaningless slogans to sell products&#10;B) the appeal to patriotism and group loyalty to sell products&#10;C) the use of humor to sell products&#10;D) none of the above

Accepted Answer

Puffery in advertising refers to exaggerated or hyperbolic claims that no reasonable person would take literally, and it is not specifically limited to the options provided (A, B, C). These options describe other advertising techniques but do not accurately define puffery.

Question 9

According to Max Sutherland's &#34;balance beam&#34; metaphor, in advertising we should be looking for&#10;A) the widest appeal possible&#10;B) feathers rather than weights&#10;C) fears rather than hopes&#10;D) none of the above

Accepted Answer

Max Sutherland's "balance beam" metaphor in advertising suggests that it's more effective to add many small, positive messages (feathers) rather than a few heavy arguments (weights) to tip the balance in favor of a product or service. This approach emphasizes the cumulative impact of multiple light, positive appeals.

Question 10

&#34;J. C. Penney: It's All Inside&#34; is an example of the following advertising gimmick:&#10;A) puffery&#10;B) catchy slogan or jingle&#10;C) emotive language&#10;D) bandwagon

Accepted Answer

"J. C. Penney: It's All Inside" is an example of a catchy slogan, designed to be memorable and to encapsulate the essence of the brand in a few words.

Question 11

The news media is often criticized because&#10;A) rather than offering an honest and thorough examination of an issue in all its complexity, it often distorts meaning in its presentation of the news&#10;B) it often employs attention-grabbing techniques that do little to increase our knowledge of a topic&#10;C) both a and b&#10;D) none of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of The news media is often criticized because&#10;A)...

Question 12

Before you write, you should&#10;A) choose and narrow your topic&#10;B) write a sentence that expresses your claim&#10;C) both a and b&#10;D) none of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of Before you write, you should&#10;A) choose and...

Question 13

The first rule of all communication is to&#10;A) know who your audience is and adjust your style accordingly&#10;B) know yourself&#10;C) be clear&#10;D) none of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of The first rule of all communication is...

Deck 11: Writing Argumentative Essays and Thinking Critically About the Media