Deck 12: The Media and American Politics

Question 1

Which of the following is the most basic role of the media in the United States?

A) Criticizing the American government
B) Providing advertising opportunities for political candidates
C) Monitoring and communicating about events around the nation and world
D) Stirring public debate and gathering public opinion
E) Serving as an advocate and supporter of the government's programs

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was created in 1934 for what purpose?

A) To control and eliminate controversial ideas on public television
B) To produce a profit for the federal government by using television and other media
C) To advance the use of radio as a popular media outlet
D) To regulate the electronic media through licensing of broadcasters and creating rules for broadcasters to follow
E) To launch and control communication satellites

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The case that was evoked by the George Carlin's comedic skit "Seven Dirty Words" was the

A) FCC v. United States.
B) FCC v. George Carlin.
C) FCC v. Pacifica Foundation.
D) FCC v. Seven Dirty Words.
E) United States v. Pacifica Foundation.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Who was the defendant in the case that established the principle that truth is a defense against libel?

A) Peter Zenger
B) Alexander Hamilton
C) Howard Stern
D) Oliver Wendell Holmes
E) Creighton Abrams

Question 5

Which of the following achieved legislative success on comprehensive health care reform?

A) Franklin Roosevelt
B) Dwight Eisenhower
C) Harry Truman
D) Bill Clinton
E) Barack Obama

Question 6

What is the purpose of the Federal Communication Commission's "equal time rule"?

A) It mandates the amount of time that a station is allowed to broadcast politically-oriented programs.
B) It mandates that media outlets must give free time to the government to advocate for its tax-supported programs.
C) It mandates radio and television stations to sell or give equal amounts of air time to all political candidates who want to broadcast advertisements.
D) It restricts the amount of political advertising that a newspaper may carry in comparison to television.
E) It requires a station to allot equal time slots to every candidate who is running for political office regardless of party affiliation.

Question 7

How can objectivity be defined within the context of the media?

A) Equity is the only real consideration, meaning that each outlet receives equal time.
B) The media allow the government to present its version of events.
C) The media report events fairly, accurately, factually, and equitably while providing perspectives from all sides of an issue or debate.
D) The media advocate for the government's role in the democratic process.
E) The government is kept completely out of the debate.

Question 8

Which of the following points were made by Barack Obama's forces in using the Internet to "bring the full debate over health care into the open"?

A) Exposing backroom deals
B) Revealing opponents' exaggerations about negative consequences of the reform proposals
C) justifying the need for the plan's coverage
D) Options A, B, and C are true.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT one of the positive benefits of television and Internet news reporting?

A) To help set the political agenda
B) To allow citizens to witness destruction, such as the aftermath of a hurricane
C) To observe an actual battlefield
D) To help keep government accountable to the people
E) To swing viewers towards a political bias

Question 10

Who was the attorney whose argument established the principle that truth is a defense against libel?

A) Peter Zenger
B) Alexander Hamilton
C) Howard Stern
D) Oliver Wendell Holmes
E) Creighton Abrams

Question 11

The principal functions of the media in the political system of the United States include

A) providing objective coverage of events.
B) facilitating public debate.
C) serving as a government watchdog.
D) Options A, B, and C are true.
E) None of the above is true.

Question 12

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 abolished the older "fairness doctrine" that had been in effect since 1950. The ruling deregulated the information industry. What effect did this deregulation have on the Federal Communications Commission?

A) The FCC was no longer needed and was disbanded.
B) It transformed the FCC into a law enforcement agency.
C) It transformed the FCC from a regulator of the industry into an aggressive supporter of competition within the industry.
D) The FCC became a moderator of disputes between media outlets.
E) The FCC was transformed into a labor union of sorts that acted as an advocate for customers of the media.

Question 13

Research indicates that when all forms of media are taken together, Americans devote how much time to media, including television, radio, the press, the Internet, and other forms?

A) Less than one hour per week
B) Approximately 100 hours per year
C) Approximately 500 hours per year
D) Approximately 3,500 hours per year
E) Over 10,000 hours per year

Question 14

The justification for delegation of authority to the FCC to regulate the electronic media in 1934 was

A) allowing people to freely communicate their ideas will provide a larger number of ideas to consider.
B) the truth cannot be considered libelous.
C) encouraging the publication and dissemination of a wide variety of political ideas offers citizens a diversity of opinions and perspectives.
D) some electronic media require broadcast frequencies that are scarce and these need to be regulated to insure the orderly transmission of programs.
E) to limit the language and type of sexual material that broadcasters might use.

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT considered a form of media?

A) Television
B) Newspapers
C) The Internet
D) Telephone
E) Books and periodicals

Question 16

The Telecommunications Act of 1996

A) gave the FCC the power to regulate indecent material.
B) required broadcasters to provide public affairs programming under the "fairness doctrine."
C) extended the power of the FCC to include regulation of print media.
D) promoted the equal time rule.
E) deregulated cable television providers, eliminated monopolies held by local phone companies, and allowed local phone companies to provide long-distance phone services.

Question 17

In his dissenting opinion in Abrams v. United States in 1919, then-Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes coined the term "free marketplace of ideas" as an argument for a free press. What is meant by this statement?

A) People should be allowed to freely communicate their ideas to provide a variety of ideas to consider.
B) People and the media should be free to benefit financially from the marketability of media.
C) The press should support our economic system of capitalism.
D) In the open market the top retailers will put the smaller retailers out of business.
E) All forms of media should be disseminated without cost.

Question 18

Which statement is false?

A) More than 170 million Americans use Facebook.
B) The average American spends more time watching TV than going to work or school.
C) The average person devotes 40 percent of their year devoted to some form of media.
D) There are more TV sets per household than toilets.
E) The average American has about 300 Facebook "friends."

Question 19

What tools does the Federal Communications Commission have that it may employ for violation of its rules?

A) The FCC may confiscate a media outlet and take over its operations.
B) The FCC may force a media company to forward all profits to the federal government.
C) The FCC may revoke a broadcasting license or impose a fine for each violation.
D) The FCC has no power to employ sanctions against a media outlet.
E) The FCC issues only advisement, referring all violations to the FBI.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT true of objectivity in the media?

A) It is difficult to define.
B) It requires signaling when important events occur.
C) It provides perspectives on all sides of an issue or debate.
D) It is clearly defined by the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
E) Sometimes journalists try to take a shortcut in achieving objectivity by trying to give equal weight to all sides without making any judgments of their own.

Question 21

The first political "talk show" was

A) distributed on news reel to movie theaters prior to World War II.
B) Joe Pyne's show in 1950 on KABC radio.
C) Walter Cronkite's news broadcasts of the 1960s on ABC television.
D) developed with the advent of cable news, such as CNN, in the 1970s.
E) Meet the Press on television in the 1960s.

Question 22

Ideally, in providing context and commentary on political events, the competing news outlets play a vital role in the democratic process by

A) facilitating and advocating public debate of the issues, thus increasing voter awareness.
B) calming public furor over certain events.
C) advocating for the government's favor.
D) fulfilling the government's needs.
E) choosing and advocating for one particular side of an argument.

Question 23

The standard TV news show, developed in the early 1950s,

A) covered the Army-McCarthy Hearings live.
B) was a half-hour program produced each evening.
C) provided gavel to gavel coverage of the Democratic and Republican conventions.
D) was a fifteen-minute daily news program.
E) was developed from the program "Martin Kane-Private Eye."

Question 24

Who were the "muckrakers"?

A) A group of journalists in the 1900s who constantly attacked and harassed the government, causing unnecessary distrust among the citizens
B) Corporate newspaper editors of the early 1900s who accepted bribes for favorable reporting
C) Corporate executives during the years prior to the Great Depression who received prison sentences for their roles in corrupt corporate practices
D) A group of journalists in the late 1800s who investigated and exposed corporate and political corruption in American life
E) Journalists who reported on the questionable underworld environment

Question 25

Which of the following is a way in which the media acts as a Watchdog?

A) Publishing editorial columns in newspapers on differentiating perspectives
B) Providing live, objective coverage of an event
C) Pinning news anchors against ideological opponents on live news
D) Preventing abuse of government power by acting as fourth state
E) Renouncing the goals of the muckrakers

Question 26

Historically the news media have been effective as checks against governmental power and have been trusted by most Americans. Because of their protections by the First Amendment and their ability to check governmental powers, the media are often referred to as

A) the agitator.
B) the fourth branch of government.
C) the government's police.
D) the mediator of government.
E) the voice of the people.

Question 27

Who or what was "Deep Throat"?

A) The FBI code name for an investigation of corrupt newspaper editors in the 1970s
B) An adult film of the 1970s that was used as a test case for protection of pornography as free speech under the First Amendment
C) An Al Qaeda operative who was exposed after an undercover investigation by a major media alliance
D) A confidential informant who gave information to Washington Post reporters and eventually helped break the Watergate investigation in the 1970s
E) An investigation that delved deeply into the corrupt side of the media and its control by the government

Question 28

Why is it essential that the media operate free of government control?

A) The government has no expertise in media management.
B) The government is incapable of providing media coverage.
C) This is the only way in which the media can be truly objective in its reporting and coverage.
D) Private interests are always more honest and objective than those of the government.
E) Profits from the media industry belong in the private sector.

Question 29

Why was the 1815 invention of the rotary press so important to news efforts?

A) It enabled the mass production of newspapers.
B) It enabled the creation of electronic transmission of news.
C) It had no significant effect on news production.
D) It improved objectivity in reporting.
E) It allowed the printing of newspapers in multiple languages.

Question 30

Though they do not report news, how can media organizations, such as The History Channel and The Biography Channel, add to the overall delivery of information?

A) These channels now report current and updated news and events.
B) These outlets offer viewers a historical context to local, national, and international events.
C) These organizations add competition to the media industry.
D) These channels actually offer no meaningful weight to news coverage.
E) At the risk of being confusing, these outlets are designed to support and follow the lead of the major news outlets.

Question 31

What was the "era of the partisan press"?

A) A period prior to the Civil War when the press was overly partial to the federal government and acted as its mouthpiece
B) A period prior to the Civil War when most newspapers were owned by, or at least supported, one of the major political parties, and this bias was evident in their news
C) A period prior to the Civil War when the Democratic Party controlled all news sources
D) A period prior to and during World War II when the federal government issued a blackout order for all news reports about the war
E) A period of government censorship during the Civil War when all news outlets were controlled by the federal government

Question 32

Though newspapers were politically biased in the early 1800s, by about 1850 they began to distance themselves from particular partisan positions. What was the result of this decision?

A) Readership suffered considerably.
B) Political parties removed all financial support from newspapers, which had a negative effect on growth for nearly 30 years.
C) Readership declined because the news was considered boring without the heated twist of partisanship.
D) Readership increased.
E) Advertisers withdrew support and profitability declined.

Question 33

What was the impact of the invention and distribution of radio in the early twentieth century?

A) It reached the first truly mass media audiences.
B) It improved commercial marketing for advertisers.
C) It proved problematic in that enemy nations could monitor American transmissions.
D) It exposed an income gap in that most Americans could not afford the device.
E) It was a nice invention but was overshadowed by the power of the printed media.

Question 34

How did citizens get news prior to the American Revolution?

A) The federal government printed monthly news updates.
B) Larger cities had daily or weekly newspapers that carried in-depth reporting and analysis.
C) The British government provided all news sources prior to America's independence.
D) Only British media outlets were allowed to compete in the American news market though all news must be sympathetic to the British rule.
E) A handful of small newspapers published by printers were oriented toward paid advertising, but also produced some political pamphlets.

Question 35

Television was available to consumers by the mid-1930s, but when did it become widely adopted as a medium for getting news about politics and the world?

A) Prior to World War II
B) During the manufacturing boom of World War II
C) During the post-war economic boom following World War II
D) During the early 1960s
E) During the late 1970s

Question 36

The first network of radio stations, established in 1926, was the

A) American Broadcasting Corporation.
B) Columbia Broadcasting System.
C) National Broadcasting Company.
D) Public Broadcasting System.
E) Emergency Broadcasting System.

Question 37

Who was the first president to use radio to communicate with constituents?

A) Abraham Lincoln in 1865
B) Theodore Roosevelt in 1901
C) Franklin Roosevelt in 1932
D) John Kennedy in 1960
E) Ronald Reagan in 1980

Question 38

Which term was coined to describe the low cost of distributing newspapers in the early 1800s?

A) Cheap news
B) Abundant return
C) Fluid news
D) Cost dissemination
E) The "penny press"

Question 39

How did the media assist in the ratification process of our U.S. Constitution in the 1780s?

A) Newspapers of the time were very objective, offering front-page articles for both supporters and dissenters to debate their stances on ratification.
B) The media actually acted as antagonists during this process, as they were intent on exposing on the weaknesses of the proposed Constitution.
C) Newspapers involved themselves in the partisan fights between Federalists and Anti-Federalists over ratification by publishing news stories and editorial articles.
D) The British government successfully shut down the media during the Revolutionary War so this was not a factor in the ratification process.
E) The media were incapable of assuming any roles in a political debate during this time.

Question 40

How did railroad expansion impact the news in the mid-1800s?

A) Railroads owned the newspaper so the increased profits of the railroads allowed expansion of the new outlets.
B) Railroads opened up remote areas, but the areas were controlled by non-American forces and the impact on news dissemination was negative.
C) Railroads had no impact on the media.
D) Expansion of railroads into frontiers and remote areas allowed for mass distribution of newspaper and mail.
E) Railroads were controlled by the dominant political party, which also controlled how and if the news was distributed to remote areas.

Question 41

PBS and NPR do receive funds from all of the following except

A) the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
B) commercial advertising.
C) donations from businesses.
D) donations from individuals.
E) federal funds.

Question 42

Televised presidential debates have been held every election year since

A) 1960-Kennedy/Nixon.
B) 1964-Johnson/Goldwater.
C) 1976-Ford/Carter.
D) 1988-Bush/Dukakis.
E) 1992-Clinton/Dole.

Question 43

In 1967, Congress provided funding to create the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which is responsible for

A) redirecting some of the profitability of televised media to the U.S. Treasury.
B) creating noncommercial public television and radio programming.
C) creating an in-house news source designed to present the government's side of issues.
D) providing national entertainment and movies.
E) Internet-based programming and information dissemination.

Question 44

From a politically strategic standpoint, how has television benefited political candidates, as compared to radio?

A) It costs much less than radio advertising.
B) It is less expensive than radio, though radio reaches more potential voters.
C) It has allowed them to develop an "image" through carefully planned media appearances and advertisements.
D) There is little difference in benefit between radio and television.
E) It has increased the voter turnout in elections.

Question 45

Though there was a 25 percent decline in the number of newspapers over the past century; how many daily newspapers are still published in the United States today?

A) Nearly 100 daily newspapers
B) Approximately 250 daily newspapers
C) Approximately 700 daily newspapers
D) Approximately 1,500 daily newspapers
E) Approximately 10,000 daily newspapers

Question 46

Wire services

A) are the leading newspapers on financial events.
B) have a format of brief stories along with colorful graphics and pictures.
C) are considered national dailies and are designed to appeal to a national audience.
D) cover large metropolitan areas.
E) provide a clearinghouse for news as it occurs.

Question 47

Which of the following represented the first televised presidential debate?

A) 1932-Hoover/Roosevelt
B) 1948-Truman/Dewey
C) 1960-Kennedy/Nixon
D) 1968-Humphrey/Nixon
E) 1980-Reagan/Mondale

Question 48

While presidents for many years have held press conferences and answered reporters' questions, it was President Eisenhower who changed the format. How did Eisenhower hold his press conferences?

A) Eisenhower invited reporters to the White House for the first time.
B) Eisenhower allowed a press pool that included any reporter of a major newspaper who wished to attend.
C) Eisenhower was the first president to use the radio as a medium to reach Americans.
D) Eisenhower was the first to hold regular televised news conferences with unscripted questions.
E) Eisenhower was televised, but the questioning was very rigid and the answers had to be preapproved, since he was U.S. military general.

Question 49

The Disney Corporation owns

A) National Geographic.
B) The Weather Channel.
C) Showtime.
D) ESPN.
E) Fox Kids.

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT true of the Associated Press?

A) It is the largest wire service.
B) It promotes elaborate social events for editors and publishers on a weekly basis.
C) It employs a large number of reporters throughout the nation and around the world to write news on social events.
D) Its members share the news services it provides.
E) It permits smaller regional newspapers and local television and radio stations to cover events from around the world in an efficient, informative, and cost-effective manner.

Question 51

Every president since Eisenhower has used what medium to address the nation at least weekly?

A) Newsletters
B) Mass mailings
C) Live television
D) Radio
E) E-mail

Question 52

When were the first television advertisements sold to major party candidates in a presidential election?

A) 1920
B) 1932
C) 1940
D) 1952
E) 1960

Question 53

Internet users are more likely to be younger, middle and upper class. This phenomenon is referred to as the

A) digital divide.
B) generation gap.
C) racial disparity.
D) economic disproportionalism.
E) literacy gap.

Question 54

Corporate owners of the four major television news outlets include all of the following except

A) General Electric (GE).
B) CBS.
C) Disney.
D) News Corporation.
E) PBS.

Question 55

Which of the following statements is NOT true of the digital divide?

A) The digital divide is shrinking.
B) The costs of computers and Internet access is declining.
C) Public Library visitors has declined in the past 6 years.
D) The younger generations are replacing older generations due to computer skills.
E) Better educated, nonminorities are more likely to use the Internet on a regular basis.

Question 56

The most recently developed and widely used forms of Internet media for disseminating personal opinion and information have been

A) e-mail lists.
B) blogs.
C) listservs.
D) online newspapers.
E) mass mailings.

Question 57

The leading newspaper on financial events is

A) the Wall Street Journal.
B) the New York Times.
C) the San Francisco Chronicle.
D) USA Today.
E) the Chicago Tribune.

Question 58

How did President Kennedy change the way in which the executive branch used television?

A) Kennedy ran advertisements that advocated for his programs.
B) Kennedy used television to address Congress.
C) Kennedy gave the first televised State of the Union address.
D) Kennedy was the first to use live television during a press conference, which increased his approval ratings.
E) Kennedy used television to address his foreign opponents.

Question 59

The "minimal effects theory" suggests

A) while the effects of exposure may be minimal or difficult to gauge, the media are quite influential in telling the public what to think about.
B) that viewers imitate what they view on television through observational learning.
C) the activation of one thought also activates other thoughts and exposure to media provides cues to people on this thought activation process.
D) that initial conditions with only slight variations can produce widely differing outcomes.
E) that deep-seated, long-term political attitudes had a much greater influence on the vote decision than media content.

Question 60

John Kennedy was clearly the favorite over Richard Nixon in the presidential debate that was broadcast in black and white. His look was sharp, tanned, and relaxed, and his suit contrasted with the background. When radio listeners were surveyed about the debate, what was the result?

A) They also gave the debate to Kennedy.
B) They could not contrast the visual presence of the two candidates and they felt that Nixon gave better answers.
C) They reported that they could not make a determination about the winner without having seen the candidates.
D) They preferred their medium to television.
E) They reported no difference between the two candidates or mediums.

Question 61

Though the media has had a positive role in American society, it is very often criticized. Describe some of the criticisms of the privately owned media in a democracy such as the United States.

Question 62

Compare and contrast the different theories assessing the influence of the media on voting decisions: the minimal effects theory, social learning theory, cultivation theory, and agenda setting.

Question 63

Discuss evidence that suggests the media may have a liberal bias. Discuss evidence that suggests the media may have a conservative bias. Which criticism do you find most persuasive toward contemporary media outlets?

Question 64

Discuss the impact of ownership of the media organizations on media coverage. Does private ownership affect the operation of media outlets? If so, how? How is the Internet a possible alternative to privately-owned media outlets?

Question 65

Discuss key historical events that have shaped the modern media. How have events changed the media, to what extent has it remained the same?

Question 66

The theory of media effects that suggests that heavy television exposure helps develop an individual's overall view of the world is

A) cultivation theory.
B) social learning theory.
C) minimal effects theory.
D) agenda setting theory.
E) hypnotic theory.

Question 67

"Priming" is a theory that suggests

A) while the effects of exposure may be minimal or difficult to gauge, the media are quite influential in telling the public what to think about.
B) that viewers imitate what they view on television through observational learning.
C) the activation of one thought also activates other thoughts and exposure to media provides cues to people on this thought-activation process.
D) that initial conditions with only slight variations can produce widely differing outcomes.
E) that deep-seated, long-term political attitudes had a much greater influence on the vote decision than media content.

Question 68

Which of the following is NOT one of the most common criticisms of the news media?

A) Large conglomerates such as Knight Rider risk monopolizing the news outlets.
B) Private ownership means that profits are the primary goal, which results in truth and responsibility becoming secondary.
C) Increased profit-seeking increases the likelihood of sensationalism.
D) News outlets tend to be politically biased, and that bias shows in their programming and reporting.
E) News media have a right to report on personal matters of the president if those events have a public impact.

Question 69

Compare and contrast the different types of mass media, both print (newspapers, magazines, and books) and electronic media (television, radio, the Internet, and movies). How does each type operate to reach its audience? What are the differences, if any, in the audiences of each type?

Question 70

The American press is often referred to as the fourth branch of government and the government watchdog. Describe what is meant by these labels. Give some examples of the press exercising the roles associated with these terms.

Question 71

How do today's media continue to serve the public interest? Are journalistic standards and existing regulations effective in promoting responsible news coverage?

Question 72

How has the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the First Amendment's freedom of the press and applied it to mass media? Give examples of some court cases.

Question 73

How has the government regulated media throughout American history? Describe the role of the Federal Communications Commission in this process of regulation.

Question 74

Which of the following theories suggests that while the effects of exposure may be minimal or difficult to gauge, the media are quite influential in telling the public what to think about?

A) Cultivation theory
B) Social learning theory
C) Minimal effects theory
D) Agenda setting theory
E) Hypnotic theory

Question 75

Which of the following theories proposes that viewers imitate what they see on television?

A) Cultivation theory
B) Social learning theory
C) Minimal effects theory
D) Agenda setting theory
E) Hypnotic theory

Question 76

In the age of cable television and the Internet access, many questionable news sources have been created that primarily seek to dig up the dirt on a subject, such as the Drudge Report. This type of media is referred to as

A) new age journalism.
B) fictionalized journalism.
C) sensationalism.
D) illegal reporting.
E) "cutting the fat."