Deck 5: The Media and Claims

Question 1

__________ is/are an aspect of news work that influences which stories receive media coverage.

A)The extent to which coverage of an event can be planned ahead of time
B)Journalists' perceptions of what is newsworthy
C)The amount of space available in a newspaper
D)all of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

It is argued in your text that the Internet has changed claimsmaking by providing a

A)virtually unlimited carrying capacity.
B)place where broad claims can be brought to the attention of a broad general audience.
C)forum where claims can be made without passing through the traditional filter provided by news workers.
D)both a and c

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Audience segmentation has led to

A)more news programs that target specific audiences.
B)fewer advertising dollars being spent on news programs.
C)audiences that are not loyal to one particular news outlet.
D)more news programs that focus on entertainment rather than on education.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Secondary claims are typically __________ than primary ones.

A)shorter
B)more dramatic
C)less ideological
D)all of the above

Question 5

When the media act as primary claimsmakers,the claims tend to be short-lived because

A)the public does not trust the media as much as experts.
B)the media tend to overexpose the issue.
C)the media quickly move on to a fresh topic.
D)claims made by the media often end up being proven false.

Question 6

The packages for social problems developed by the media often

A)are shaped by the most recent scientific evidence.
B)guide the way the public comes to think about the problem.
C)bring a sense of coherence to the many different claims being made.
D)are actually lies created by powerful politicians

Question 7

When it comes to finding sources to act as owners of claims,the media tend to prefer

A)sources that have credentials that make them experts on the topic.
B)activists who have long histories of working on a particular problem.
C)people who have experience with a problem and will elicit sympathy from the public.
D)people who are already well known and have high status.

Question 8

The three U.S.cities identified in your text as having exceptionally large news worker populations are

A)New York,San Francisco,and Washington,DC.
B)New York,Los Angeles,and Atlanta.
C)Atlanta,Los Angeles,and Washington,DC.
D)Los Angeles,Washington,DC,and New York.

Question 9

The term carrying capacity refers to the

A)number of people who consume a particular media claim in a certain time period.
B)amount of time or space a forum has available for presenting claims.
C)tolerance a given media outlet has for troubling content.
D)extent to which people take seriously a particular media source.

Question 10

When we say social problems compete for space in arenas,we are referring to competition for

A)a limited public attention span.
B)money to support claimsmaking activities.
C)time or space in venues where social problems can be discussed.
D)the support of powerful groups.

Question 11

Saying that the news is a social construction means that

A)it does not reflect what is happening in the real world.
B)what gets news coverage is determined by social processes.
C)the more powerful have more control over the news than the less powerful.
D)the social structure determines what will be covered in the news.

Question 12

Which is the most accurate description of the relationship between packages and frames?

A)Frames are made up of multiple packages that see a problem in the same way.
B)Packages are made up of multiple frames that see a problem in the same way.
C)Frames are made up of multiple packages that see a problem in similar ways.
D)Packages are made up of multiple frames that see a problem in similar ways.

Question 13

The term newshole refers to the

A)space or time available to present news.
B)tendency for a great deal of the stories reported on to be ignored.
C)section of the news to which people pay attention.
D)time period in which people pay attention to a given claim.

Question 14

The shift from news being broadcast by a small number of networks only a few hours a day to twenty-four-hour news networks has resulted in

A)a vastly expanded carrying capacity.
B)greater competition among claimsmakers.
C)a decrease in subscriptions to print news outlets.
D)both a and c

Question 15

Condensing symbols

A)link multiple packages together.
B)explain the elements of a package in simple terms so they are easy to understand.
C)are images,slogans,or short examples that evoke the package.
D)allow the media to talk about disturbing problems without offending consumers.

Question 16

There has been less news coverage of claims relating to the needs of the poor in recent years because

A)poor people do not own media outlets.
B)advertisers prefer to place ads in programs or periodicals that are consumed by a more affluent audience.
C)claimsmakers can gain more attention for their claims by targeting more wealthy audiences.
D)the media find that stories about the poor upset their audiences.

Question 17

Primary claims are

A)the most credible claims.
B)claims advocated by the most powerful segments of society.
C)the initial claims about a problem.
D)the most successful claims.

Question 18

Americans tend to prefer packages that

A)emphasize the value of individual responsibility.
B)link individual responsibility to social forces.
C)emphasize the power of social forces in shaping our lives.
D)talk about the ability of social forces to overcome individual will.

Question 19

The news sources with the largest audiences typically

A)cover the least controversial claims.
B)have the greatest ability to choose which claims they cover.
C)cover the most controversial claims.
D)cover the widest range of claim types.

Question 20

It is argued in your text that the media almost always alter the claims they report on in some way because they

A)are biased.
B)do not have time to develop a full understanding of the many claims they cover.
C)must try to make all claims interesting.
D)both b and c

Question 21

Discuss at least three reasons the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School received more news coverage than previous school shootings.

Question 22

When we say that the media are involved in agenda setting,we mean that they can determine which issues

A)are most important.
B)should be addressed first.
C)people should pay attention to.
D)all of the above

Question 23

Describe and discuss at least four ways that the job that news workers must do influences how they present social problems to the public.

Question 24

When the media engage in agenda setting,they are guided or constrained by

A)the resources available to them.
B)the objective magnitude of events occurring in the world.
C)public officials.
D)all of the above

Question 25

Sociologists often dislike the way social problems are presented in the popular media because there is

A)too much focus on the individual.
B)not enough discussion of research findings.
C)not enough focus on the individual.
D)not enough focus on societal influence.

Question 26

Describe how an obligation to provide balanced news coverage of an issue shapes the way news workers present social problems to the public.

Question 27

You are an activist who wants to draw media attention to your claim.Name at least five things suggested in your text that you could do to make your claims appealing to the media.

Question 28

Describe at least three ways that recent changes in the news media have altered the claimsmaking process.