Question 1

In 1912, in the first type of national action limiting the film industry, the U.S. government banned the interstate commerce of which kinds of films?

Accepted Answer

The answer of In 1912, in the first type of...

Question 2

In 2001, the weakened privacy laws and gave the federal government more latitude in searching private citizens' records and intercepting electronic communications without a court order.

Accepted Answer

The USA PATRIOT Act was passed by Congress in 2001 following the terrorist attacks of September 11th. One of the key provisions of the act was to expand the government's power to search private citizens' records and intercept electronic communications without a court order. This has been a controversial aspect of the law, with critics arguing that it impinges on citizens' privacy rights.

Question 3

Selecting from the following list of terms, match the question with the best answer. Some terms may be used more than once or not at all.
-Private individuals must prove falsehood, damages, and negligence to win this kind of case.

Accepted Answer

Private individuals must prove falsehood, damages, and negligence to win a libel case.

Answer: D
 Absolute privilege is a defense against a claim of defamation, meaning that some individuals (such as government officials) cannot be held liable for statements made in the course of their duties.

Answer: A
 Copyright refers to the legal protection of creative works, giving the creator exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, and display their work.

Answer: B
 Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows for limited use of copyrighted material without permission, generally for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.

Answer: E
 Censorship refers to the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc., that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.

Question 4

Because of fears about the spread of communism in the 1950s and the tactics of lawmakers such as Senator Joseph McCarthy, TV networks started asking actors and other workers to .

Accepted Answer

TV networks started asking actors and other workers to sign loyalty oaths denouncing communism because of fears about the spread of communism in the 1950s and the tactics of lawmakers such as Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Question 5

Section 315 of the 1934 Communications Act requires broadcast stations to .

Accepted Answer

Section 315 of the 1934 Communications Act requires broadcast stations to give all qualified political candidates an equal opportunity to obtain airtime. This is commonly known as the "equal time rule," which was established to ensure a fair distribution of campaign coverage on broadcast media.

Question 6

The U.S. movie rating system is an example of .

Accepted Answer

The U.S. movie rating system is an example of industry self-regulation, as it is managed and enforced by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), a private organization representing major Hollywood studios. The MPAA creates the ratings and guidelines that are voluntarily adopted by movie theaters and studios.

Question 7

Adopted by 95 percent of the movie industry during most of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, the Motion Picture Production Code would have allowed .

Accepted Answer

The Motion Picture Production Code, also known as the Hays Code, was a set of industry moral guidelines that governed the production of most films released by major studios in the United States from 1930 to 1968. It allowed for positive portrayals of religious figures, such as a minister being shown as a hero, while restricting negative or controversial content like glorifying gangsters, excessive kissing, toilet humor, or risqué jokes.

Question 8

Who came up with the ''seven dirty words'' comedy routine that landed a radio station in hot water with the FCC and resulted in rules about what times of the day a broadcaster can air ''adult'' material?

Accepted Answer

The "seven dirty words" comedy routine was popularized by George Carlin in the early 1970s. His performance of the routine led to a legal case involving a radio station that aired a recording of the routine, which ultimately resulted in the FCC establishing rules about indecent language on broadcast radio and television.

Question 9

The U.S. government banned boxing films from being transported from state to state in 1912 because of .

Accepted Answer

The ban was primarily due to racial tensions, as Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champion, was seen as a threat to the racial status quo.

Question 10

The Communications Act of 1934 mandated that radio broadcasters operate in the ''public interest, convenience, and necessity'' based on which of the following arguments?

Accepted Answer

The limited broadcast signals that exist make radio airwaves a scarce national resource, which required regulation in the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

Question 11

Which of the following statements about the FCC and ''fleeting expletives'' in live TV shows is not true?

Accepted Answer

The statement that "In 2010, a federal appeals court rejected Congress's increase of the FCC's maximum allowable fine" is not true. The court only rejected the FCC's policy on fleeting expletives being too vague, but did not address Congress's increase of the maximum allowable fine.

Question 12

Performers, writers, or producers who did not bow to pressure from people like Senator Joseph McCarthy and found themselves blacklisted as part of the communist ''witch-hunts'' of the 1950s .

Accepted Answer

Performers, writers, or producers who did not bow to pressure from people like Senator Joseph McCarthy and found themselves blacklisted as part of the communist ''witch-hunts'' of the 1950s lost their jobs and any chance of getting hired. They were effectively excluded from the entertainment industry and faced social and financial consequences for their alleged political beliefs. There were no special camps for them to be sent to, they were not limited to minimum wage, and Red Channels was a publication that listed individuals who were allegedly linked to communism, not a show that employed only those who resisted the pressure of McCarthyism.

Question 13

Selecting from the following list of terms, match the question with the best answer. Some terms may be used more than once or not at all.
-This kind of law was intended to make sure authors and producers can earn money from their original work.

Accepted Answer

Copyright law was created to protect the original work of authors and producers, allowing them to control how their work is used and distributed so they can earn money from it.

Answer: E
 Censorship refers to the practice of restricting or suppressing certain types of speech or media. It is often used by governments to control the flow of information and limit what people can see or hear.

Question 14

The case in 1952 determined that film should be protected as a form of free speech.

Accepted Answer

Burstyn v. Wilson, also known as The Miracle case, was a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court in 1952, which determined that film should be protected as a form of free speech under the First Amendment. This case paved the way for future decisions that expanded the protection of free speech in the United States.

Question 15

Selecting from the following list of terms, match the question with the best answer. Some terms may be used more than once or not at all.
-This term is generally defined as prior restraint of public communication.

Accepted Answer

Censorship is the term generally defined as prior restraint of public communication.

Other terms:
- Copyright: legal protection for original works of authorship
- Fair use: a legal doctrine that allows for limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the rights holder for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research
- Libel: a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation
- Absolute privilege: a legal doctrine that protects certain communications from being used as the basis for a defamation lawsuit, such as communications made in court or in certain government proceedings

Question 16

The idea of net neutrality refers to .

Accepted Answer

Net neutrality is the idea that all wired Internet providers should be required to provide the same access to all Internet services and content, without giving preference to any particular website or online activity. This means that Internet service providers (ISPs) should not be able to block or slow down access to certain websites, or charge extra fees to access certain types of content. The principle behind net neutrality is that the Internet should be open and equally accessible to all, without discrimination or interference from ISPs.

Question 17

In the Mutual v. Ohio (1915) decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that film was a .

Accepted Answer

In the Mutual v. Ohio (1915) decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that film was a "business pure and simple" and therefore not protected as a form of free speech under the First Amendment. This ruling set a precedent for many years to come, limiting the artistic and expressive potential of the film industry.

Question 18

One way to understand net neutrality is as a debate between which of the following groups?

Accepted Answer

The answer of One way to understand net neutrality is...

Question 19

In the 1960s, radio programming that featured deejays and callers discussing intimate sexual topics was called .

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the 1960s, radio programming that featured...

Question 20

In 1984, the PG-13 movie rating was added, in part, because which of the following two popular films were considered too violent and disturbing for children under thirteen?

Accepted Answer

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins were both considered too violent and disturbing for children under thirteen when they were released in 1984. This led to the creation of the PG-13 rating to better distinguish between movies that were suitable for older children and those that were only appropriate for adults.

Quiz 16: Legal Controls and Freedom of Expression