Deck 6: The Media: Truth, Power, and American Democracy

Question 1

William Randolph Hearst used yellow journalism in his publication, The New York Journal, to promote the ______.

A) World War I
B) Mexican American War
C) Spanish American War
D) Vietnam War

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Forms of electronic communications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking are called ______.

A) weblogs
B) social media
C) vlogs
D) internet sites

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of the following are all valid themes of today's media?

A) technology, dramatic change, and partisan politics
B) communal ownership, biased stories, and a lack of objectivity
C) capitalistic ownership, freedom from bias, and objectivity
D) relative stability, partisan-free politics, and bias-free reporting

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The press played a pivotal role in the ratification debates of the U.S. Constitution through the publication of ______.

A) the Federalist Papers and Anti-Federalist Essays
B) Common Sense
C) the Bill of Rights
D) the Declaration of Independence

Question 5

Americans are increasingly getting their political information through the filter of ______.

A) family, friends, and acquaintances who influence our lives
B) all of the media outlets that inform us of political issues
C) school and church sources that indoctrinate us on American values
D) politicians and their personal campaign outreaches

Question 6

A major limiting factor of early newspaper readership was the ______.

A) overall lack of literacy
B) public disinterest in political information
C) cost of a newspaper
D) intense amount of competing media

Question 7

The news "bosses" of the penny press were the ______.

A) industrialist publishers
B) wealthy elite
C) parties and candidates
D) public

Question 8

Early newspapers were nicknamed the ______ press.

A) partisan
B) yellow
C) penny
D) people's

Question 9

Which of the following best presents the central question that underlies changes in today's media?

A) How reliable and trustworthy are those who report the news?
B) Where does today's news originate, and how is it reported?
C) How effective are the news media in shaping Americans political understandings?
D) How does the idea of biased news sources impact the reporting of today's news?

Question 10

The earliest printed news material in America was the ______.

A) gazette
B) newspaper
C) pamphlet
D) almanac

Question 11

The main consumers of early newspapers were the ______.

A) uneducated masses
B) middle class
C) financial and political elite
D) literate lower class

Question 12

The connection between the nation's media and American politics has been shaped by which of the following?

A) tradition, politics, capitalism, and the need to preserve national security
B) technology, politics, the rights of a free press, and the need to preserve national security
C) politics, the rights of a free press, and the need to preserve national security
D) the rights of a free press, capitalism, and the tradition of printed media

Question 13

Americans are simultaneously witnessing a major ______ in daily newspaper readership and a ______ in social media, political talk shows, and the use of "celebrity" news sources.

A) rise; decline
B) rise; rise
C) decline; decline
D) decline; rise

Question 14

The collective group of news providers that people increasingly depend upon is called ______ media.

A) mass
B) social
C) news
D) radical

Question 15

While citizen journalists may operate in a variety of contexts, one of the most extreme is ______.

A) foreign affairs and regime change
B) combat and military operations abroad
C) domestic protests and political activities
D) local news events and information

Question 16

On August 20, 1787, Charles Pinckney from South Carolina proposed the inclusion of which of the following guarantees to the Constitution?

A) Freedom of Assembly
B) Freedom of Religion
C) Freedom of Armament
D) Freedom of the Press

Question 17

Sources of information that appeal to a wide audience, including newspapers, radio, television, and internet outlets, are known as ______ media.

A) news
B) mass
C) broadcast
D) public

Question 18

The use of sensational headlines, cartoons, graphics, and emotional language in order to influence public opinion is known as ______ journalism.

A) yellow
B) investigative
C) partisan
D) biased

Question 19

Nonprofessionals who cover events by filming them on cell phones or providing commentaries and analysis are called ______.

A) web masters
B) internet journalists
C) social media gurus
D) citizen journalists

Question 20

By taking political positions and supporting candidates and parties, early newspapers were acting as a ______.

A) political elite
B) partisan press
C) penny press
D) mass media

Question 21

In 1996, Australian media entrepreneur Rupert Murdoch launched which news channel?

A) CNN
B) Fox News
C) MSNBC
D) HLN

Question 22

Which one of the following terms is used to refer to all of the various digital platforms through which individuals receive, share, and produce content?

A) niche journalism
B) new media
C) traditional media
D) citizen journalism

Question 23

Media that caters to fragmented and specialized audiences is called ______.

A) niche journalism
B) new media
C) traditional media
D) citizen journalism

Question 24

The 1990s witnessed the rise of which new outlet for television and television news?

A) 1-hr news magazines
B) 24-hr cable news
C) local news stations
D) citizen reporting

Question 25

In order to speak directly to American citizens about the Great Depression and, later, World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt used which of the following?

A) radio advertising
B) public speeches
C) fireside chats
D) television commercials

Question 26

Since they operate under looser regulatory constraints than the broadcast networks, television news has become more ______ and less ______.

A) partisan; objective
B) objective; reliable
C) subjective; partisan
D) reliable; subjective

Question 27

Today's radio talk shows are often but not solely used to distribute partisan messages for which of the following political parties?

A) Libertarian
B) Democratic
C) Green
D) Republican

Question 28

During the progressive era, many investigative journalists were nicknamed ______.

A) partisans
B) muckrakers
C) politicos
D) yellow journalists

Question 29

As the Vietnam War progressed, American casualties mounted, and protests against American involvement spread and grew, trusted television journalist ______ questioned if the war had become unwinnable.

A) Edward R. Murrow
B) Rodger Mudd
C) Walter Cronkite
D) Frank Magee

Question 30

Which of the following technologies first allowed the instantaneous transmission of news over long distances in the mid to late 19th century?

A) telegraph
B) telephone
C) internet
D) Pony Express

Question 31

The Associated Press took advantage of telegraph technology to create the world's first ______.

A) mass media
B) partisan news service
C) wire service
D) consolidated media

Question 32

In September 1960, candidates ______ and ______ participated in the first of a series of televised presidential debates in the U.S. history.

A) Franklin D. Roosevelt; Alfred "Alf" Landen
B) Harry S. Truman; Thomas E. Dewey
C) Adlai Stevenson; Dwight D. Eisenhower
D) John F. Kennedy; Richard M. Nixon

Question 33

A news reporter follows an important story from its origins to its ultimate end by digging into every possible corner of the story. This would be an example of ______ journalism.

A) investigative
B) partisan
C) yellow
D) citizen

Question 34

While often criticized, cable news channels are ______.

A) becoming more and more subjective and less like traditional news
B) pandering to specific audiences and lacking hard news stories
C) becoming more like what newspapers had been before-unapologetically partisan
D) less partisan and more balanced in their delivery of news stories

Question 35

Technological advances during the 20th century brought news, political figures, and candidates into Americans' lives in a ______ way.

A) direct
B) indirect
C) partisan
D) nonpartisan

Question 36

Talk radio broadcasts have been criticized for their efforts to ______.

A) disseminate propaganda
B) provoke emotional responses
C) generate revenue for their owners
D) be as fair and impartial as possible

Question 37

The internet was first developed and deployed through a collaboration between ______ and ______.

A) the CIA; the military
B) DARPA; research universities
C) the NSA; the CIA
D) the FBI; the NSA

Question 38

Outlets for news and other content that relies on mass-communications technology to bring stories directly into people's homes but are subject to stricter content regulations than cable television outlets and alternative sources of information are known as ______ media.

A) mass
B) citizen
C) news
D) broadcast

Question 39

A strategy used to create a greater presence of traditional network broadcast journalists in other venues has been to ______.

A) emphasize traditional news broadcasting
B) emphasize nontraditional news broadcasting
C) highlight their visibility in order to reach larger audiences
D) rebrand traditional news media services as nontraditional news outlets

Question 40

In 1961, John F. Kennedy, having won the presidency, gave the first live televised ______.

A) news conference
B) press release
C) public speech
D) executive order

Question 41

The study of the power of the news media in shaping individuals' political knowledge, preferences, and political behavior is called the ______.

A) horse race phenomenon
B) "feeding frenzy"
C) partisan bias
D) media effect

Question 42

A perennial critique of the American news media is that it demonstrates a ______ partisan bias.

A) negative
B) conservative
C) neutral
D) liberal

Question 43

The shaping of content and focus of news based on the desire to capture the market of news consumers is called ______.

A) partisan bias
B) horse race phenomenon
C) commercial bias
D) reporter bias

Question 44

One of the most important developments in the internet age has been the rise of ______ media like Facebook.

A) broadband
B) social
C) self-published
D) citizen-created

Question 45

By allowing or restricting access by journalists, candidates and politicians can strategically put a ______ on a story to benefit themselves.

A) twist
B) spin
C) feeding frenzy
D) swirl

Question 46

The intentional use of the media to support a political party or presentation of material that the news agency knows to be untrue or unverified could be referred to as ______ news.

A) niche
B) media
C) fake
D) social

Question 47

Which of the following has often been a focus of government regulation regarding the media?

A) media prices
B) media content
C) media coverage of elections
D) media coverage of politicians

Question 48

Watching political comedy shows such as The Daily Show may decrease individuals' support for and engagement with ______.

A) foreign policy
B) domestic policy
C) political institutions
D) bureaucratic agencies

Question 49

Stories that focus on celebrity and personality rather than underlying issues are known as ______.

A) soft news
B) edutainment
C) infotainment
D) hard news

Question 50

Coverage of political campaigns that focuses more on the drama of the campaign than on policy issues is known as the ______.

A) horse race phenomenon
B) reporter bias
C) "feeding frenzy"
D) commercial bias

Question 51

Although journalists are more likely to self-identify as liberal compared to the general public, they are expected to operate under the professional expectations that reward ______.

A) subjectivity
B) objectivity
C) political bias
D) conservatives

Question 52

The political goal of a politician who wishes to control the media is to ______.

A) get out as much information as possible about the campaign on a daily basis
B) control the message by focusing on one message per news cycle day
C) allow the public to set the media agenda for the campaign
D) allow the candidate to create a media storm that distracts from negative messages

Question 53

The blurring of the lines between providing information and entertaining audiences when covering events is known as ______.

A) soft news
B) edutainment
C) infotainment
D) hard news

Question 54

When reporters are assigned to specific types of news, policies, or events this is known as ______.

A) the beat system
B) horse race
C) feeding frenzy
D) commercial bias

Question 55

With technological revolutions in the 20th century, demands for regulation came from ______.

A) citizens and content providers
B) the federal government and elected representatives
C) foreign nations and broadcasters
D) elected representatives and citizens

Question 56

Government effort to control the media has oftentimes focused on which of the following?

A) media ownership
B) media costs
C) media coverage of elections
D) media coverage of politicians

Question 57

When some news outlets pursue inflammatory and sensational coverage to secure the niche marketplace while other news outlets may avoid coverage so as not to upset their audience, this is referred to as ______.

A) the beat system
B) horse race
C) feeding frenzy
D) commercial bias

Question 58

Whether true or not, scandals often crowd out discussions of policy. This is a pattern that political scientist Larry Sabato has called a ______.

A) horse race phenomenon
B) reporter bias
C) "feeding frenzy"
D) commercial bias

Question 59

Efforts to regulate the media have focused primarily on what two things?

A) celebrity and media ownership
B) media ownership and media content
C) reporter bias and media accountability
D) media content and celebrity

Question 60

Soft news can act to engage individuals with ______ issues.

A) domestic
B) foreign policy
C) defense
D) social welfare

Question 61

From the point of view of publishers and broadcasters, regulations were necessary to prevent ______.

A) overlap
B) bias
C) over grazing
D) consolidation

Question 62

Which of the following brought deregulation to media ownership which led to a massive consolidation of media ownership?

A) Communications Act of 1934
B) Federal Communications Commission Act of 1980
C) Federal Radio Act (1927)
D) Telecommunications Act of 1996

Question 63

In 1934, Congress passed the Communications Act, which led to the creation of which regulatory agency?

A) FRC
B) FCC
C) ETV
D) PBS

Question 64

The ______ established the Federal Radio Commission and required broadcasters to obtain a license to broadcast on specific frequencies.

A) Communications Act of 1934
B) Federal Communications Commission Act of 1980
C) Federal Radio Act (1927)
D) Telecommunications Act of 1996

Question 65

The ______ requires networks to guarantee political candidates equal time to present their views and opinions.

A) equal time rule
B) equal access rule
C) fairness doctrine
D) broadcast equity doctrine

Question 66

For the most part, media outlets are largely organized to attract ______.

A) viewers
B) advertisers
C) consumers
D) broadcasters

Question 67

The Federal Communications Commission was created based on which government act?

A) Communications Act of 1934
B) Federal Communications Commission Act of 1980
C) Federal Radio Act (1927)
D) Telecommunications Act of 1996

Question 68

A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule that requires internet service providers to treat all data equally, without discriminating based upon content or bandwidth demands, is called ______.

A) network implementation
B) network consolidation
C) net informality
D) net neutrality

Question 69

On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles delivered a radio broadcast of an adaptation of H. G. Well's book ______.

A) Mercury Theater Production
B) The War of the Worlds
C) Martians
D) Attack of the Clones

Question 70

Nontraditional internet news sources often get their stories from a process called ______.

A) aggregating
B) consolidation
C) primacy
D) conglomeration

Question 71

According to the work of political scientist Markus Prior, the new technologies and media avenues of today may be dividing Americans, making them more partisan. We call this phenomenon a(n) ______.

A) digital divide
B) electronic break
C) internet gateway
D) voter chasm

Question 72

Print media witnessed a dramatic decline in consumption during which century?

A) 18th
B) 19th
C) 20th
D) 21st

Question 73

The frenzy of media consolidation following the Telecommunications Act of 1996 placed many news organizations and their employees under ______.

A) federal control
B) public scrutiny
C) regulatory review
D) new ownership

Question 74

Which of the following best describes an important issue raised by the idea of net neutrality?

A) Is granting open access to information an idea that is in line with a capitalist economic system?
B) How can American democracy balance the First Amendment against equal access to political information?
C) Can unregulated access to information be guaranteed in an environment of competitive internet providers?
D) Will net neutrality be of greater advantage for internet providers or internet consumers?

Question 75

What effect did deregulation have on the diversity of the nation's major news outlets?

A) expansion of news outlets
B) expansion of broadcast stations
C) increasing consolidation
D) increasing diversity

Question 76

The 21st century has witnessed a marked decline in consumption of ______ media.

A) radio
B) television
C) print
D) internet

Question 77

Critics charge that allowing firms to charge for internet service based on bandwidth use will lead to ______.

A) price discrimination
B) information bias
C) data hoarding
D) lower overall prices

Question 78

The federal rule that expanded regulations of American political news coverage beyond just the provision of time for candidates to the content of political news coverage itself is called the ______.

A) equal time rule
B) equal access rule
C) fairness doctrine
D) broadcast equity doctrine

Question 79

One of the other calls for regulation dealt with the ______ of content of materials that went directly into American's homes.

A) bias
B) morality
C) reliability
D) accountability

Question 80

The current view of most scholars of media and American politics lies ______.

A) more toward the limited effects model
B) more toward the direct effects model
C) somewhere in between the direct and limited effects models
D) in an institutional effects model