Deck 5: The mass media in texas politics

Question 1

Why is the "horse race" approach to covering a campaign often criticized?

A) It seeks to emphasize the negatives of a candidate, such as a verbal slip-up, rather than the positive.
B) It focuses too much on a candidate's past rather than on the current campaign.
C) The focus is on campaigns, polls, money raised, and personalities rather than substantive issues.
D) It neglects the workings of a campaign and focuses solely on the issues.
E) It often provides minor party candidates with a disproportionate amount of coverage.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund ________, which forced the media to take notice of the issue.

A) won a state court judgment declaring the school finance system unconstitutional
B) protested daily on the steps of the state capital over discriminatory hiring procedures
C) brought suit to the U.S. Supreme Court on overcrowding in Texas state prisons
D) staged a two-week strike with Mexican faculty at universities over unfair treatment
E) marched on Austin in response to the governments lack of concern over immigration

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Most traditional journalists believe their job is to be as ________ as possible when reporting the news.

A) contrived
B) interesting
C) biased
D) objective
E) exploitative

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Most Texas voters get to know a candidate through

A) televised images.
B) print media.
C) radio spots.
D) personal contact.
E) Internet images.

Question 5

In some cases where the public interest is aroused, many experts extend the agenda-setting role of the media to agenda

A) building.
B) clarification.
C) avoidance.
D) simplification.
E) interest.

Question 6

________ is an example of a "feel good" advertisement spot put out by a campaign.

A) Charging an opponent with a weakness
B) Paralleling the differences between two candidates
C) Portraying the candidate in the best possible light
D) Attacking a candidates family and associations
E) Exaggerating an opponent's stance on an issue

Question 7

By selecting which events ________ help(s) define what is important for the public.

A) to go to and how expensive they are, the legislature
B) to produce and how well attended they are, the party machine
C) to attend and how to approach legislators, lobbying groups
D) to sponsor and how well attended they are, interest groups
E) to report on and how comprehensively to cover them, the media

Question 8

In order to be covered by the media, events or subjects must

A) be familiar, of interest to the editors and producers, and timely.
B) generate considerable interest, be applicable to a family audience, and allow for in-depth analysis.
C) have a significant impact on the audience, be timely, and be familiar.
D) be of interest to producers, allow for in-depth analysis, and be applicable to a family audience.
E) have a significant impact on the audience, be of interest, and allow for in-depth analysis.

Question 9

Television has been criticized for putting ________, a problem that candidates who are more interested in winning rather than reforming the system are willingly perpetuating.

A) state over nation
B) coverage over profits
C) individual over party
D) speech over sound bite
E) style over substance

Question 10

Some scholars and media experts believe one of the major contributions of the media to politics is

A) agenda setting.
B) information processing.
C) policy clarification.
D) sound bites.
E) information distribution.

Question 11

The ________ is a pattern advanced by Anthony Downs that describes the stages of increasing and waning news coverage and public interest in an issue.

A) attention-deficit cycle
B) issue-attention cycle
C) issue-development cycle
D) action-reaction cycle
E) issue-reaction cycle

Question 12

In general elections, studies have indicated that party identification

A) does not determine voter choices.
B) is the only factor considered by voters when making choices.
C) is important but is always trumped by gender issues when determining voter choices.
D) plays a large role in determining voter choices.
E) is important but is always trumped by racial issues when determining voter choices.

Question 13

How have wealthy candidates such as Bill Clements and Clayton Williams used their money on television to advance their campaigns?

A) It has allowed them to enhance their image and become famous within the state.
B) They were able to "buy" their elections by flooding television channels with ads.
C) Through the use of expensive hour long infomercials, they were able to prove their capabilities.
D) Wealth is only earned through hard work and leadership, and this is reflected in television ads.
E) It has allowed them to influence public policy without even being in office by attacking competitors.

Question 14

In the 2002 governor's race, Tony Sanchez spent ________ of his own money.

A) $33 million
B) $46 million
C) $59 million
D) $75 million
E) $98 million

Question 15

The media have become a major institution linking governments to

A) their political parties.
B) their fellow mass media members.
C) their constituents.
D) the Internet.
E) each other.

Question 16

Campaign strategy for most major candidates includes scheduling daily appearances such as visiting a school with ________ in mind, despite it only providing superficial coverage.

A) Internet media
B) print media
C) radio newscasts
D) travel plans
E) television newscasts

Question 17

Most of the information that people have about their government, particularly on the state and federal levels, comes directly or indirectly through

A) legislative newsletters.
B) official government press releases.
C) the mass media.
D) informal discussion groups.
E) political advertising.

Question 18

How has the expansion of mass media into new formats such as Twitter and YouTube changed the way campaigns are conducted?

A) It has reduced the ability of many candidates to reach the voters effectively with information.
B) Campaigns are now constructed around the mass media replacing many traditional forms.
C) The mass media has increased transparency of candidates and decreased campaign costs.
D) It has driven up the costs of campaigning as the Internet is very expensive to utilize.
E) The Internet has prevented the spread of disinformation allowing campaigns to focus on issues.

Question 19

The media's role in agenda setting or agenda building is minimized by

A) an excited public.
B) an apathetic press.
C) indifferent public officials.
D) a politicized press.
E) an indifferent judge.

Question 20

Why did the framers of the U.S.Constitution through the First Amendment work to ensure that the press would be an independent provider of information?

A) A free press is essential to making a representative democracy work by informing the public.
B) Prior to the First Amendment, news was provided by the monarchy and was heavily biased.
C) Stability in a democracy cannot be achieved without laws separating the press from the government.
D) A free press is essential to allowing a population to become involved in politics.
E) Without a free press, a population becomes apathetic and prone to rebellion.

Question 21

Through much of the twentieth century, major newspapers in Texas were

A) inactive spectators of the people who ran the state.
B) active members of the conservative establishment that ran the state.
C) neither supportive nor hostile to those who ran the state.
D) active members of the liberal establishment that ran the state.
E) active members of the liberal democrats who hoped to run the state.

Question 22

Why have legislators often attempted to place a sales tax on advertising?

A) It could raise millions for education, human services, and other programs.
B) They seek to reduce negative coverage of the legislature by reducing the profit made by the media.
C) Legislators who are scandal plagued seek to limit their exposure in the media.
D) By placing a sales tax on advertising, the legislature hopes to stop negative ads.
E) Corporations that are highly taxed have lobbied for this as a way to bring equality to the system.

Question 23

The intent of the Open Meetings and Public Information Acts is to insure that

A) the public's business is conducted in public.
B) all records are made available to the public.
C) the public's business can be conducted in private.
D) the public is allowed to be present when two or more legislators meet for any reason.
E) the public can participate in all governmental meetings.

Question 24

The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas

A) is a government agency that distributes transcripts and videos of meetings to the public.
B) is an organization run by former state legislators that is present at all state meetings.
C) is a nonprofit corporation that advises news people on open meetings and open record rights.
D) was banned from state meetings in 2006 following repeated outburst from its members.
E) was responsible for drafting the Public Information Act.

Question 25

Perhaps the greatest potential for media influence in Austin is their influence over

A) the perception of which legislative leader may emerge from the pack.
B) the ethical conduct of legislators and other public officials.
C) the perception of legislators as hard workers.
D) how often the legislature meets in session.
E) lobbyists' and interest groups' access to politicians.

Question 26

Where a story is placed is usually determined by the media outlet's perception of how much ______ is interested in a given story.

A) the public
B) the reporter
C) the government
D) the competition
E) the governor

Question 27

People such as late CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite believe that declining objectivity in television coverage of political campaigns and an increasing number of ads

A) are destroying Americans' interest in politics and turning more people cynical.
B) have allowed political campaigns to become more interactive with the people.
C) are allowing Americans to gain more insight into candidates on a wide range of issues.
D) are a threat to democracy and should be rectified immediately through fair press legislation.
E) have served to increase the caliber of those who seek elected office.

Question 28

An estimated ________ was spent on paid political TV advertising during the 2008 campaign cycle.

A) $1 million
B) $300 million
C) $1 billion
D) $1.5 billion
E) $2 billion

Question 29

Newspaper reporters in the twenty-first century are much quicker

A) to accept information provided by public and governmental officials.
B) to reject information from public interest groups.
C) to question the motives of any government official or politician providing information to them.
D) to accept information coming from Washington, but not information coming from Austin.
E) to reject information from any government official or politician.

Question 30

In reporting Clayton William's "weather and rape" story, the press took into consideration

A) embarrassing the candidate and society's increasing sensitivity to sexual abuse and harassment.
B) that neither violent crime nor women should be compared to the weather.
C) embarrassing women versus embarrassing the candidate.
D) that all casual communication between candidates and the press is off the record.
E) society's increasing sensitivity to sexual abuse and harassment and the lack of access to the man behind the campaign.

Question 31

How can intense media coverage play a negative role for a candidate as evident in Governor Rick Perry's poor performance in the 2012 Republican presidential primaries?

A) A bad televised public debate performance by a candidate can overshadow everything else.
B) Candidates who fail to raise money aggressively are marginalized by the media.
C) If a candidate is unwilling to be interviewed constantly, the media will marginalize them.
D) If a candidate has a negative personality, this will be taken advantage of by the media repeatedly.
E) A candidate who is initially unwilling to meet with the media is not afforded the chance again.

Question 32

During any legislative session in Texas, numerous attempts are usually made to

A) strengthen the existing open meetings and open records laws.
B) prevent any changes to the existing open meetings and open records laws.
C) weaken the existing open meetings and open records laws.
D) ignore open meeting and open records laws.
E) to make sure that all public records are accessible by the public.

Question 33

How has the demise of major daily newspapers in Houston and Dallas affected the publication of weeklies?

A) They have increased their publication by three-fold as the only paper source of local news.
B) Their sales have diminished greatly due to the loss of financial support from the major papers.
C) To gain a new audience, they have resorted to yellow journalism.
D) Their profile has been raised as a result of the opening in the market created by the loss of the major papers.
E) To fill a gap in the market, many weeklies have turned into daily local papers.

Question 34

Most state Capitol reporters believe they are

A) objective, required to print any information they happen to learn, and interesting.
B) dedicated to principles of fairness and balance, interesting, and required to help people in need.
C) required to report events as they happen, objective, and morally bound to help people in need.
D) morally bound to help people in need, interesting, and objective.
E) objective, dedicated to the principles of fairness and balance, and required to report events as they happen.

Question 35

Fact checking political advertising by media outlets is supposed to alert voters to campaign distortions,

A) but most people already know the facts so the costly analysis is unnecessary.
B) so the political process can run more smoothly.
C) but most people polled said that they trusted political advertising more than the media.
D) but it is unnecessary because most political advertising is very truthful.
E) as well as abuses, so candidates can be brought up on criminal charges.

Question 36

In the 1990 and 2002 Texas governor races, some of the worst characteristics of contemporary political campaigning occurred, including

A) negative television ads, distorted television coverage, and identity theft.
B) personal attacks on the character and integrity of the candidates and bribery.
C) distortion of the candidates' public records, identity theft, and personal attacks.
D) distorted television coverage, identity theft, and bribery.
E) negative television ads, character and integrity attacks, and distortion of the candidates' public records.

Question 37

________ are often covered by reporters as they are readily accessible and depend on free media exposure to compensate for limited budgets in their fight for progressive reforms.

A) Businesspeople
B) Consumer advocates
C) Municipal politicians
D) Energy industry lobbyists
E) Third-party candidates

Question 38

Dramatic changes in mass communications over the past forty years, primarily the emergence of ________, have had a major impact on the role of the media in government and politics.

A) talk radio
B) national-level public access cable stations
C) television
D) PBS
E) public radio

Question 39

The only major metropolitan newspaper in Texas still owned by a Texas-based corporation is the

A) Houston Chronicle.
B) Dallas Times Herald.
C) San Antonio Light.
D) Dallas Morning News.
E) San Antonio Express-News.

Question 40

Because the soundness of any governmental policy or program is affected by those who design and administer it, most members of the Capitol press corps are very serious about their role as

A) role models for future political leaders.
B) watchdogs over the behavior of government officials.
C) influential members of society, as they have the power to sway the public's opinion.
D) biased political observers, attempting to influence the policy of government.
E) objective reporters, seeking to report the actions of the government with zero spin.

Question 41

The media sets the agenda for public policy by the stories it chooses to cover.

Question 42

The least consistent readers and viewers of government and political news are the business community and the political leaders who actively influence and work on policy formation.

Question 43

In the 2002 governor's race, Democrat Tony Sanchez defeated Republican Rick Perry.

Question 44

What characterizes the reporting done by independent bloggers?

A) They do little original reporting and, more often than not, include their own partisan or personal spin.
B) The reporting by bloggers of an issue typically precedes that of major news outlets.
C) As an alternative to major news outlets, bloggers rarely rely on them as sources of information.
D) The reporting by them tends to be the most factual and objective out of the various news sources.
E) Though they tend to be partisan, they are generally regarded as excellent for in-depth investigations.

Question 45

A trial balloon occurs when

A) a government official leaks an item to test public reaction.
B) a private citizen leaks information about a neighbor.
C) a citizen leaks information about a company in the transportation sector.
D) an employee leaks information about the company where he works.
E) a newspaper prints a political cartoon about the court system.

Question 46

The primary source of news for most Texans is now

A) the local newspaper.
B) the Internet.
C) television.
D) radio.
E) blogs.

Question 47

The U.S.Founding Fathers recognized that a free press is an independent conduit of information that is essential to making a representative democracy work.

Question 48

What trend is expected to occur with the consumption of media in the coming years?

A) Online sources will grow increasingly important for younger people at the expense of traditional outlets.
B) It is expected that the newspaper industry will soon revitalize itself as people demand more objective news coverage.
C) The Internet will soon peak as Twitter and YouTube have reached their limits while television viewership will increase dramatically.
D) Few newspapers will exist within the next five years while the popularity of radio and the Internet will compete solely with television.
E) As costs of advertising online increase, the importance and popularity of television and newspapers will rise.

Question 49

The Public Information Act requires a governmental body to post advance notices of all its meetings to the public.

Question 50

Subjective decisions by a newspaper editor or television producer affect the final news product and determine whether it is perceived as fair.

Question 51

The knowledge that ________ get similar tips is a source of pressure for journalists.

A) private citizens
B) no other reporters
C) competitors
D) media owners
E) legislators

Question 52

A legislator's spokesperson who presents information in the best possible light for her boss would be putting a ________ on the story.

A) Texas-twister
B) whitewash
C) D.C. two step
D) slant
E) spin

Question 53

According to the text, voters' ignorance of government and the issues plays right into the hands of

A) the Capitol press corps.
B) the military.
C) special interests.
D) the political parties.
E) political candidates.

Question 54

________ often take their cues about what to run from the ________ media.

A) Newspapers and television; radio
B) Radio and Internet; television
C) Television and radio; newspaper
D) Newspapers and television; mass publishing
E) Newspapers and television; Internet

Question 55

By using the media, it is possible to legally buy an election in Texas.

Question 56

Is television news coverage of government and politics an inadequate substitute for newspaper coverage?

A) No, television has more investigative power and is strictly regulated ensuring fairness and honesty.
B) Yes, newspapers are more factual and have greater resources than television.
C) No, television provides coverage that is more objective than that found in newspapers.
D) Yes, television provides little substantive information, which is critical to make informed judgments.
E) No, television provides more relevant information in a brief period than a newspaper can.

Question 57

The media played only a minimal role in the 2002 governor's race.

Question 58

Stories about government scandal and political corruption are rarely displayed on

Question 59

The primary information links between those who govern and those who are governed are

A) press secretaries.
B) spin doctors.
C) government newsletters.
D) the news media.
E) political blogs.

Question 60

Critics of the media say that they treat campaigns like horse races instead of looking in depth at the policy issues at stake.

Question 61

Individual news bureaus range in size from several staffers for the Associated Press and the larger newspapers to one-person operations for smaller organizations.

Question 62

"The concern about statehouse coverage-indeed, about newspaper retrenchment in general-is not just the declining number of reporters, but deterioration in the quality of journalism," wrote Professor Paul Starr.

Question 63

For the most part, Texas newspapers have failed to maintain considerable editorial autonomy under national management.

Question 64

How have growing media conglomerates changed the face of Texas based mass media? In what ways has the quality of news outlets changed as a result?

Question 65

Discuss at least two of the more significant changes in the ownership patterns of Texas newspapers, including the consequences of these changes.

Question 66

Despite the media's efforts, only a small percentage of Texans attempt to keep up with what their elected officials in Austin are doing.

Question 67

There are about 160 television stations in fifty markets in Texas.

Question 68

Individuals and groups argue that the media are biased.What evidence can you offer to support or negate these claims? Discuss the extent to which you believe the Texas media to be biased and give specific examples to support your view.

Question 69

What role do the media play in the policymaking process? Discuss the media's role, giving specific examples.

Question 70

Public relation firms help politicians by spinning their messages to put the candidate in the best possible light, sometimes skewing figures that make the message partially untrue.

Question 71

With the proliferation of news sources in recent years, is there any indication that today's voters are better informed and more attentive to politics and current events than past voters? Explain.

Question 72

The Internet blogs covering and commenting on state government and politics in recent years are more objective than other media.

Question 73

News coverage has changed significantly in the past forty years; television has become the major source of news for most Texans.

Question 74

Younger Texans are less likely to follow news coverage of state and local politics.Many scholars feel that democracy depends on a well-informed electorate.List and explain two consequences of this trend.

Question 75

Briefly describe the media's influence over the ethical conduct of public officials.How do journalistic ethics vary among different types of media?

Question 76

Legislators and public officials are very closemouthed so it is difficult for the Capitol press corps to get information for stories.

Question 77

Describe at least three ways in which modern political campaigns are shaped by the mass media.Give specific examples that compare modern campaigns and the modern media to past campaigns and earlier types of media.

Question 78

Explain the open meetings and public information laws.Explain how these laws help the media do their jobs.

Question 79

Newspapers can more thoroughly explain a pending issue, its history, and possible options for its resolution than can the electronic media.

Question 80

Many contend that Texas citizens are not well informed about state government and issues.If true, what kind of future do you predict for Texas if the public's attentiveness to policymaking remains as it is today? Give specific examples to support your view.