Deck 7: The News and Social Media

Question 1

The modern landmark case (1971) on the freedom of the press was

A) Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire.
B) Near v. Minnesota.
C) New York Times v. Sullivan.
D) the Pentagon Papers .
E) Schenck v. United States.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Any effort to monopolize the press or curtail its freedom is met with strong protests from those fearing a trend toward __________ rule.

A) aristocratic
B) authoritarian
C) democratic
D) oligarchic
E) populist

Answer 2

B

Question 3

__________ is the government's ability to restrict the publication of sensitive material.

A) Censorship
B) Due process
C) Freedom of the press
D) Habeas corpus
E) Prior restraint

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Because most people cannot directly observe political events, they rely on _________ for information about politics and government.

A) mass media
B) political parties
C) muckrakers
D) yellow journalism
E) letters

Question 5

At the heart of a democracy lies the ability for the press to inform the people free from government interference in its role as

A) watchman.
B) trendsetter.
C) opinion creator.
D) muckraker.
E) watchdog.

Question 6

The Court required proof of actual malice to convict in a libel suit in

A) Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire.
B) Near v. Minnesota.
C) New York Times v. Sullivan.
D) the Pentagon Papers case.
E) Schenck v. United States.

Question 7

For libel to be brought by a public figure, he or she must prove  _________, that the publisher knew the material was false or acted in reckless disregard of whether it was true or false, has occurred.

A) actual malice
B) slander
C) partial malice
D) objective malice
E) subjective malice

Question 8

Over time, the concentration of media ownership has _______ due to more lax FCC control.

A) grown
B) shrunk
C) remained unchanged
D) protracted
E) expelled

Question 9

The__________ scandal, uncovered by two reporters from the Washington Post , revealed questionable activities in the Richard Nixon administration.

A) Cuban Missile
B) Irangate
C) Monica Lewinski
D) Watergate
E) Youngstown

Question 10

Mass media is comprised of news sources, including all of the following EXCEPT

A) newspapers.
B) television.
C) personal correspondence.
D) radio.
E) the Internet.

Question 11

Since the 1960s, journalists have found themselves covering news with more _________.

A) descriptions
B) details
C) commentary
D) predictions
E) analysis

Question 12

Which amendment to the Constitution protects the freedom of the press?

A) First
B) Second
C) Fourth
D) Fifth
E) Ninth

Question 13

In 1934, Congress created the __________, now a powerful agency that regulates all forms of electronic media, including radio, television and cable television, cell phones, and even wireless networks.

A) Central Intelligence Agency
B) Federal Communications Commission
C) Federal Media Agency
D) National Broadcasting Association
E) National Broadcasting Commission

Question 14

An enduring and effective democracy demands ________________.

A) televised information
B) a knowledgeable public
C) popular politicians
D) regular speeches
E) access to newspapers

Question 15

In __________, the Court ruled that only in exceptionally rare cases could the government stop the printing of a story, overturning a conviction and invalidating the law that led to the conviction.

A) Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire
B) Near v. Minnesota
C) New York Times v. Sullivan
D) the Pentagon Papers case
E) Schenck v. United States

Question 16

Which of the following is (are) NOT considered a source of mass media?

A) newspapers
B) television
C) radio
D) blogs
E) All of these are considered sources of mass media.

Question 17

__________, which began publication in Boston in 1690, had only a few pages and was more a pamphlet than a newspaper during the colonial era.

A) Two Treatises of Government
B) The Boston Globe
C) The New York Times
D) Public Occurrences
E) The Evening Post

Question 18

__________ is the publication of false and damaging information about someone.

A) Fraud
B) Libel
C) Negligence
D) Prior restraint
E) Slander

Question 19

In the landmark Supreme Court case the Pentagon Papers, the court ruled that the government _________.

A) had not proven that actual malice had been used by the New York Times
B) had violated the civil liberties of Daniel Ellsberg
C) had engaged in illegal activities in pursuing war in Vietnam
D) had met the extraordinary burden of proof needed for prior restraint
E) had not met the extraordinary burden of proof needed for prior restraint

Question 20

A subset of the mass media that provide the news of the day gathered and reported by journalists is known as

A) the Internet.
B) radio.
C) blogs.
D) news media.
E) public opinion.

Question 21

By the 1960s, people started to rely more on __________ news than newspapers for their political information.

A) Internet
B) periodical
C) radio
D) television
E) word of mouth

Question 22

Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, the most famous newspaper publishers in the Partisan Era (1790 to 1900), used __________ to sell papers and attract readers.

A) comics
B) large type
C) provocative headlines
D) pictures
E) all of these

Question 23

A__________ is a website that provides a forum for "bottom-up" commentary, description of events, video postings, and general conversation.

A) blog
B) crumb
C) listserv
D) thread
E) troll

Question 24

In 2012, nearly 50 million Americans listened to talk radio, and the majority of them listened to __________ programs.

A) comedy
B) communist
C) conservative
D) liberal
E) progressive

Question 25

Conduct or language that incites rebellion again the authority of a state is called _________.

A) actual malice
B) alien and seditious
C) seditious libel
D) seditious slander
E) seditious malice

Question 26

In a series of essays published in New York newspapers, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay responded to the Antifederalists' fierce campaign against the Constitution in what are today known as __________ and are still regarded as a leading source for understanding the Constitution.

A) Common Sense
B) Crime and Punishment
C) On Liberty
D) Federalist Papers
E) Silent Spring

Question 27

The 1978 landmark Supreme Court decision in __________ established the precedent that the FCC has the legal authority to fine any media outlet that knowingly allows the expression of obscene content, under certain circumstances.

A) CBS Inc. v. FCC
B) FCC v. Pacifica Foundation
C) Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire
D) New York Times v. Sullivan
E) Schenck v. United States

Question 28

President _________ started his own newspaper in order to get his message out.

A) Theodore Roosevelt
B) James Buchanan
C) Abraham Lincoln
D) James Polk
E) William Taft

Question 29

President Theodore Roosevelt coined the term "________" for journalists who engaged in investigative reporting that sought to uncover corruption and wrongdoing.

A) yellow journalism
B) muckraking
C) backraking
D) opinion making
E) libelraking

Question 30

Who did Americans rate "the most trusted man in America" in 1973?

A) Joseph Pulitzer
B) President John F. Kennedy
C) Walter Cronkite
D) Walter Mondale
E) William Randolph Hearst

Question 31

_________ was a form of journalism that distorted the presentation of events and could mislead the public in the interest of boosting sales.

A) Yellow journalism
B) Gold journalism
C) Muckraking
D) Penny journalism
E) Slanderous journalism

Question 32

What novel exposed the horrors of the meatpacking industry in 1906?

A) Adolph Ochs' Pilgrim's Progress
B) Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian
C) Jeremy Rifkin's Beyond Beef
D) Upton Sinclair's The Jungle
E) Walen Jennings' Meat

Question 33

When Benjamin Day began selling his paper for a penny an issue he began the era of the __________.

A) penny press
B) penny mailer
C) one-cent rag
D) one-cent press
E) penny caller

Question 34

Of the cable news networks, __________ has the largest audience.

A) ABC
B) CNN
C) C-SPAN
D) Fox News
E) MSNBC

Question 35

President John Adams' Sedition Act (1798) made it illegal to print or publish any "_________" about the federal government.

A) revolutionary writing
B) false, scandalous, and malicious writing
C) cruel and vindictive writing
D) bitter, oppressive, and angry writing
E) salacious and vulgar writing

Question 36

Statistics on the changing media environment suggest two main lessons:

A) (1) Americans invent new media every decade; (2) less attention is focused on international affairs.
B) (1) Americans adopt new media quickly; (2) there are more options for getting news than ever before.
C) (1) Americans are increasingly less interested in the news; (2) technology cannot make up for the lack of interest.
D) (1) Americans adopt new media quickly; (2) they abandon previous options when new technology emerges.
E) (1) Americans are resistant to new technology; (2) there are more options for getting news than ever before.

Question 37

__________ is news with fewer hard facts, more emphasis on personal stories that engage (or shock) the public, and often appeals to the emotions rather than the intellect.

A) Entertainment
B) Hard news
C) Infotainment
D) Blue journalism
E) Yellow journalism

Question 38

Benjamin Franklin's writing of __________ defended objectivity in journalism. Although it contradicted the prevailing view at the time, it would help set the standard for future American journalism.

A) "An Apology for Journalists"
B) "A Testimony for the Printers"
C) "An Apology for Printers"
D) "A Cause and Effect Apology for Printers"
E) none of these

Question 39

The decline of newspapers raises concerns because newspapers tend to contain more __________-fact-based stories, as opposed to interpretive narratives-than are reported on TV.

A) blue journalism
B) hard news
C) soft news
D) sound bites
E) yellow journalism

Question 40

The __________ waged a fierce campaign against the Constitution, and those supporting the Constitution responded, most famously in a series of essays published in New York newspapers.

A) Federalists
B) Antifederalists
C) Jeffersonians
D) Democratic-Republicans
E) None of these are true.

Question 41

Which of the following is true of the Millennial generation?

A) They are more than three times more likely to get news from The Daily Show .
B) They frequently read newspapers or listen to the radio.
C) They do more channel surfing than sitting through an entire program.
D) They watch FOX News more than any other station.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 42

In the past forty years, Americans' confidence in the press has _______.

A) increased
B) decreased
C) remained the same
D) regressed
E) changed slightly

Question 43

Another development in social networking is the rise of __________, as it uses Internet-based messages to share information simultaneously with a large number of people.

A) Facebook
B) MSN Messenger
C) Myspace
D) Twitter
E) Yahoo!

Question 44

____________ was the first president to use the radio to speak directly to the American people.

A) Andrew Jackson
B) Franklin D. Roosevelt
C) Calvin Coolidge
D) Harry S. Truman
E) John F. Kennedy

Question 45

Although there will always be a gap of information, ___________ will eventually give older and less wealthy Americans a better chance to become informed about politics than they currently are.

A) news media
B) education
C) the Internet
D) television
E) word of mouth

Question 46

Which of the following is NOT true of blogs?

A) They capture the interest of all ages.
B) They do not foster deliberation.
C) They reinforce existing preferences.
D) They are more likely to spread false information.
E) All of these are true.

Question 47

The leading platform for social networking is

A) NBC.
B) iTunes.
C) Google.
D) eHarmony.
E) Facebook.

Question 48

According to the text, the best word to describe today's media environment is "__________."

A) polarizing
B) biased
C) soft
D) choice
E) declining

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT a general concern about the news media?

A) Media is biased.
B) Media does not present objective information.
C) Media emphasizes hard news.
D) Media does not hold elected officials accountable.
E) All of these are general concerns about the media.

Question 50

The ________ model argues that the press serves the interests of government only.

A) propaganda
B) minimal-effects
C) selective perception
D) selective exposure
E) not-so-minimal effects model

Question 51

__________ is the ability of the media to alter the public's view on an issue by presenting it in a particular way.

A) Agenda setting
B) Framing
C) Priming
D) Sensationalizing
E) All of these are true.

Question 52

Cell phone usage is nearly universal now, with text messaging so common that most people have __________ texting as part of their payment plan.

A) 20 hours of
B) 40 hours of
C) 60 minutes of
D) 80 minutes of
E) unlimited

Question 53

According to Gallup Poll data, most Americans feel that the news media has a _________ bias.

A) conservative
B) libertarian
C) liberal
D) socialist
E) moderate

Question 54

Which of the following is a concern about soft news?

A) Visuals may appeal to emotions more than to the intellect.
B) The discussion of public policy may overshadow the personal stories.
C) Televised debates may be harmful to a candidate's reputation.
D) The public may not be able to connect with the content.
E) Young people may change the channels too quickly to pay attention.

Question 55

While not overstating the power of the media, the ___________ model acknowledges that the press has a substantial impact.

A) na ï ve
B) minimal effects
C) selective exposure
D) selective perception
E) not-so-minimal effects

Question 56

In the 2012 presidential campaign, the media primed the public to make __________ a major issue of the election.

A) gay marriage
B) international relations
C) military strikes
D) the economy
E) education

Question 57

According to the __________ model, in a process described as selective exposure, people secured information from sources that agreed with them, leading to the reinforcement of beliefs, not to a change of beliefs.

A) naïve
B) minimal effects
C) not-so-minimal effects
D) propaganda
E) selective effects

Question 58

__________ are very brief snippets of information.

A) Blogs
B) Sound bites
C) Tweets
D) Websites
E) All of these

Question 59

________, the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, are currently changing the media environment.

A) Latinos
B) Asians
C) African Americans
D) Eastern Europeans
E) Caucasians

Question 60

As opposed to previous generations at this point in their lives, Millennials are _________  interested in politics.

A) more
B) less
C) equally
D) passively
E) regressively

Question 61

State the effect of television on news reporting.

Question 62

State the concerns over media bias.

Question 63

Compare and contrast the media use of older Americans (those over 40 years old) with younger Americans.

Question 64

Define propaganda model .

Question 65

State the function of the news media.

Question 66

What are the consequences of media choice?

Question 67

Discuss how the news media have evolved and adapted to new technologies.

Question 68

Survey the impact of social networking.

Question 69

Distinguish selective exposure from selective perception.

Question 70

Explain the relationship between freedom of press and democracy.

Question 71

State three ways media coverage of the news affects politics.

Question 72

Explain prior restraint .

Question 73

Why are most of the political talk show hosts conservative? Explain the possible reasons.

Question 74

What issues are the media putting on the political agenda right now?

Question 75

Why was freedom of the press so important to the colonists and members of the Founding generation?

Question 76

Discuss the different models that are used to explain the impact of the news media on the public.

Question 77

Discuss the ways Freedom House rates freedom of the press.

Question 78

Explain what the Supreme Court meant by "actual malice" in NYT v. Sullivan.

Question 79

How did muckraker Upton Sinclair influence public opinion and public policy?

Question 80

Define libel .