Deck 6: Political Communications

Question 1

Who said that "freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government. When this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved"?

A) Bill Clinton
B) Benjamin Franklin
C) Thomas Jefferson
D) Barack Obama

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Who said of the press that "we hear so many loud and angry voices in America today whose sole goal seems to be to try to keep some people as paranoid as possible and the rest of us all torn up and upset with each other"?

A) Bill Clinton
B) Benjamin Franklin
C) Thomas Jefferson
D) Barack Obama

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which founding father is quoted as saying "The liberty of the press is essential to the security of the state"?

A) John Adams
B) Benjamin Franklin
C) Thomas Jefferson
D) James Madison

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Documenting the major points and discussing potential consequences of upcoming ballot items is an example of which function of the media?

A) education
B) watchdog
C) regulation
D) socialization

Question 5

Which of the following describes the media's role as educator?

A) provides independent news and information to the citizenry so they can make informed decisions when going to the polls
B) serves as a check on government power and informs the public by bringing government actions to light
C) ensures information and presented content are authentic, accurate, and reasonably objective
D) facilitates the process of communicating ideals, values, and beliefs about the world around us

Question 6

One of the fundamental objectives of the media as watchdog is to ______.

A) strengthen and facilitate public awareness
B) hold governments and politicians to account
C) communicate values and belief systems
D) provide evidence to support claims and reports, but also to allow a balance of different opinions

Question 7

One of the fundamental objectives of the media as socializer is to ______.

A) strengthen and facilitate public awareness
B) hold governments and politicians to account
C) communicate values and belief systems
D) provide evidence to support claims and reports, but also to allow a balance of different opinions

Question 8

Lisa Muller found that the quality of democracy in different countries is related to which two functions of the media?

A) education and watchdog
B) socialization and representation
C) watchdog and representation
D) socialization and education

Question 9

In their research, Karlekar and Becker found a tight correlation between which of the following?

A) press freedom and other freedoms
B) democracy and press freedoms
C) political freedoms and (consequential) press freedom
D) They did not find any consistent relationships.

Question 10

Which newspaper founded by Alexander Hamilton is still in operation today?

A) New York Times
B) New York Post
C) Washington Times
D) Washington Post

Question 11

In providing information for citizens as a public good of sorts, which problem do the media face?

A) free rider problem
B) tragedy of the commons
C) (un)intentional bias
D) jointness of supply

Question 12

The media practice of doing everything to expose government corruption that began in the 19th and early 20th centuries is known as ______.

A) watchdog journalism
B) muckracking journalism
C) undercover journalism
D) whistleblower journalism

Question 13

Media consolidation refers to ______.

A) seeking to uncover and reveal political corruption and wrongdoing
B) editors and journalists deciding what news makes it to the public
C) the pattern of small independent media being bought by larger outlets
D) the gradual focus on the contest of politics rather than its substance

Question 14

Which of the following is an advantage of media consolidation?

A) Larger corporations 'eat the cost' of publishing a greater variety of stories.
B) Larger corporations influence how news and information are framed or portrayed across all their outlets.
C) Larger corporations focus on entertainment news or commercially appealing stories.
D) Larger corporations are moving from traditional newspaper to other forms of media thanks to the internet.

Question 15

Which of the following is a disadvantage of media consolidation?

A) Larger corporations 'eat the cost' of publishing a greater variety of stories.
B) Larger corporations publish news and information across a broader selection of outlets.
C) Larger corporations can influence how news and information are framed or portrayed across all their outlets.
D) Larger corporations can ensure that news can be accessed in a timely, if not 24/7, fashion.

Question 16

One area in which journalists tend to be consistently distinguished from the mass public is in their ______.

A) agendas
B) demographics
C) education
D) ideologies

Question 17

To which of the following does the idea of 'journalistic ethics' best refer?

A) credibility and reputation of journalists and media outlets
B) practices and ethos of honesty and integrity in journalism and the media
C) realism of news that is reported by journalists in the media
D) practice of determining what news and information is reported by journalists in the media

Question 18

Gatekeeping in the media refers to ______.

A) determining what gets covered, when, and how
B) editors and journalists deciding what news makes it to the public
C) the pattern of small independent media being bought by larger outlets
D) the gradual focus on the contest of politics rather than its substance

Question 19

The editors and producers at MSNBC determining what gets reported on their shows-and what doesn't-is an example of ______.

A) muckracking
B) gatekeeping
C) horseracing
D) agenda setting

Question 20

The editors and producers at Fox News determining how a story gets framed once it has been selected for coverage is an example of ______.

A) muckracking
B) gatekeeping
C) horseracing
D) agenda setting

Question 21

Which factor underlying media gatekeepers' choices best explains the decision to cover Hurricane Katrina across outlets?

A) major events
B) media organization
C) community interest
D) economic pressure

Question 22

Which factor underlying media gatekeepers' choices best explains the decision to cover opinion pieces rather than a recounting of the days' events alone?

A) major events
B) media organization
C) community interest
D) economic pressure

Question 23

Which factor underlying media gatekeepers' choices best explains the decision to balance coverage between national, international, and local news?

A) major events
B) media organization
C) community interest
D) economic pressure

Question 24

Which factor underlying media gatekeepers' choices best explains the decision to reframe stories in a more sensational fashion to draw more readers or subscribers?

A) major events
B) media organization
C) community interest
D) economic pressure

Question 25

The use of fancy maps and predicting hypothetical electoral results around the clock on CNN during recent presidential elections is an example of ______ journalism.

A) muckracking
B) gatekeeping in
C) horseracing
D) agenda setting in

Question 26

The notion of 'media effects' in political science refers to ______.

A) observable changes in behavior that result from media coverage
B) editors and journalists deciding what news makes it to the public
C) the pattern of small independent media being bought by larger outlets
D) the gradual focus on the contest of politics rather than its substance

Question 27

The establishment of RT (Russia Today) within the United States is an example of Russia's exertion of ______.

A) hard power
B) influential power
C) media power
D) soft power

Question 28

'Fake News' can be best defined by which of the following?

A) an all-purpose smear to deride and invalidate opposition journalism and politicians
B) news that is intentionally and verifiably false that can mislead
C) satirical stories from websites like The Onion that are demonstrably false, but could be taken seriously
D) conspiracy theories and opinionated news that some have taken to be true at some point or another

Question 29

Consuming news that conforms with existing political beliefs is a consequence of ______.

A) journalistic agenda setting
B) media bias
C) media effects
D) selective engagement

Question 30

The founding fathers of the United States had only good things to say about newspapers and the press.

Question 31

The exposure of the Watergate scandal led to President Nixon's impeachment in the 1970s.

Question 32

A crucial role of the media could be seen in promoting democratic ideals if NOT democracy itself.

Question 33

Most newspapers in the 1800s were printed and operated by political parties and factions.

Question 34

In a fairly recent study, as a group, one-third of national journalists identify as conservatives, whereas more than half identify as liberal.

Question 35

The saying about news that "if it bleeds, it leads" refers to the influence of negative bias in how news is framed in the media.

Question 36

The use of expert panels moderated by a lead anchor or journalist to discuss possible election scenarios and make predictions during presidential primaries in the United States is an example of Horserace Journalism.

Question 37

According to some research in political science, biased or partisan coverage of candidates in elections tends to exacerbate extreme views of those candidates rather than change many minds.

Question 38

Studies have shown that, at present and around the world, press freedom is suffering.

Question 39

The internet and social media have a low cost-of-entry for the propagation of fake news

Question 40

What purpose do the media serve? Moreover, who do they serve? Use examples from your course materials as well as your everyday experiences to support your arguments.

Question 41

What roles or functions do the media play in society today? What roles should they play? How effective are the media, if at all? Or, do the media miss the mark altogether? Make an argument explaining how and why your position is the case.

Question 42

How have the media and coverage of news (political or otherwise) changed over time, for example since the early 20th century? What effects have these changes had on the distribution and consumption of news and information? What are some of the benefits and detriments of these changes?

Question 43

Are the media and what they produce a public good? Why or why NOT?

Question 44

Compare and contrast the media and the roles of states or governments in the media between the United States and another country of your choosing. In discussing similarities and differences, explain how these influence media quality and media effects.