Deck 12: The Media

Question 1

The liberal Daily Kos and the conservative Power Line are examples of

A) blogs.
B) newspapers.
C) magazines.
D) cable news stations.
E) old media.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

To attract large readership to their papers, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst had their newspapers focus on

A) objectivity in their coverage.
B) sensationalism in their coverage.
C) partisanship in their coverage.
D) presenting objective facts.
E) only international stories.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which statement is correct about libel laws?

A) Laws governing libel are much stricter in Great Britain than in the United States making it easier for British politicians to sue newspapers for publishing articles that defame or ridicule them.
B) Laws governing libel are much stricter in the United States than in Great Britain making it easier for American politicians to sue newspapers for publishing articles that defame or ridicule them.
C) The Official Secrets Act in the United States makes it difficult for reporters to publish stories dealing with national security.
D) The Freedom of Information Act in Great Britain makes it easy for reporters to get access to many public documents.
E) None of the above is True.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Although newspapers are rapidly losing their audience, they remain vitally important because

A) they have an ability to sell the news to advertise buyers.
B) they influence many abroad.
C) much of what is on the Internet comes from newspapers.
D) newspapers employ the best reporters.
E) the White House works first with newspapers.

Question 5

Young persons are more likely to rely on _________ as their source for news.

A) the Internet
B) radio
C) television
D) Facebook
E) Twitter

Question 6

For all their excesses, the sensationalist mass newspapers of the late nineteenth century effected several important changes in the press, including

A) freeing the press from government control.
B) encouraging cultural diversity in U.S. society.
C) limiting the role of technology in journalism.
D) giving greater power to a social elite.
E) giving greater power to a political elite.

Question 7

The Watergate scandal during the Nixon administration was first exposed by

A) opposition research by the Democratic Party.
B) the FBI.
C) a private detective.
D) the Washington Post.
E) donors who were unhappy with Nixon.

Question 8

In the early years of the republic, newspapers were financially supported by

A) advertising.
B) payments from the Associated Press.
C) subsidies from political parties and politicians.
D) mass circulation.
E) religious clubs and organizations.

Question 9

Most Americans rely on _________ as their source for news.

A) the Internet
B) radio
C) television
D) Facebook
E) Twitter

Question 10

The Nation, the Atlantic Monthly, and Harper's were

A) mass-circulation magazines founded during the early 1900s.
B) magazines specializing in yellow journalism during the mid-1800s.
C) newspapers sponsored by the political parties of the early 1800s.
D) the first magazines to present public policy issues during the mid-1800s.
E) newspapers specializing in party news and election reports founded during the early 1900s.

Question 11

The medium that first allowed public officials to reach the public in a relatively unfiltered manner was

A) the national magazine.
B) the national newspaper.
C) radio.
D) the New York Times.
E) the wire service.

Question 12

In 2008, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama stated at a private fundraiser that voters in economic distress "cling to guns or religion," and a freelance writer for _________ published the remarks.

A) the Washington Post
B) the New York Times
C) Daily Kos
D) The Huffington Post
E) CNN

Question 13

A study of "sound bites" on the broadcasts of the evening news in 2000, found the average length of bites to be about _________.

A) 7 seconds
B) 32 seconds
C) 45 seconds
D) 63 seconds
E) 100 seconds

Question 14

The term yellow journalism was coined to describe media sensationalism in what era?

A) The early days of the republic
B) The time of the Civil War
C) The turn of the century
D) Post-World War II
E) The Great Depression

Question 15

Only _________ of adults under 30 read a newspaper.

A) 15 percent
B) 13 percent
C) 30 percent
D) 40 percent
E) 5 percent

Question 16

In this country, the libel laws make it almost impossible to prevent press criticisms of

A) public figures.
B) the military.
C) the education system.
D) dead persons.
E) persons with jobs in the private sector.

Question 17

Which of the following statements about newspapers during the early years of the republic is True?

A) They were cheaper than today.
B) They made little or no attempt to appear objective.
C) They were supported by paid advertising.
D) They were read avidly by both the elite and the masses.
E) They were generally objective.

Question 18

America has a long tradition of media that are

A) objective.
B) centralized.
C) government-friendly.
D) primarily concerned with governmental policy.
E) privately owned.

Question 19

During the 2010 midterm elections, more than half of all Americans used __________ to get political news about the elections.

A) the Internet
B) newspapers
C) radio
D) NPR
E) the BBC

Question 20

News coverage by the Associated Press had to be nonpartisan because

A) its funding came from the federal government.
B) its reporters' standards were highly professional.
C) government regulations required it.
D) it served papers of various political hues.
E) its managers held the parties in contempt.

Question 21

For a newspaper to be found guilty of libeling a public official, the accused party must

A) prove beyond reasonable doubt that what was printed was damaging, even if it was printed  accidentally.
B) sue the reporter who wrote the story and not the newspaper that published it.
C) sue the newspaper that published the story and not the reporter who wrote it.
D) provide clear and convincing evidence that what was printed was malicious.
E) establish that what was printed could have been interpreted in more than one manner.

Question 22

In general, what position has the Supreme Court taken on the government's right to compel reporters to divulge information concerning the commission of a crime?

A) It has ruled against it.
B) It has upheld it.
C) It has avoided ruling on it.
D) It has yet to rule on it.
E) It has ruled in a contradictory manner.

Question 23

Compared with the print media, the electronic media are

A) less competitive but more strictly regulated.
B) more competitive but less strictly regulated.
C) more competitive and more strictly regulated.
D) less competitive and less strictly regulated.
E) less competitive and completely free of regulation.

Question 24

The Federal Communication Commission could use its powers of renewal to influence what stations put on the air by

A) inducing stations to reduce the amount of violence shown.
B) increasing the proportion of "public service" programs on the air.
C) altering the way it portrays various ethnic groups.
D) Options A, B, C, and Dare True.
E) None of the above is True.

Question 25

Jimmy Carter courting the major newspapers during the 1976 Democratic primary is an example of a candidate understanding the role of the media as a(n) __________.

A) arbiter
B) watchdog
C) scorekeeper
D) mediator
E) regulator

Question 26

When Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein wrote the stories that broke the Watergate scandal, the reporters were acting as ___________.

A) gatekeepers.
B) scorekeepers.
C) watchdogs.
D) ombudsmen
E) whistle blowers

Question 27

The television weekly "60 Minutes" runs a segment on the role of local politicians in the drug trade. The issue soon becomes the subject of national debate. In these circumstances, "60 Minutes" is acting as a(n) ___________.

A) gatekeeper
B) scorekeeper
C) watchdog
D) investigator
E) ombudsman

Question 28

Most of the national news that local papers publish comes from

A) local affiliates.
B) their own news staffs.
C) television networks.
D) wire services.
E) investigative reporting.

Question 29

Which best describes individual privacy protections in newspaper articles.

A) Newspapers can print libelous stories due to the freedom of the press.
B) Newspapers can print an individual's name and picture without consent if they are part of a news story of some conceivable public interest.
C) Newspapers can print False statements about people.
D) Newspapers can print information without it being part of a story of some conceivable public interest.
E) All of the above are True.

Question 30

The federal government sued the New York Times to prevent it from publishing

A) accounts of Japanese Americans detained in U.S. concentration camps during World War II.
B) the Pentagon Papers.
C) secret grand jury findings on the Watergate scandal.
D) reports of Reagan's arms-for-hostages dealings.
E) videotapes of G. Gordon Liddy orchestrating a break-in.

Question 31

When the Supreme Court upheld the right of the police to search newspaper offices, Congress responded by passing legislation that

A) encouraged such searches.
B) made it easier for the police to lawfully conduct future searches.
C) forbade such searches, except in special cases.
D) completely banned the police from securing records of newspaper offices.
E) police could still search the offices, but they must obtain a search warrant first.

Question 32

In 2005, the reporter Judith Miller of The New York Times spent 85 days in jail because she would not reveal the name of the individual who told her the name of a CIA employee. Why was the government able to hold her for so long?

A) There is no federal shield law that will protect journalist refusing to identify sources.
B) The state that she was in did not have a state shield law.
C) The issue was a matter of national security.
D) The reporter had written a libelous article.
E) The reporter leaked confidential information.

Question 33

When it comes to the freedom of the press, the First Amendment has been interpreted as meaning that no government, federal or state, can

A) place "prior restraints" on the press except under very narrowly defined circumstances.
B) regulate the types of words used on broadcast television.
C) regulate advertisements on network television.
D) place conditions on cable providers.
E) None of the above is True.

Question 34

The __________ is responsible for regulating radio and television broadcasting.

A) National Public Radio
B) American Broadcast Organization
C) Federal Communications Commission
D) Federal Exchange Commission
E) Office of Television in the Department of Commerce

Question 35

Since the 1980s, broadcasting licenses are automatically renewed unless

A) the station has been found guilty of broadcasting obscenity.
B) some community group formally objects.
C) the station has been found to criticize the government unfairly.
D) the station's ownership has changed.
E) the station's ownership has not changed for a considerable period of time.

Question 36

When the Israeli general Ariel Sharon sued Time magazine for libel, the jury decided that

A) Time's stories on Sharon were accurate.
B) Time had libeled Sharon and must pay damages.
C) Time had libeled Sharon but not maliciously.
D) Sharon lacked standing to sue in a U.S. court.
E) Sharon had shown no True case and controversy.

Question 37

In New York v. Farber, a reporter for The New York Times was asked to produce notes that he had taken in regard to the behavior of a __________.

A) schoolteacher
B) police officer
C) physician
D) fellow reporter
E) senator

Question 38

The text states that the media typically report presidential elections as horse races. This means that they

A) have an instinctive desire to expose scandals.
B) play the roles of gatekeeper, scorekeeper, and watchdog in a presidential campaign.
C) seek opportunities to write background or interpretive stories about issues in the campaign.
D) focus more on the contest itself than on the issues of the campaign.
E) have an instinctive desire to investigate personalities.

Question 39

The media typically report presidential elections as horse races because of the media's role as __________.

A) arbiter
B) watchdog
C) scorekeeper
D) mirror of reality
E) mediator

Question 40

The Carter-Reagan debate in 1980 was sponsored by the League of Women Voters (LWV) because

A) the LWV had an exclusive license for that purpose.
B) the LWV threatened to sue the networks.
C) both candidates wanted an impartial forum.
D) the fairness doctrine did not apply.
E) that arrangement allowed circumvention of the equal access rule.

Question 41

In __________, the Court ruled that public officials may not win a libel suit unless they can prove that the statement was made knowing it to be False or with reckless disregard of its truth.

A) Near v. Minnesota
B) New York Times v. Sullivan
C) Miami Herald v. Tornillo
D) McCulloch v. Maryland
E) New York Times v. United States

Question 42

The FCC rarely enforces the rule that

A) certain words cannot be used on air.
B) each hour on TV can only contain 16 minutes of commercials.
C) nudity cannot be on TV.
D) cable companies cannot have graphic violence.
E) None of the above is True.

Question 43

In __________, the Court ruled that freedom of the press applies to state governments, so that they cannot impose prior restraints on newspapers.

A) Near v. Minnesota
B) New York Times v. Sullivan
C) Miami Herald v. Tornillo
D) McCulloch v. Maryland
E) New York Times v. United States

Question 44

The text suggests three things to look for when trying to read a newspaper intelligently. They are the

A) degree of objectivity, the choice of coverage, and the source of information.
B) type of coverage, the number of sources, and the flexibility of the language.
C) source of information, the degree of objectivity, and the use of language.
D) choice of coverage, the degree of objectivity, and the use of language.
E) choice of coverage, the source of information, and the use of language.

Question 45

The dearth of popular liberal talk-radio hosts is primarily the result of the fact that

A) such hosts have not landed big corporate sponsors.
B) radio stations refuse to allow liberals opportunities to compete.
C) station owners are quite conservative.
D) such hosts have not gotten good ratings.
E) liberals have taken no interest in radio.

Question 46

Horse-race journalism concerns the critics because they feel such coverage

A) cannot adequately predict who will win or lose a race.
B) ignores the importance of issues.
C) places too much emphasis on personalities and public personas.
D) relies almost entirely on second- and third- hand reporting.
E) rarely has an impact on the flow of campaign contributions.

Question 47

The abandonment of the fairness doctrine permitted

A) liberals to have more access to mainstream media.
B) small-business owners to restrict access.
C) the rise of controversial talk radio.
D) politicians to regulate media more directly.
E) interest groups to have greater influence on elections.

Question 48

Which types of news stories cover things that are often secret?

A) Blockbuster
B) Insider
C) Feature
D) Routine
E) Trade

Question 49

According to the text, the first president to raise cultivation of the media to an art form was

A) Theodore Roosevelt.
B) Woodrow Wilson.
C) Herbert Hoover.
D) Franklin Roosevelt.
E) William McKinley.

Question 50

Insider stories are often the product of

A) intense television coverage.
B) leaks by someone in government.
C) public opinion polling processes.
D) judicial rulings.
E) congressional investigations and reports.

Question 51

The equal time rule obliges stations

A) that sell advertising to one political candidate to sell equal time to that person's opponent.
B) to allow all candidates the opportunity to participate in debates.
C) to provide all candidates the chance to appear in news stories.
D) to provide equal news coverage of the campaigns of all candidates.
E) to allow candidates equal time to respond to the airing of any of their opponents' criticisms.

Question 52

Which types of news stories cover events that a reporter seeks out because they are not covered by the press?

A) Blockbuster
B) Insider
C) Feature
D) Routine
E) Trade

Question 53

Public distrust of the media

A) appears to be growing.
B) has remained about the same for three decades.
C) appears to be decreasing.
D) has never been studied in any rigorous manner.
E) has decreased for persons who read magazines of opinion.

Question 54

When Time and Newsweek ran stories about nuclear power, reporters tended to avoid quoting scientists and engineers in that field because such persons

A) were in favor of nuclear power plants.
B) were against nuclear power plants.
C) rarely talked to media.
D) were required by law to give general, uninformative answers.
E) were outspoken in their criticism of media.

Question 55

The press secretary heads a large staff that __________.

A) meets with reporters.
B) briefs the president on questions he is likely to be asked
C) attempts to control the flow of news from cabinet departments to the press
D) Options A, B, C, and D are True.
E) None of the above is True.

Question 56

A study of the political slant of 400 daily newspapers found that coverage was generally a reflection of the views of ____________.

A) owners
B) reporters
C) editors
D) columnists
E) readers

Question 57

Mayer's analysis of the dominance of conservative talk radio emphasizes all of the following except that

A) there are more self-described conservatives in America than liberals.
B) conservatives see radio as an alternative to other forms of media that do not reflect their viewpoints.
C) much of the liberal audience is broken up into distinct racial and ethnic minorities.
D) few members of racial and ethnic minorities listen to radio.
E) liberals think their views are encouraged by newspapers and television stations.

Question 58

In France and Great Britain, newspapers are often

A) owned by private individuals.
B) free of restriction.
C) entirely objective in their analysis.
D) clearly identified with one party or another.
E) All of the above are True.

Question 59

In comparison with the general public, the great majority of the members of the national news media are

A) without any particular ideological leaning.
B) politically moderate.
C) liberal.
D) conservative.
E) very conservative.

Question 60

A study of 10 newspapers and the Associated Press found that news regarding government reports about sales, unemployment, and economic growth was more likely to be presented in a positive fashion if

A) a Democrat was president.
B) a Republican was president.
C) the data were clearly mixed.
D) the data were reported on a weekend.
E) the report was favorable to the interests of both political parties.

Question 61

When it comes to politics, Old Media is not being threatened by New Media.

Question 62

In 2004, "60 Minutes," ran a story that President Bush had performed poorly during his time in the Air National Guard based on documents that were shown by bloggers to be forgeries.

Question 63

Horse-race journalism places excessive emphasis on the issues and positions that candidates take.

Question 64

The text suggests that the abandonment of the fairness doctrine gave rise to controversial talk-radio hosts.

Question 65

The presidential press secretary is a relatively new White House position, dating from the Hoover administration.

Question 66

Early in American history, almost everything that was printed was an expression of opinion.

Question 67

The effect of the appearance of the Associated Press in 1848 was to increase further the partisan and biased nature of reporting.

Question 68

Writers for the national press tend to be more conservative than their local counterparts.

Question 69

The government cannot employ prior restraint (or censorship) on the press in any circumstance.

Question 70

Research has found that very few Americans actually got their political news from the Internet during the 2010 midterm elections.

Question 71

The average news sound bite for a presidential contender drooped from 42 seconds in 1968 to 7.3 seconds in 2000.

Question 72

The Internet has made it more difficult to raise money from small donors.

Question 73

In the 1930s, newspaper reporters broke the story that President Franklin Roosevelt was having an affair.

Question 74

In recent years, public trust in the news media has increased.

Question 75

When it comes to news, the Internet is dominated by a few sites and should not be considered a free market of news coverage.

Question 76

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post played a key role in the downfall of the administration of Richard Nixon.

Question 77

In the early years of the republic, newspapers were commonly sponsored by the political parties.

Question 78

Automobile safety and water pollution were not major political issues until the national press began giving substantial attention to these matters.

Question 79

Vastly more people watch American Idol than read newspaper editorials.

Question 80

There has been a decline in the numbers of daily newspapers that serve large communities.