Deck 6: The News Media

Question 1

What best characterizes the "watchdog" role of the U.S. media?

A) The media educate the public on controversial issues.
B) The media educate the public on how to use government services.
C) The media make election results available to the public.
D) The media report government officials who block presidential policy.
E) The media warn the public of illegal or unethical government actions.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

Which of the following phrases characterizes the concern that media corporations are so large, powerful, and interconnected that the less economically and politically powerful are not heard?

A) media bias
B) media over reach
C) media monopoly
D) media oligarchy
E) pandemic media

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The First Amendment includes which provision(s) about the United States press?

A) Freedom of the press is implicit in the freedom of speech.
B) The judiciary has broad oversight of the press; the legislature does not.
C) The legislature has broad oversight of the press; the judiciary does not.
D) The press has broad protection from government interference.
E) The government has broad powers on restricting the press.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following accurately describes part of the Obama administration's relationship with the press?

A) The Obama administration has refused to hold formal news conferences.
B) The Obama administration has announced that it will have nothing to do with FOX News.
C) The Obama administration has refused to manage events in an effort to get favorable coverage.
D) The Obama administration has encouraged executive agencies to create unsourced news videos.
E) The Obama administration has used an operative in the accredited White House press corps to ask pre-determined questions.

Question 5

The media are often criticized for __________.

A) biased reporting
B) poor credibility
C) privileging foreign sources
D) deference to politicians
E) focusing on positive stories

Question 6

Which statement about U.S. foreign news coverage is the most accurate?

A) Press coverage of foreign news tends to be critical of U.S. foreign policy.
B) Press coverage of foreign news is largely limited to European venues.
C) Press coverage of foreign news tends to agree with U.S. foreign policy.
D) Press coverage of foreign news is more extensive than domestic news coverage.
E) Press coverage of foreign news tends to take a colonialist perspective.

Question 7

How did the framing of television news coverage affect the way Americans viewed the Hurricane Katrina disaster?

A) In reporting on victims searching for food, whites were framed as foragers, blacks as looters.
B) New Orleans was framed as a diverse city where race had become irrelevant.
C) The government response was framed as heroic and well-planned.
D) Private charities were framed as more effective than the government.
E) Victims were framed as irresponsible for failing to evacuate before the storm.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about the tendencies of the mainstream media in the U.S. is true?

A) They frequently report stories containing detailed policy information.
B) They frequently report stories educate citizens about government policies.
C) They rarely report stories of natural disasters.
D) They rarely report stories of political scandal.
E) They rarely report stories to help citizens contextualize political problems.

Question 9

Which of the following is evidence of modern conservative bias in the media?

A) The media tends to be the most critical of liberal presidents and policies.
B) Most media outlets are owned by large, pro-establishment corporations.
C) Journalists' personal views and voting preferences are largely conservative.
D) The majority of network media pundits express conservative values.
E) Commercial slots tend to express economically conservative messages.

Question 10

What does the failure to cover the Downing Street memo say about the U.S. press??

A) The U.S. press is superior to foreign news outlets.
B) The U.S. press does not trust the British.
C) The U.S. press favors domestic stories and sources over foreign ones.
D) The U.S. press has to bury stories that could harm a sitting president.
E) The U. S. press tends to miss big stories related to military operations.

Question 11

What is framing?

A) deciding which stories are newsworthy
B) influencing people through news story interpretation
C) stripping a story of its context to avoid the appearance of bias
D) hiding a disreputable source in a credible news story
E) deviating from journalistic standards

Question 12

Where is freedom of the press guaranteed?

A) Declaration of Independence
B) Article V of the Constitution
C) First Amendment
D) Fourth Amendment
E) common law

Question 13

In 2006, roughly three years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, a New York Times story with a revelation about what went largely unreported on the major television news outlets?

A) British reports that Washington had "cooked the books" to justify a war in Iraq
B) the so-called Downing Street memo
C) an informational committee hearing lead by Rep. John Conyers about the misuse of intelligence
D) an incident in which Vice President Dick Cheney shot a long-time friend in the face while hunting
E) a meeting between George W. Bush and Tony Blair in which Bush indicated that he would go to war with Iraq even without evidence of weapons of mass destruction

Question 14

Which of the following accurately describes recent changes in how news is reported?

A) A growing diversity of news outlets conveys news originating from a growing number of sources.
B) A growing diversity of news outlets conveys news originating from fewer and fewer sources.
C) A shrinking diversity of news outlets conveys news originating from a growing number of sources.
D) A shrinking diversity of news outlets conveys new originating from fewer and fewer sources.
E) There is a consolidation of media ownership and an increase in the number of foreign correspondents.

Question 15

How did the media respond to the report that Dick Cheney had shot a man in the face?

A) The media refused to run the story because they thought it was not credible.
B) The story was ignored for several weeks in deference to the Bush administration.
C) The story was buried in the backs of newspapers and the ends of television programs.
D) The media covered the story almost exclusively the day after the shooting.
E) The media covered the story frequently and in great detail over several days.

Question 16

Cable news has __________.

A) passed network news as the primary source of television news
B) remained behind the networks in viewership despite recent gains
C) focused on providing unbiased news to rival news network punditry
D) caused the bankruptcy and cancellation of network news programs
E) become the most credible news resource for political news

Question 17

How must U.S. citizens get information and politics and policies?

A) conversations with co-workers
B) political party mailing lists
C) higher education initiatives
D) the different news media
E) from special interests

Question 18

Which statement best characterizes the role of the Internet as a source of news?

A) The Internet is the primary news source for most Americans today.
B) During the 2009-2010 election cycle, about 75% of Americans reported that they depended on the Internet as their main source for news about the campaigns.
C) The Internet rivals television news as the major source of political information for most Americans.
D) American reliance on Internet news sources has increased exponentially.
E) Internet news tends to be less partisan than news from traditional outlets.

Question 19

Which of the following gave the most thorough and sustained coverage of the Downing Street memo?

A) CNN
B) FOX News
C) The New York Times
D) The Washington Post
E) the blogosphere

Question 20

Inside information given to a journalist or media outlet by a government official is known as a(n)__________.

A) spin
B) cushion
C) leak
D) spillover
E) outing

Question 21

Which of the following stories is more likely to be over-reported by the media?

A) How health care reform legislation will work for American citizens.
B) How employers are likely to change health plans in response to health care reform.
C) How Medicare determines medical service compensation.
D) Why prescription medicine is more expensive in the United States than in Canada.
E) How a man had the wrong leg amputated due to hospital error.

Question 22

Which of the following is a conclusion scholars have come to about how the digital age has changed news operations?

A) There has been a large-scale expansion in the size and quality of the core of political news.
B) Very little has been done by way of original, in-depth stories.
C) An exponential growth in commentary on news is the same thing as the expansion in the quality of the news.
D) The number of ways in which the news is distributed has decreased.
E) Social media have influenced the increase in quality of the core of political news.

Question 23

How did the media influence the Vietnam War?

A) Pamphlet propaganda in Vietnam aided the war effort.
B) Explicit pictures helped turn public opinion against the war.
C) Social media helped communicate news of atrocities.
D) Body counts in the evening news kept up American morale.
E) Radio broadcasts on both sides acted as precursors to peace.

Question 24

The media are instruments of democracy in that they __________.

A) provide accurate political information to citizens
B) oppose the policies advocated by the White House
C) make profits for media companies
D) provide information to reinforce the popularity of the incumbent president
E) allow the political process to take place out of public view

Question 25

From which of the following locations is a news reporter most likely to file a story?

A) Avon, Colorado
B) Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
C) Winter Park, Florida
D) Austin, Texas
E) Washington, D.C.

Question 26

Reporters and journalists for national news organizations tend to be more __________ than the average American.

A) verbose
B) patriotic
C) narcissistic
D) liberal
E) conservative

Question 27

One recent media trend has been __________.

A) the consolidation of media corporations
B) the consolidation of partisan blogs
C) a decline in newspaper presence online
D) an increase in newspaper circulation
E) a decline in the popularity of cable news

Question 28

The main source for most foreign and domestic news is __________.

A) foreign correspondents
B) wire services
C) elite newspapers
D) academics
E) search engines

Question 29

News coverage of international events tends to be __________.

A) more in-depth than domestic coverage
B) taken from foreign newscasts
C) critical of U.S. foreign policy goals
D) delayed and superficial
E) episodic

Question 30

What conclusion does the "Using the Framework" box draw with regard to the most pressing concern of the American people and the top priority of elected officials in Washington, D.C.?

A) The disconnect between the two is partly caused by the news media's tendency to emphasize issues of greatest concern to our leading political actors.
B) The American people are most concerned with job growth and officials in Washington make this their top priority.
C) The disconnect between the two is entirely caused by the news media's tendency to emphasize issues of greatest concern to our leading political actors.
D) The news media has no impact on the disconnect between the two.
E) The American people are most concerned with reducing the federal deficit and expect elected officials to make addressing this concern their top priority.

Question 31

Based on what you know of media story preferences, which headline would be considered the least newsworthy?

A) Dog Calls 9-1-1
B) Fire Fighter Rescues Child from Car Wreck
C) George Clooney Arrested with Father
D) Pro-Union Rally Turns Violent
E) Unemployment Rates Remain Steady

Question 32

Which of the following is a concern of scholars about the effects of corporate ownership of media?

A) It adds dangerously to the already strong business presence in American politics.
B) News organizations may not pull any punches when reporting about the activities of competing corporations.
C) Only popular perspectives on current events will be reported.
D) Too much diversity in perspectives will muddy the message that the corporate owners want to convey.
E) Increasing resources for things like foreign correspondents and investigative journalism becomes impossible.

Question 33

According to the box "By the Numbers," which of the following is a way in which the UCR and NCVS differ?

A) The principal problems with NCVS concern the accuracy of recording and reporting crime.
B) The UCR is based on a survey of victims of crime, and the NCVS is based on crime reports from law enforcement agencies.
C) The UCR is based on reports from law enforcement agencies and the NCVS is based on a survey of victims of crime.
D) The UCR gives us a handle on the size of the underlying crime problem, and the NCVS does a fairly good job of telling us what is going on year to year with respect to police encounters with crime.
E) Experts generally prefer the UCR numbers to those of the NCVS for understanding the dimensions of the crime problem.

Question 34

A recent USA Today headline reading, "Fixing Mel Gibson's 2008 Maserati Could Get Costly," is an example of __________.

A) spin
B) infotainment
C) investigative reporting
D) objective journalism
E) agenda setting

Question 35

The kind of reporting Woodward and Bernstein did on Watergate is __________.

A) common because it is no necessary in this day and age
B) rare because it is so time-consuming and expensive
C) no longer taught in journalism schools
D) the bread and butter of beat journalism
E) more prominent now given the Internet

Question 36

Reporters get most of their political news from __________.

A) investigative journalism
B) online sources
C) government sources
D) acquisitions editors
E) polls and statistics

Question 37

Studies show that media coverage __________.

A) has little influence on citizens' policy preferences
B) varies little in credibility over time
C) influences what people think about
D) has a conservative bias
E) has a liberal bias

Question 38

Which of the following is most likely to be the original source of a national news story printed in a small town newspaper?

A) the newspaper's beat reporter
B) Newsweek
C) The Chicago Tribune
D) MSNBC
E) The Associated Press

Question 39

What does the cartogram in the box, "Mapping American Politics," indicate about where wire stories originate?

A) News stories originate fairly evenly across the U.S.
B) News stories are concentrated in America's centers of governance, communications, finance, and entertainment.
C) New stories are split between Washington, D.C. and New York.
D) News stories from Texas are much greater than expected.
E) News stories originate in various states in proportion to their populations,

Question 40

Who of the following is most likely to become a pundit?

A) A widely respected historian with a tendency to explore both sides of an argument.
B) An investigative reporter who has recently exposed a major government scandal.
C) A young Midwesterner with colorful opinions and a flair for public speaking.
D) An attractive former government official with predictable views living in Washington, D.C.
E) A celebrated climate scientist from the United Kingdom with tendency for the dramatic.

Question 41

Which statement best reflects an outcome of the Vietnam War being televised?

A) The televised coverage generated fervor in the U.S. that contributed to the war ending quickly.
B) Seeing televised coverage helped turned public opinion in the U.S. against the war.
C) Seeing the atrocities of the war helped Americans be patient and supportive as the war dragged on.
D) The Defense Department learned that there is no benefit to trying to limit access of the media to information about military actions abroad.
E) Information that was leaked helped North Vietnam win the war.

Question 42

Choose the statement that best illustrates who determines newsworthiness.

A) Editors make quick judgments about what their audiences and employers want.
B) Owners decide what the most important news stories are relative to the national interest.
C) Investigative reporters make the calls on what to print as they are most highly paid.
D) Art departments choose to publish the stories with the most visuals.
E) Politicians put pressure on corporate owners of news outlets about what to print.

Question 43

Which of the following plays the largest role in American politics?

A) the blogosphere
B) search engines
C) network media
D) radio talk shows
E) comedy shows

Question 44

The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution establishes freedom of the press.

Question 45

Choose the statement that best relates to objective journalism.

A) Because political news does not make much sense without an interpretation of what it means, journalists are relied upon to provide this interpretation.
B) If a reporter knows that an official is lying, she has to say so directly.
C) Reporters have to identify an event like a "town meeting" as a staged event when reporting about it.
D) Explicit interpretations by journalists are avoided.
E) Journalists must be completely objective when writing editorials.

Question 46

One of the drawbacks to media coverage of politics is its _________.

A) focus on the horse-race aspects of campaigns.
B) focus on policy rather than scandal.
C) repetitious scrutiny of government actions.
D) extensive coverage of foreign affairs.
E) inability to criticize government officials.

Question 47

Which of the following news headlines is most likely to influence Americans to think that laziness causes poverty?

A) Layoffs Increasing Childhood Poverty Rate
B) Unemployment Surges: Welfare Programs Strained
C) Undereducated and Unemployed: One Woman's Plight
D) Recession Strains Family Savings, Government Programs
E) Economy Dips; Poverty Surges

Question 48

How might the media frame the conditions of migrant workers in the U.S. in order to elicit public support for government programs?

A) in terms of failures of society to live up to the tradition of equality
B) in terms of failures of the migrants to pursue legal means to be in the U.S.
C) in terms of failures of society to push for different rules for different people
D) in terms of failures of the migrants to be self-reliant
E) in terms of successes of migrant groups in other countries

Question 49

The book states that, "In 2009, Michael Jackson accounted for 60 percent of television news shows during the two days following his death, far more coverage than the mass antigovernment demonstrations in Iran." This is an example of what?

A) bias
B) agenda setting
C) nationalism
D) infotainment
E) investigative journalism

Question 50

Media coverage is least likely to be critical of __________.

A) members of Congress
B) presidents
C) the president's party
D) the U.S. economic system
E) governors

Question 51

If President Obama excluded critics from his next press conference, in order to give favorable coverage to the Affordable Health Care Act, he would be engaging in __________.

A) bias
B) social distortion
C) political distortion
D) news management
E) spin management

Question 52

How might media managers choose to cover a story about a human rights tragedy in order to get politicians to take action?

A) Focus on matters that are of most concern to those who are not in power but rather vying for power.
B) Incorporate as much infotainment as possible.
C) Highlight the tragedy in real time.
D) Focus on stories that throw off the relative power balance between Democrats and Republicans in Washington.
E) Run retrospectives on related events from the past.

Question 53

Which of the following is most likely to get prominent coverage on a local television news station?

A) new drunk driving laws
B) corporate malfeasance
C) a large grant at a local college
D) a local stabbing
E) bankruptcy laws

Question 54

Why does most television news coverage feature predictable events, like news conferences?

A) Predictable events are favored by American media consumers.
B) Predictable events usually have large corporate sponsors.
C) Predictable events allow nuanced reporting over time.
D) Predictable events are easier for the media to cover.
E) Predictable events provide the best opportunity for civic engagement.

Question 55

In the June of 1995, U.S. pilot Scott O'Grady was shot down over Bosnia. This event received more coverage than France's resumption of nuclear testing in French Polynesia. and reflects a __________ to news coverage.

A) negative perspective
B) nationalistic perspective
C) biased perspective
D) focused perspective
E) limited perspective

Question 56

What is one impact of the tendency to give foreign events episodic coverage by the media?

A) Genocides and other atrocities are discovered earlier and covered extensively.
B) It helps members of Congress gain foreign policy consent by the public.
C) The public as a whole has grown more isolationist regarding foreign policy.
D) The public finds it difficult to form opinions about U.S. foreign policy.
E) The public has developed an insatiable appetite for foreign policy news.

Question 57

Why do Americans likely think that violent crime is a more serious problem than it actually is?

A) Because more crimes are reported to police than actually occur.
B) Because NCVS and UCR data are wildly inaccurate.
C) Because the media over-report violent crime.
D) Because Americans are frightened by the visuals that accompany news stories about violent crime.
E) Because no good measures of crime statistics in the U.S. are available.

Question 58

Why is a free press important for democracy?

A) The press helps citizens regulate government actions.
B) The press enables political parties to manipulate public opinion.
C) The press ensures that citizens are exposed to diverse points of view.
D) The press assists the gravitas of the president in foreign relations.
E) The press operates party conventions and town hall debates.

Question 59

The topics that get the most coverage in the news media at any point in time are the same ones that most people tell pollsters are the most important problems facing the country. What is this effect called?

A) controlled experiments
B) investigative journalism
C) agenda setting
D) agenda deconstruction
E) political structuring

Question 60

When the media decide to highlight a human rights tragedy in real time, such as ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, public officials often feel compelled to act. This effect is sometimes called the CNN effect.

Question 61

A substantial fraction of younger news consumers report that they rely on _________ for their news.

Question 62

Under the informal rules of objective journalism, most reporters provide explicit analysis and interpretation of the stories that they cover.

Question 63

According to the concluding discussion of the chapter, the news media have probably helped advance the cause of democracy in the United States and helped transform the American republic into the American democratic republic.

Question 64

The release of a massive library of raw American diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks reflects its commitment to ending _________.

Question 65

Most large media outlets are owned by __________.

Question 66

Media framing influences how people interpret political events.

Question 67

Three roles of the news media in a(n) __________ is to make clear what electoral choices the public has, what political parties stand for, and who the candidates are.

Question 68

The press is the main avenue of public interpretation of government action.

Question 69

If the media report gross malfeasance in how Medicare pays doctors, the media are acting as watchdogs.

Question 70

Most Americans today say newspapers are their most important news source.

Question 71

Growing acceptance of the alternative media was evident when bloggers were invited to cover the 2012 Democrat and Republican national conventions.

Question 72

Recent developments of nonmainstream news media are well on their way to displacing mainstream or traditional news organizations as central to political news.

Question 73

The Downing Street memo was considered highly newsworthy because it involved government corruption.

Question 74

The Founders fully subscribed to the idea that a free press was __________.

Question 75

Most media outlets are family-owned businesses.

Question 76

Framing provides a context for ___________ stories.

Question 77

The press in the United States has more freedoms than in most other countries.

Question 78

It is speculated that the trend toward __________ in news presentations is due to the high costs of investigative reporting and a decreased consumer attention span.

Question 79

Corporate ownership has improved the diversity of perspectives in the news.

Question 80

According to the concluding section, "Using the Democracy Standard," for the framers, the purpose of the news media-newspapers, in their day-was to serve as a mechanism allowing citizens to rebel against their government.