Deck 9: Political Communication

Question 1

Given its lack of tradition in objective reporting, __________ tend(s) to be wildly partisan.

A)blogs
B)newspapers
C)television
D)radio

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The elite press exposes public wrongdoing via __________, which the average outlet typically avoids for fear of legal repercussions.

A)investigative reporting
B)espionage techniques
C)security leaks
D)computer hacking

Answer 2

A

Question 3

9/11 produced strong media support preceding the 2003 Iraq War, leaving the public largely uncritical of President Bush.This is an example of a(n) __________.

A)media exposé
B)investigative report
C)undermining morale
D)rally event

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Analyze the role of wire-service copy in generating content for local media.

A)Local media outlets avoid wire-service copy, relying instead on their own reporters.
B)Wire-service copy dictates, by manner of national policy, the content of local media outlets.
C)The Associated Press provides local news outlets with much of its reported content through wire-service copy.
D)The Associated Press owns most local media outlets nationwide and uses wire-service copy to ensure uniform content.

Question 5

What is the relationship between the Associated Press (AP) and the U.S.government?

A)The government owns and operates the AP.
B)The government closely supervises the AP, but does not control it.
C)The government heavily subsidizes the AP, indirectly influencing its content.
D)The AP is free of government influence, financial or otherwise.

Question 6

Identify the statement that supports the assertion that "Fewer Americans now are interested in news than they were one or two generations ago."

A)Today's newspapers have a weaker impact on voting demographics.
B)Terrorist attacks generate copious media attention.
C)Only about a third of people watch television news or read newspapers.
D)Viewers are only interested in lascivious and licentious news stories.

Question 7

Franklin D.Roosevelt won support for his policies through which radio program?

A)Fireside follies
B)Hearthside manner
C)Democracy now
D)Fireside chats

Question 8

Statistically speaking, which family member would probably pay the most attention to media?

A)Your 21 year-old brother
B)Your 13 year-old cousin
C)Your 16 year-old sister
D)Your 39 year-old mother

Question 9

How does television compare to the Internet and social media?

A)Both may reach wide audiences, but television is less convincing.
B)The Internet is widely used, but inefficacious at influencing public opinion.
C)Television appeals to more educated audiences, who tend not to trust what they read online.
D)Television coverage is more uniform, while reporting on the Internet is widely varied.

Question 10

Face-to-face communication is most effective for altering political opinions because __________.

A)it allows for dialogue to occur between parties
B)it is most directly accessible to the observer
C)it is more audible than other forms of media
D)audiences tend to trust it

Question 11

An oligopoly occurs when __________.

A)a single corporation owns and controls an entire industry
B)a small number of corporations own and control an entire industry
C)a single person owns and controls an entire industry
D)the government owns and controls an entire industry

Question 12

Of the following demographics, who, statistically, who is likely to "consume" the most media?

A)An electrician who holds a G.E.D.
B)A college professor who has earned a PhD.
C)A registered nurse with a master's degree
D)A college undergraduate

Question 13

Identify one way in which television influenced the 1960s civil-rights movement in a way that print and radio did not.

A)It directly communicated commentators' opinions.
B)It showed fire hoses and police dogs attacking peaceful marchers.
C)Pundits advocated for non-violent direct action.
D)It allowed news anchors to articulate their convictions orally.

Question 14

In 2007, Talking Points Memo "jolted" the conventional media by reporting which of the following stories?

A)A terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
B)Then-Senator Obama's intention to campaign for the presidency.
C)The Bush administration's termination of liberal-leaning attorneys.
D)Scandal concerning the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Question 15

What is one political advantage of social media possessed neither by televised nor print media?

A)The Web reaches a very wide demographic base.
B)The Internet may catch stories the conventional media may overlook.
C)Blogs receive content from the Associated Press.
D)Search engines allow users to look up whatever they want, allowing them to focus on candidates they already like.

Question 16

Which president's 1828 victory over John Quincy Adams is generally considered one of the dirtiest media campaigns in history?

A)Thomas Jefferson
B)Andrew Jackson
C)James Madison
D)Ulysses S. Grant

Question 17

Identify the media outlet that holds the most influence over the American public, despite its relatively small audience base.

A)Newspapers
B)Radio
C)Elite media
D)Local news services

Question 18

Through tracking the use of mail, newspapers, and telephone calls, Karl W.Deutsch is remembered for demonstrating which of the following facts?

A)The political system and the communication system inversely influence one another.
B)The political system and the communication system negatively influence one another.
C)The political system and the communication system parallel one another.
D)The political system and the communication system deter one another.

Question 19

In 2009, Iranians used computers and cell phones to mobilize against a rigged election.This is an example of __________.

A)the media's insufficiency in dealing with massive crowds
B)a non-violent coup d'état
C)digital media's ability to undermine undemocratic regimes
D)the potential threat of digital spies like the "Wikileaks" organization

Question 20

Recall one reason mass media yields a greater voter-opinion return than face-to-face communication.

A)It appeals to a more intelligent demographic.
B)Its audience is more easily influenced.
C)Face-to-face communication lacks technological complexity.
D)It reaches a larger audience.

Question 21

Since the invention of the telegraph, Washington has allowed private companies to operate communications __________.

A)under strict guidelines
B)with large government subsidies
C)independently for profit
D)under tax sheltered annuities

Question 22

Press conferences, committee hearings, official statements-and recently, YouTube videos-probably wouldn't receive much airtime except for television's lopsided schedule and its need to cover something.Critics call these phenomena __________.

A)media events
B)coverage vacuums
C)televised posturing
D)journalistic filler

Question 23

"Taking Heads" provide a sense of personality and credibility by __________.

A)disseminating memorable slogans
B)relaying political information to viewers
C)appearing calm and collected in the face of a crisis
D)imitating face-to-face communication

Question 24

Under many circumstances, increased media attention can favor an incumbent president; however, it can easily damage a campaign when __________.

A)the president fails to fix a problem and the media implies he is making it worse
B)another news story focuses attention elsewhere
C)a challenging candidate makes a political "gaff," attracting media attention to himself
D)the president fixes a problem to the dissatisfaction of the opposing party

Question 25

When large U.S.financial firms threatened to collapse in 2008, media coverage tended to favor the White House narrative that the nation was on the brink of another "Great Crash," ignoring the more critical story put forth by academic think-tanks.This is an example of how __________ have the upper hand in framing a story.

A)legislators
B)pundits
C)elites
D)lobbyists

Question 26

According to communication theorist Marshall McLuhan, television is an inherently emotional medium because __________.

A)viewers associate it more closely with film
B)its coverage bypasses the brain and goes straight to the heart
C)it presents politicians as familiar and therefore likeable characters
D)makeup and lighting effects make its subjects appear more attractive

Question 27

Which of the following media outlets would likely seem dangerous to a corrupt, authoritarian regime with a strong information monopoly?

A)Newspaper editorials
B)Television anchors
C)Internet blogs
D)Primetime coverage

Question 28

Coined by sociologist Erving Goffman, __________ refers to the basic line of a news story.

A)coverage
B)framing
C)narration
D)conflict

Question 29

Television usually covers events after the fact, because __________.

A)advertising time restraints make live coverage difficult to manage
B)viewers tend not to tune in until close to 6:00 pm
C)camera crews don't always know in advance what's going to happen
D)the Associated Press works on a twenty-minute delay

Question 30

Interpret the impact of negative ads on the outcome of a campaign, as evidenced by the 2012 U.S.presidential election.

A)Negative ads are effective in swaying voters unidentified with a political party.
B)Negative ads almost always assure a win for the party that runs them.
C)Voters tend to tune them out, and thus, they have little effect.
D)Campaigns profit from negative ads by attacking their opponent's weak points.

Question 31

Analyze the relationship between television viewership and group participation.

A)Increased viewing leads to increased political involvement.
B)Decreased viewing is associated with a decline in perceived voter efficacy.
C)Increased viewing is associated with lower social trust and group membership.
D)Decreased viewing has no statistically significant effect on voter participation.

Question 32

Which of the following events is an example of the "bandwagon effect"?

A)An incumbent candidate loses a political debate, but earns his party's nomination regardless.
B)Commentators proclaim a candidate the "winner" of a political debate; the candidate then carries that momentum to gain his party's nomination.
C)Commentators proclaim a political debate a "tie," but the challenging candidate receives a favorable bump in the polls.
D)Unable to decide between two strong candidates, a party compromises to nominate a little-known candidate.

Question 33

Nonpaternalism is defined as __________.

A)the absence of supervision or guidance
B)ubiquitous control by a legislative body
C)a censure of executive government
D)a decline in federal oversight

Question 34

The war in which country, which cost $1 trillion and 2,000 American lives, went largely ignored during the 2012 presidential election?

A)Iraq
B)Syria
C)Libya
D)Afghanistan

Question 35

Television deepens a long-term tendency toward "president-worship" by __________.

A)covering influential supreme court cases
B)critiquing specific members of congress
C)reporting primarily on the legislative branch
D)focusing attention heavily on the executive branch

Question 36

Many blame television sound bites for __________.

A)the trivialization of politics
B)the spread of false information
C)corrupt political campaigns
D)the rise of social media

Question 37

U.S.television campaigning costs have risen to the billions, costing up to $100,000 for a one-minute spot.This cost has directly influenced virtually all __________ campaigns.

A)presidential and judicial
B)judicial and congressional
C)mayoral and gubernatorial
D)senatorial and presidential

Question 38

Analyze the media's longtime ignorance of the hatred brewing against Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak, only to focus heavily on his regime when large crowds amassed chanting for his ouster.

A)News producers pay more attention to stories with good visuals than without.
B)Reporters are biased against Middle Eastern politics.
C)Viewers tend to respond poorly to stories on dictatorial regimes.
D)Audiences favor sports programming over stories with political implications.

Question 39

How has television shaped the roles of political party organizations and leaders in nominating candidates for election?

A)Leaders are bypassed as candidates enter party conventions with established momentum.
B)Party leaders have gained increased control as they develop close ties to the media.
C)Organizations have strengthened due to divisive bipartisan sound bites.
D)Parties have weakened due to increased media expenditures.

Question 40

Assess the efficacy of narrow-angle coverage in framing a high-profile news story.

A)Due to its ability to provide a ground-level perspective, narrow-angle coverage is the Truest style of reporting.
B)Narrow-angle coverage provides well-rounded reporting, providing a more complete understanding of the issue at hand.
C)Narrow-angle coverage creates a realistic understanding of the situation at hand, but is highly ineffective in generating emotional appeal.
D)Narrow-angle coverage creates positive audience response, but does little to offer a holistic understanding of the conflict being covered.

Question 41

A nation's increased communication positively correlates with increased modernization.

Question 42

Which early U.S.president is noted for having said, "Were it left to me to decide [between government without] newspapers and newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."

A)George Washington
B)John Adams
C)Thomas Jefferson
D)Andrew Jackson

Question 43

Most newspaper revenue comes from advertising.

Question 44

In Saigon, the U.S.military held afternoon press briefings, dubbed the "five o'clock follies," in which upbeat spokesmen portrayed progress in the war.

Question 45

Because the president gets in and out of helicopters, visits foreign leaders, and is sometimes involved in scandals, the media tends to cover the executive branch more heavily than the legislative or judicial branches.This is an example of __________.

A)checks and balances
B)televised glut
C)structural bias
D)executive drama

Question 46

Wire services define news as information that comes from an official "source."

Question 47

Republicans often claim the media maintains a liberal bias; radicals argue that the media defers to the president and large corporations.The media's exhaustive coverage of President Clinton and the Monica Lewinsky affair suggests that __________.

A)only left-leaning institutions come under media scrutiny
B)only radical institutions come under media scrutiny
C)conservative institutions primarily come under media scrutiny
D)most institutions, left or right, eventually come under media scrutiny

Question 48

Though they place the news into a meaningful context, editorials and columns never contain more news than straight news stories.

Question 49

Due to the routine killing of investigative reporters in countries like Russia, Ukraine and Mexico, many papers in such places practice __________ to stay open and alive.

A)anonymous reporting
B)executive control
C)adversarial printing
D)self-censorship

Question 50

As sports and local interests generate the best response from consumers, communications theorists claim that the general public __________.

A)is comprised of avid sports fans
B)dislikes complicated, in-depth analyses
C)receives its news from other sources
D)prefers entertainment-style news

Question 51

Tired of repetitive, misleading briefings, journalists began to "snoop around" in the Vietnam War, uncovering a corrupt and inept Saigon regime.This is an example of a(n) __________ relationship.

A)adversarial
B)compliant
C)disjunctive
D)platonic

Question 52

All the President's Men revealed a massive cover-up by the Oval Office.

Question 53

Which U.S.president famously muttered, "You won't have __________ to kick around anymore" after losing the 1962 California governor's race.

A)John F. Kennedy
B)Lyndon B. Johnson
C)Richard Nixon
D)Ronald Reagan

Question 54

Why do state governments tend to receive less media attention than national or even local governments?

A)States possess little legislative power.
B)Few media outlets focus primarily on state politics.
C)Political action at the state level does little to directly influence viewers' lives.
D)Not all viewers pay state taxes.

Question 55

Radio usage has increased in popularity since 2003.

Question 56

The 1964 New York Times v.Sullivan U.S.Supreme Court decision states that __________, as "public" persons are presumed open to media scrutiny.

A)the press is largely protected from charges of libel
B)newspapers can be sued over accusations of libel
C)television anchors are wholly exempt from charges of slander
D)radio personalities can be charged with defamation

Question 57

Compare the influence of television on public opinion concerning the Vietnam and Korean Wars.

A)Televised bloodshed in both incidents incited public outrage.
B)Despite the televised bloodshed in Vietnam, the sheer body count swayed public opinion against the war.
C)Depicting droves of North Korean and Chinese soldiers, televised content in the Korean War rallied public support.
D)Television had no effect on either conflict.

Question 58

The Associated Press prides itself on fairness and objectivity.

Question 59

Super-PACs maintain the ability to contribute unlimited funding.

Question 60

Started by Howard Dean's 2004 bid for president, online campaign funding has since proven to be ineffective.

Question 61

Although they made Johnson the chief culprit, Nixon was outraged by the release of the __________.

Question 62

Television has enhanced media coverage for the White House during political campaigns, but not always in the __________'s favor.

Question 63

Vietnam is described as the first television war.Shots of bodies and bloody GIs quickly had the American public up in arms.Despite the visual aspect of this conflict, public opinion turned on that war much in the way it did during the Korean War, on which there was no television coverage-as the casualties mounted.Assess the influence of visual media on public opinion.Does it heavily influence public opinion, as some critics suggest? Or is the public more affected by statistics and objective reporting?

Question 64

How do elite media influence reportage beyond the proportion of their circulation?

Question 65

How can social media undermine a dictatorial regime?

Question 66

Studies show that news reporters and writers tend to be __________, a bias that sometimes appears in their coverage.

Question 67

Since the 1970s, the U.S.presidency has been fraught with an adversarial relationship with the media.Explain this adversarial relationship and identify its underlying causes.Provide specific examples contributing to its formation.

Question 68

Scholars have long recognized the dependence of politics on __________.

Question 69

Television commentators often proclaim "winners" and "losers" in presidential primary races, labeling certain candidates "front-runners." What is the effect of such labeling? How does it contribute to the "bandwagon effect" and what result does this produce on the outcome of a political campaign?

Question 70

Explain the adversarial relationship between media and government.Provide an example.

Question 71

The civil service and state __________ are particularly under covered by the media.

Question 72

Many voters ignore party labels, a trend political scientists call __________.

Question 73

Long the dean of television anchors, Walter Cronkite stated that television news was just a "__________ service."

Question 74

In many ways, television coverage can be beneficial for incumbent candidates, particularly presidential ones.However, when an incumbent comes under fire, it can be equally detrimental.Compare and contrast the advantages of incumbency in the media.What hurdles does the president face? How can he use the media in his favor? Provide specific examples from past election cycles.

Question 75

Charges and countercharges-especially from super-PACs-place __________ on the candidate, sometimes provoking indecision and apathy.

Question 76

China employs tens of thousands of social-media watchers and arrests critical bloggers, but Chinese people take pride in freeware that allows them to jump the __________.

Question 77

In 2009, Iranians used computers and mobile phones to organize against rigged elections and a corrupt regime.In what ways does social media possess the potential to undermine dictatorial regimes? Is this form of media sustainable as an outlet for free speech? Cite specific examples.

Question 78

What benefits and detriments does the media pose to an incumbent candidate?

Question 79

The Internet simply releases stories as the news digests without paying for them, under the slogan, "__________."

Question 80

Why is there little coverage by any entity other than the elite media of likely international trouble spots?