Deck 6: The Media As Policy Makers

Question 1

What kinds of groups or organizations should have the easiest time getting media coverage?

A) low-status organizations dealing with routine human concerns
B) protest groups
C) policy groups
D) none of these

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The role of public opinion in muckraking efforts to change policy can be described as ______.

A) significant
B) minimal
C) absent
D) all of these

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Journalists began to use ______ frames for immigration stories; it had a notable influence on public opinion.

A) economic
B) national security
C) crime
D) all of these

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Informative value is one of the major criteria for choosing news stories.

Question 5

Watergate and Obama's NSA scandal are great examples of journalists in their watchdog role.

Question 6

Civic journalism bears that name because of its emphasis on civic facts.

Question 7

Muckraking only works when public opinion is stirred up to exert pressure on public officials.

Question 8

The reason fact-checking is so effective is that it is often successfully used to correct misinformation and change people's minds.

Question 9

The American public is well informed about the scientific community's consensus on issues related to policy.

Question 10

What is "muckraking"?

Question 11

What are frames? Why does it matter that journalist are chief framers?

Question 12

What are major news values satisfied by investigative journalism stories?

Question 13

What are the relative costs and benefits of melding political activism with journalism? When is it good? When could it be harmful? Should it be encouraged or discouraged?

Question 14

How does the collaboration between journalists and nonprofit groups help offset the declining resources facing most newsrooms? What are the other implications of such collaborations?

Question 15

Describe and explain the three models of muckraking. Outline the implications of each.

Question 16

What is agenda building and why is it important?

Question 17

How might journalists influence policy through the use of leaks? Discuss the Snowden-NSA example or another timely example to answer this question.

Question 18

Are journalists political actors? Should they be? Why or why not?