Deck 10: The Media

Question 1

Negative advertising can backfire because

A) it may boost the chances of a third candidate.
B) the public may think poorly of a candidate who engages in negative advertising.
C) the public do not pay attention to negative ads.
D) Both A and B.
E) None of the above.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

All of the following are true except

A) since 1994 the number of people who read a daily newspaper has dropped.
B) more people now obtain their national and international news from the Internet.
C) what you see online is very different from what you see in print.
D) some major newspapers have gone bankrupt in recent years.
E) if newspapers disappear, people will get their news from cable stations and the Internet.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Newspapers online

A) sell enough advertising to cover their costs.
B) cover all of their costs by requiring all viewers to buy a subscription.
C) lose advertising revenue to services such as Google and Yahoo.
D) provide content for free to services such as Google and Yahoo.
E) All of the above are true.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The role of the media in determining what government ought to do is known as

A) setting the public agenda.
B) the media constituency.
C) priming.
D) framing.
E) None of the above.

Question 5

A brief, memorable comment that can easily fit into news broadcasts is known as

A) a media bite.
B) a sound bite.
C) a quick quote.
D) a sound frame.
E) a media frame.

Question 6

Since the "daisy girl" political advertisement in 1964, we have seen _________________ because _________________.

A) a decline in negative advertising; it is perceived as having little or no effect
B) a decline in negative advertising; it only harms the campaign that "goes negative"
C) an increase in negative advertising; it is perceived as effective
D) a decline in both positive and negative political advertising; they are perceived as ineffective
E) a decline in both positive and negative political advertising; they are too costly

Question 7

The use of media by candidates for public office is part of the media's role in

A) entertainment.
B) providing a political forum.
C) earning profits.
D) reporting the news.
E) political socialization.

Question 8

Today, most Americans obtain their national and international news from

A) television news.
B) newspapers.
C) news radio.
D) the Internet.
E) news magazines.

Question 9

Most news media in the United States are

A) private, for-profit corporations.
B) dependent on their newspaper sales to make a profit.
C) public and government subsidized.
D) small and independently owned.
E) None of the above.

Question 10

Portraying historical information, presenting American culture, and showing different regions and groups in the United States are all a part of

A) the media's role in developing patriotism.
B) the media's role in discussing major political problems.
C) the media's role in reporting the news.
D) the media's role in political socialization.
E) All of the above.

Question 11

A service like that provided by Google, which searches the Internet but provides little original content,

A) is considered an aggregator.
B) is a not-for-profit service that others use to provide their content.
C) pulls in the bulk of advertising revenue.
D) Both A and B.
E) Both A and C.

Question 12

Priming can be defined as a way in which the media

A) limits access to opinionated information.
B) sets the public agenda of what government ought to do.
C) alters public perceptions of an issue by embedding that issue in particular stories.
D) seeks to make a profit.
E) socializes new generations about major political issues.

Question 13

The crisis faced by the newspaper industry has been caused

A) when newspaper websites cannot sell enough advertising to cover their costs.
B) by difficulty in making a profit with traditional print newspapers.
C) by a decline in revenue as classified advertising moves online.
D) when the recent economic crisis depressed advertising spending.
E) All of the above.

Question 14

Advertisers are important in media because

A) media depend on them for revenue, to make a profit.
B) they can pressure media outlets in which they advertise.
C) they allow media more flexibility and freedom to report how they choose.
D) Both A and B.
E) All of the above.

Question 15

In the last few years, threats to a free press around the world have included

A) the kidnapping of journalists.
B) the killing of journalists who report on the military or terrorism in Pakistan.
C) the incarceration or murder of journalists covering the Syrian civil war.
D) the murder of journalists who were critical of the Russian regime.
E) All of the above.

Question 16

During the 2012 elections, spending on political advertising

A) was lower than usual.
B) was more highly regulated than usual, due to Supreme Court decisions.
C) was eclipsed by the costs of campaigns' online efforts.
D) exceeded $7 billion.
E) exceeded $10 billion.

Question 17

While younger voters get _______________ of their news from television, it is _____________ for older voters.

A) a relatively small share; a primary source of news
B) a relatively small share; completely irrelevant
C) about half; a primary source of news
D) about half; completely irrelevant
E) most; less important as a source of news

Question 18

The mass media perform all of the following functions except

A) funding media watchdog groups.
B) entertainment.
C) making profits.
D) socializing new generations.
E) reporting the news.

Question 19

The act of retreating behind a paywall describes

A) newspapers charging for online access.
B) the news industry's efforts to increase advertising revenues.
C) the news industry's efforts to decrease reporters' salaries.
D) newspapers seeking unpaid contributions from non-staff reporters.
E) Both C and D.

Question 20

An individual or organization on the Internet that generates original articles is

A) a revenue producer.
B) a content aggregator.
C) a content provider.
D) collecting the bulk of advertising revenue.
E) None of the above.

Question 21

Online fundraising

A) saw pioneering efforts in the Ron Paul campaign.
B) lead to very high fundraising totals for the Obama campaign.
C) allows thousands of activists to act as fundraisers.
D) Both A and B.
E) All of the above.

Question 22

Today, all of the major prime-time television networks are

A) owned by media conglomerates.
B) owned by the government.
C) operating independently of other forms of media.
D) going bankrupt due to the Internet.
E) None of the above.

Question 23

A campaign advisor who tries to convince journalists of the truth of a particular interpretation of events is called a

A) news consultant.
B) flip-flopper.
C) spin doctor.
D) fact checker.
E) win engineer.

Question 24

A campaign might prefer coverage by the news media to political advertising because news coverage is

A) free.
B) seen as neutral.
C) more effective in persuading voters.
D) easier to control.
E) None of the above

Question 25

Most popular political blogs today

A) are the work of single individuals.
B) are the work of a team of many individuals.
C) employ thousands of paid writers.
D) only aggregate content from other sources.
E) Both B and C.

Question 26

Management of news coverage by campaigns includes all of the following except

A) understanding the technical aspects of media coverage.
B) planning events to accommodate the press.
C) granting favors to reporters and news organizations.
D) hiring reporters to report the campaigns perspective through the news media.
E) planning events that will be interesting as part of the news.

Question 27

Debates during presidential primary elections

A) seem to have a major effect on election outcomes.
B) saw much higher than normal interest during the 2011-2012 campaign.
C) have traditionally attracted little interest.
D) Both A and B.
E) Both B and C.

Question 28

The concerns about concentrated media ownership include

A) concentration could lead to a decline in the democratic debate.
B) media owners might steer the debate.
C) cable news viewers will be lost to newspapers owned by the parent company.
D) Options A and B are true.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 29

The United States has one of the

A) freest presses in the world.
B) most restricted presses in the world.
C) most traditional media-based presses in the world.
D) most socialistic presses in the world.
E) None of the above.

Question 30

Campaign blogs and podcasts

A) have improved candidates' ability to deliver their message to voters without media filter.
B) have made it more difficult for candidates to control their campaigns.
C) are not followed by mainstream news media.
D) are sometimes created for the candidate by professional strategists.
E) Options A and D are true.

Question 31

Radio, television, wire, and cable are regulated by

A) the Department of Communications.
B) the states.
C) the Federal Communications Commission.
D) the Constitution.
E) themselves, with no government oversight.

Question 32

In an effort to spin the Affordable Care Act in a way that would benefit their side

A) Republicans highlighted the initial failures of the website.
B) Democrats highlighted the number of individuals who eventually signed up.
C) Congress highlighted the Supreme Court upholding the law.
D) Both A and B.
E) All of the above.

Question 33

An interpretation of campaign events or election results that is favorable to a candidate's campaign strategy is called

A) partisan framing.
B) selective interpretation.
C) campaign framing.
D) the political twist.
E) spin.

Question 34

The first televised presidential debate was between

A) Eisenhower and Stevenson in 1956.
B) Kennedy and Nixon in 1960.
C) Johnson and Goldwater in 1964.
D) Nixon and Humphrey in 1968.
E) Nixon and McGovern in 1972.

Question 35

Online fundraising, political blogs, and podcasts all represent

A) a threat to traditional media sources.
B) a brand of politics that will likely fade quickly.
C) minimally effective changes to politics.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 36

The Supreme Court has been slow in extending free speech to __________, but very quick in applying such protections to ____________.

A) the Internet; television
B) motion pictures; the Internet
C) newspapers; television
D) the Internet; newspapers
E) television; motion pictures

Question 37

The 1996 Telecommunications Act

A) ended a rule prohibiting the merging of media from two different domestic markets.
B) ended a rule prohibiting foreign ownership of any media in the United States.
C) ended a rule prohibiting telephone companies from entering the cable business.
D) created a rule prohibiting foreign ownership of any media in the United States.
E) created a rule to create a publicly owned cable television provider.

Question 38

Fox News is an example of a

A) successful news organization.
B) news organization with a clear liberal bias.
C) news organization with a clear conservative bias.
D) Both A and B.
E) Both A and C.

Question 39

News blogs

A) are a dangerous new invention.
B) are only produced by paid journalists.
C) can be produced inexpensively.
D) provide the same high-quality information as traditional newspapers.
E) are the main source of news to a majority of Americans.

Question 40

A single corporation can offer television, phone, and Internet services due to

A) a key merger between a phone and cable company in the early 2000s.
B) the Supreme Court supporting companies' right to make a profit by offering multiple products.
C) the Telecommunications Act of 2001.
D) the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
E) None of the above.

Question 41

The issue of media bias may be declining importance due to all of the following except

A) the rise of the Internet.
B) the ability of consumers to find both mainstream and alternative sources.
C) a decline in consumer trust in sources that are clearly conservative or liberal.
D) the ability of consumers to find both conservative and liberal sources.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 42

To become a critical news viewer, you must

A) develop a critical eye for stories given prominence at the top of newspaper websites.
B) visit the sites of publications with specific contrasting points of view.
C) investigate the source of information in blogs.
D) analyze news programs for time spent on news versus happy talk.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 43

The principle that an internet service provider (ISP) should treat all Internet traffic equally is

A) network neutrality.
B) web neutrality.
C) network equality.
D) not-for-profit networking.
E) web equality.

Question 44

Most __________ have tried carefully to separate opinion pieces from straight news.

A) political blogs
B) cable news stations
C) new media
D) traditional media like newspapers
E) Both C and D.

Question 45

The principle of net neutrality is

A) a proposed Constitution amendment awaiting states ratification.
B) codified in a 2008 federal law.
C) the result of many separate laws in the states.
D) not actually written into law.
E) Both A and D.

Question 46

Government control of media content

A) has evolved over time.
B) is limited by the First Amendment.
C) includes a limited ability to control indecent programming.
D) includes greater control over electronic media than print media.
E) All of the above are true.

Question 47

Fears about the control of the Internet include the fear that

A) the United States will give up the control that it has.
B) authoritarian countries will be able to undermine Internet access in other countries.
C) the United Nations will take control, giving authoritarian states more power.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 48

The fairness doctrine

A) was a rule about presenting controversial issues in a balanced and honest way.
B) was an FCC regulation of broadcasting that was repealed in the 1980s.
C) mostly prevented the kinds of talk radio programs that we see today.
D) Both A and B.
E) All of the above.

Question 49

The Internet

A) was developed entirely within the private market.
B) began as a commercial enterprise, but was later controlled by government.
C) was stolen from the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
D) descended directly from U.S. Defense Department programs.
E) None of the above.

Question 50

The question of whether the fairness doctrine ought to be reestablished has been

A) raised by liberals after the Democratic sweep of 2008.
B) raised by conservatives as a way to make the media more balanced.
C) pushed by the Democratic leaders in Congress.
D) pushed by Republican leaders in Congress.
E) popular among both liberals and conservatives.

Question 51

Journalists are more likely to identify as

A) Democrats than as Republicans.
B) Republicans than as Democrats.
C) Republicans than as independents.
D) libertarians than as Democrats.
E) libertarians than as Republicans.

Question 52

The advent of broadband Internet access has led to the rise of

A) a single ISP with a national monopoly.
B) a great deal of competition in the broadband market.
C) ISPs with local monopolies.
D) a single ISP with a national monopoly.
E) None of the above.

Question 53

Television and cable networks have begun to

A) self-regulate by reimplementing the principles of the fairness doctrine.
B) lose viewers back to traditional media like newspapers.
C) allow opinion-based programs like those found in talk radio.
D) eliminate opinion journalism from their programming.
E) None of the above.

Question 54

Becoming a critical news viewer requires that you

A) compare and contrast news from one source.
B) compare and contrast news from many different sources.
C) analyze the news from your ideological vantage point.
D) analyze the news for foreign influences.
E) compare and contrast the news only from American outlets.

Question 55

Studies of bias in the media have reached

A) different conclusions: some found a liberal bias, while others found a conservative bias.
B) a clear conclusion: there is a liberal bias in the media.
C) a clear conclusion: there is a conservative bias in the media.
D) a clear conclusion: there is no bias in the media.
E) different conclusions: there is an ideological bias but there is no racial bias.

Question 56

Talk radio is almost completely dominated by

A) liberals.
B) conservatives.
C) moderates.
D) libertarians.
E) socialists.

Question 57

One thing that helps to diminish ideological bias in journalism is

A) that the owners of media have their own biases, often in a different direction than their reporters.
B) a professional code that dictates objectivity and truth.
C) hiring journalists from both the right and the left, to balance reporting.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 58

Websites and communications services are

A) liable for the actions of their users.
B) largely exempt from responsibility for the actions of their users.
C) rigidly controlled by the federal government.
D) mostly government owned.
E) controlled mostly by state governments.

Question 59

The U.S. government has managed to maintain some control over the Internet because

A) the Supreme Court hasn't ruled on cases regarding the Internet.
B) it was the Internet's original sponsor.
C) it has tended to side with authoritarian countries about the need for net control.
D) the Internet is not seen as part of the free market.
E) None of the above.

Question 60

Public opinion polling shows that more of the public believe the media to be _________ than ___________.

A) reporting too much serious news; too entertainment driven
B) too entertainment driven; reporting too much serious news
C) too liberal; too conservative
D) too conservative; too liberal
E) independent and neutral; ideologically biased

Question 61

Evaluate the role of profit in the news industry. What effects might it have on the reporting of news for these organizations to be for-profit? Assess whether this is positive or negative.

Question 62

Evaluate the transition from traditional to new forms of media and discuss what effects this will have on American politics.

Question 63

Discuss the principle of net neutrality and argue whether such a principle should or should not be enforced by law.

Question 64

Explain the ways in which new media (Internet, blogs, podcasts) are used in campaigns.

Question 65

Assess the effects of media ownership being heavily concentrated in the hands of very few.

Question 66

Discuss the media's role in political socialization, with a focus on how and why different generations might have been socialized differently.

Question 67

What are the theories of media bias? Is there evidence to support the claims of media bias?

Question 68

Describe the steps you can take to become a critical news consumer.

Question 69

Evaluate the role of the media in setting the public agenda and argue whether you think it is good or bad for them to have this power.

Question 70

Contrast political advertisements with the efforts of campaigns to manage news coverage. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both of these campaign tactics?