Question 1

The Supreme Court case of Miami Herald Publishing Company v. Tornillo (1974) dealt with which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The case addressed all these issues: it involved print press rights, questioned the constitutionality of a Florida statute requiring newspapers to provide a right of reply, and ultimately ruled that such a statute violated the First Amendment.

Question 2

The doctrine of executive privilege refers to ______.

Accepted Answer

The doctrine of executive privilege specifically refers to the right of the president and other high-level executives to keep certain communications private if disclosing those communications would disrupt the functions or decision-making processes of the executive branch. This includes the ability to conceal information deemed sensitive for national security or internal deliberations. Choices A and C describe actions that a chief executive might take, but they are not encompassed by the legal or constitutional doctrine of executive privilege.

Question 3

In what case did the Supreme Court find that defendants had not had a fair trial because of widespread media publicity?

Accepted Answer

C

Question 4

Only about a third of the world's countries have full press freedom.

Accepted Answer

According to the 2022 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, only about 8% of the world's population lives in countries where the press is considered to be free, indicating that the vast majority of countries do not have full press freedom.

Question 5

Nearly 70% of countries are only partly free or are not free at all, according to Freedom House.

Accepted Answer

According to Freedom House's reports, a significant portion of the world's countries are classified as either "Partly Free" or "Not Free," indicating that a majority of the global population lives under conditions where political rights and civil liberties are restricted.

Question 6

The United States is generally considered to have press freedom, but its rating is far from perfect.

Accepted Answer

The United States is considered to have press freedom, but it faces challenges such as legal actions against journalists, political polarization affecting media credibility, and other issues that prevent it from having a perfect rating in press freedom indices.

Question 7

Press freedom ratings are based only on legal, regulatory, and political controls on media content.

Accepted Answer

Press freedom ratings also consider economic pressures, harassment and violence against journalists, and the level of media diversity and independence, in addition to legal, regulatory, and political controls on media content.

Question 8

Columbia and Mexico have high rates of press freedom.

Accepted Answer

Columbia and Mexico are known for having significant challenges with press freedom, often due to violence against journalists and impunity for those crimes, making them some of the most dangerous countries for journalists.

Question 9

An important constraint on press freedom is the extent to which journalists are under threats of violence.

Accepted Answer

Journalists often face threats of violence, which can significantly constrain press freedom by influencing the topics they choose to report on or deterring them from investigative reporting on sensitive issues.

Question 10

Danger for journalists around the world is on the decline.

Accepted Answer

Journalists around the world continue to face significant dangers, including harassment, imprisonment, and violence, with some regions experiencing an increase in threats to press freedom.

Question 11

The only way government in the United States can limit press is through prior restraint.

Accepted Answer

The government can limit the press through other means besides prior restraint, such as libel and obscenity laws, national security considerations, and court-ordered injunctions, in addition to regulations that must meet strict scrutiny under the First Amendment.

Question 12

Journalists' reliance on officials as sources is one effective manner of information control.

Accepted Answer

Journalists often rely on officials as sources for information, which can lead to a form of information control as these sources may have vested interests in how the information is presented or may limit the information provided, thus influencing the narrative.

Question 13

The American public is highly cognizant of First Amendment rights and enthusiastically defend them.

Accepted Answer

While many Americans value the First Amendment, surveys consistently show a lack of detailed knowledge about its specific protections and limitations, leading to varied enthusiasm and understanding in its defense.

Question 14

Digital media are more tightly controlled by the U.S. government than broadcast television.

Accepted Answer

Broadcast television is more tightly controlled by the U.S. government, particularly by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), due to regulations on content and licensing that do not apply as strictly to digital media.

Question 15

The arrival and proliferation of the Internet has unequivocally given more voice to groups and individuals in society who, historically, have been less heard.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The arrival and proliferation of the Internet...

Question 16

Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden share of the distinction of being viewed as heroic by some and villainous by others.

Accepted Answer

All three individuals, Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden, have been involved in the release of classified or sensitive information, leading to significant public debate. Some view their actions as heroic for exposing government secrets and alleged overreach, while others see them as traitorous or criminal for compromising national security.

Question 17

How to curb online hate speech is an emerging and complex challenge facing governments, nonprofits and corporations around the world.

Accepted Answer

The rapid growth of the internet and social media platforms has made online hate speech a significant issue, prompting various stakeholders, including governments, nonprofits, and corporations, to seek effective strategies to address it.

Question 18

What are the three environments that are critical to press freedom?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the three environments that are...

Question 19

Compare and contrast controlled versus uncontrolled media.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast controlled versus uncontrolled media....

Question 20

The Supreme Court has denied that the press has a constitutional right of special access to nonpublic information. Discuss some examples of restrictions on media access.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Supreme Court has denied that the...

Quiz 3: Press Freedom and the Law