Question 1

Brothers Jules and Maxwell Boykoff analyzed 14-years of news coverage that four leading newspapers gave to the topic of

Accepted Answer

Brothers Jules and Maxwell Boykoff conducted an analysis on how four leading newspapers covered the topic of global warming over a period of 14 years, focusing on the portrayal and emphasis of climate change issues in the media.

Question 2

The best summary of the Boykoffs' conclusions is that

Accepted Answer

The Boykoffs concluded that the news media's commitment to balanced reporting led to the amplification of skeptics' views, giving them undue credibility in the climate change debate.

Question 3

Conceptually, the fundamental notion underlying any definition of news is

Accepted Answer

The fundamental notion underlying any definition of news is "change." News is essentially about what is new, different, or has changed in some way, making it noteworthy or of interest to the public.

Question 4

When there are more potential news stories than there is time or space to report them, decisions about which ones will get reported are usually based on their

Accepted Answer

Decisions on which news stories to report are primarily based on their newsworthiness, which includes factors like relevance, timeliness, and public interest.

Question 5

Newsworthiness is usually determined by all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

The Associated Press Stylebook primarily provides guidelines on grammar, punctuation, and usage rather than criteria for determining the newsworthiness of a story. Newsworthiness is more often judged by subjective journalistic values, audience interest, prominence of individuals involved, and timeliness.

Question 6

What factor is NOT used in determining newsworthiness of a story?

Accepted Answer

The cost to collect information is not typically considered a factor in determining the newsworthiness of a story. Newsworthiness is more about the story's relevance, impact, and interest to the audience rather than the expenses incurred in gathering the information.

Question 7

James Gordon Bennett, an early Penny Press publisher, helped establish the view of news as we still know it by his emphasis on

Accepted Answer

James Gordon Bennett emphasized speed and timeliness in gathering and reporting the news, which helped shape modern journalism practices.

Question 8

James Gordon Bennett

Accepted Answer

James Gordon Bennett organized the first newsroom and reporting staff, which was a significant innovation in the newspaper industry, allowing for more systematic gathering and reporting of news.

Question 9

The first newsroom was organized by

Accepted Answer

James Gordon Bennett, who founded the New York Herald in 1835, is credited with organizing the first newsroom, which revolutionized how news was gathered, organized, and reported.

Question 10

Bennett's paper was one of the first to use the practice of "news beats" which were

Accepted Answer

News beats refer to specific subjects or areas a reporter is assigned to cover regularly, ensuring thorough and consistent coverage of particular topics or geographic locations.

Question 11

As it evolved, the Bennett model of news became all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

The Bennett model of news focused on being deadline-driven, event-based, and maintaining objectivity, but it did not emphasize bylining to feature highly visible reporters.

Question 12

Which one of the following helped develop the concept of journalistic objectivity in news?

Accepted Answer

The creation of the Associated Press helped develop the concept of journalistic objectivity in news. This was because the AP, as a cooperative news gathering organization, needed to maintain a neutral stance to satisfy the diverse political leanings of its member newspapers. This neutrality or objectivity became a foundational principle of modern journalism.

Question 13

The problems that the text highlights with the Bennett model of news include all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

The Bennett model of news criticism primarily focuses on issues related to the speed of reporting, uncritical acceptance of official narratives, and the neglect of less dramatic but significant trends. It does not specifically address the problem of reporters seeking personal fame through sensationalism.

Question 14

The communist scare fueled by Senator Joseph McCarthy was characterized by all of the following EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

The assassination attempt on McCarthy by Soviet KGB operatives did not occur; this is not a characteristic of the McCarthy era. The era was marked by McCarthy's claims of communist infiltration in the U.S. government, including the State Department, and the media's role in both spreading and sometimes failing to critically analyze his allegations.

Question 15

Senator McCarthy's inconsistencies, questionable behavior, and unsubstantiated accusations were finally revealed by

Accepted Answer

Edward R. Murrow, a prominent television journalist for CBS News, played a key role in exposing the questionable tactics and unsubstantiated claims of Senator Joseph McCarthy, particularly through a special episode of his show "See It Now" in 1954.

Question 16

The Pulitzer-Hearst circulation war can be traced to

Accepted Answer

The Pulitzer-Hearst circulation war was primarily driven by a quest to sell more copies of their newspapers, leading to sensationalist journalism and the birth of "yellow journalism."

Question 17

Some historians argue that yellow journalism may have helped to precipitate which war?

Accepted Answer

Yellow journalism, characterized by sensationalized and often exaggerated news reporting, is widely believed to have influenced public opinion and contributed to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in 1898.

Question 18

When was the first paper published in the original colonies that became the United States?

Accepted Answer

The first newspaper published in the original colonies was "Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick," which was published in 1690.

Question 19

It has been an ongoing journalism tradition since the Colonial Period that

Accepted Answer

The tradition emphasizes that news should be determined by what the public finds interesting or important, rather than what the government dictates. This principle supports the idea of a free press, which serves the public's right to know, rather than government interests.

Question 20

All of the following are characteristics of the Penny Press EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

The Penny Press was known for its affordability, which was a key factor in its ability to attract and appeal to a mass audience, including average working people. Its one-cent selling price was specifically designed to be within reach of the general public, contrary to the statement in option B.

Quiz 8: News