Question 1

What percentage of radio stations in the United States are devoted to talk, news, or public affairs?
A) 2 percent
B) 20 percent
C) 33 percent
D) 50 percent
E) 80 percent

Accepted Answer

The answer of What percentage of radio stations in the...

Question 2

Most local newspapers get their national news from
A) local reporters.
B) wire services.
C) the Internet.
D) government reports, press briefings, and announcements.
E) interviews with politicians.

Accepted Answer

Most local newspapers don't have the resources to cover national news themselves, so they rely on wire services like the Associated Press or Reuters to provide them with articles and updates on national news events.

Question 3

Approximately what percentage of daily newspapers is owned by large media conglomerates?
A) 10 percent
B) 25 percent
C) 40 percent
D) 55 percent
E) 75 percent

Accepted Answer

According to a 2018 Pew Research Center report, approximately 75 percent of daily newspapers are owned by large media conglomerates.

Question 4

Approximately ______ percent of news coverage in American newspapers is devoted to international events.
A) 5
B) 20
C) 33
D) 50
E) 75

Accepted Answer

According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, approximately 20 percent of news coverage in American newspapers is devoted to international events.

Question 5

The development of media giants with access to a variety of media holdings raises the question of whether
A) local newspapers are no longer a viable source of news.
B) the level of censorship and manipulation of news media by the federal government will increase.
C) there is enough competition among the media to produce a diverse set of views and opinions.
D) there is a large enough audience for all of the news media sources that have proliferated in the last decade.
E) government has the authority to regulate corporations that are so large.

Accepted Answer

The development of media giants with access to a variety of media holdings may raise concerns about the level of competition in the media industry and the potential for monopolies. However, as long as there are enough media sources and outlets, there should still be a diversity of views and opinions presented in the media. This competition helps prevent the manipulation and censorship of news by any one entity or government.

Question 6

The Valerie Plame affair is important because it illustrates
A) how prominent political figures inevitably fail to influence media coverage on important events.
B) how selection bias is much less important than ideological bias in understanding media coverage.
C) how the preferences of better educated and more affluent segments of the audience have little influence over the content of media coverage.
D) the declining homogenization of national news since passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
E) how prominent political figures can manipulate news coverage and secure the publication of stories that serve their purposes through leaking information to journalists.

Accepted Answer

The Valerie Plame affair involved prominent political figures, such as Vice President Dick Cheney, leaking information to journalists in order to manipulate news coverage and serve their political purposes. This illustrates how political figures can influence media coverage and secure the publication of stories that benefit them.

Question 7

When media coverage affects the way the public evaluates a political leader in future actions, this effect is called
A) framing.
B) spinning.
C) logrolling.
D) priming.
E) agenda setting.

Accepted Answer

Priming involves the way the media presents information to the public, which can influence how the public evaluates future actions of political leaders. This can create a bias or particular lens through which future actions are viewed. The other options, such as framing, spinning, logrolling, and agenda setting, all involve different ways the media can influence public opinion, but do not specifically relate to how future actions are evaluated.

Question 8

Which of the following statements best describes the coverage given to American politics by international newspapers?
A) International newspapers rarely cover American politics but, when they do, their coverage is often critical of American policy.
B) International newspapers frequently cover American politics and are often critical of American policy.
C) International newspapers rarely cover American politics but, when they do, their coverage often praises American policy.
D) International newspapers frequently cover American politics and often praise American policy.
E) International newspapers never cover American politics.

Accepted Answer

International newspapers frequently cover American politics, given the country's global influence, and are often critical of American policy. This can be seen in articles on topics such as U.S. foreign relations, domestic politics, and societal issues.

Question 9

Which of the following statements best describes the media's role in the Watergate affair?
A) The media's relentless investigations revealed various abuses of power by President Nixon and led to his resignation.
B) The media did not investigate the Watergate affair until after President Nixon resigned.
C) The media investigated the Watergate affair but uncovered no wrongdoing on the part of President Nixon.
D) The media's reporting on the Watergate affair was filled with factual errors and led to government attempts to regulate the print media's coverage.
E) The media never reported on the Watergate affair.

Accepted Answer

The media played a crucial role in uncovering the Watergate scandal, conducting relentless investigations and uncovering various abuses of power by President Nixon and his administration. The media's reporting ultimately led to Nixon's resignation and is considered a major example of the power of investigative journalism in holding those in power accountable.

Question 10

Which of the following is generally regarded as a conservative news broadcasting service?
A) ABC Nightly News
B) 60 Minutes
C) Fox News
D) CNN
E) PBS

Accepted Answer

Fox News is generally regarded as a conservative news broadcasting service, as it tends to have a conservative bias in its reporting and commentary. The other options listed do not have a clear conservative or liberal bias.

Question 11

When the media focus on a candidate's relative standing in the polls instead of substantive issues, they are demonstrating ______ coverage.
A) bandwagon
B) horse race
C) momentum
D) lame duck
E) dog show

Accepted Answer

The term "horse race" refers to media coverage that focuses on a candidate's position in the polls, as if the election were a competition or a race to be won. This type of coverage often emphasizes the superficial aspects of the campaign, such as candidate personalities, gaffes, and scandals, rather than substantive policy issues.

Question 12

The power of the media to draw public attention to particular issues and problems is called
A) framing.
B) canvassing.
C) agenda setting.
D) polling.
E) the bandwagon effect.

Accepted Answer

Agenda setting refers to the media's ability to choose which issues or topics are important and deserving of public attention. This is often accomplished through the amount and tone of coverage of a particular issue, which can influence the public's perception of its importance.

Question 13

The media can set the political agenda in the United States by
A) identifying an issue as a problem that must be solved.
B) endorsing a particular political candidate.
C) accepting advertising only from businesses that are identified as being ideologically "correct."
D) maintaining a strictly nonpartisan approach to news reporting.
E) refusing to follow government regulations regarding the content of news broadcasts.

Accepted Answer

The media can set the political agenda in the United States by identifying an issue as a problem that must be solved, which can influence public opinion and political decision-making. Endorsing a political candidate or maintaining a nonpartisan approach can also have an impact, but these options are more limited in terms of setting the overall political agenda. Refusing to follow government regulations or accepting only ideologically "correct" advertising are not effective ways for the media to set the political agenda.

Question 14

Which of the following is not an important national newspaper?
A) Wall Street Journal
B) Christian Science Monitor
C) Newsweek
D) USA Today
E) New York Times

Accepted Answer

While Newsweek is a notable magazine, it is not a national newspaper. The other options listed are all well-respected national newspapers.

Question 15

Besides their ideological biases, journalists also exhibit selection biases in favor of news stories they view as
A) favorable to leaders and issues they support.
B) having a great deal of dramatic or entertainment value.
C) important for the public to be aware of.
D) sympathetic to the government as a whole.
E) critical of leaders and issues they oppose.

Accepted Answer

Journalists are often drawn to stories that are entertaining and dramatic, as it is these types of stories that are more likely to capture the attention of their audience and generate higher ratings or circulation. Therefore, they are more likely to select news stories that they believe will be entertaining or dramatic, rather than those that are simply important or informative.

Question 16

Most newspaper reporters identify themselves as
A) liberal.
B) conservative.
C) anarchist.
D) nonpolitical.
E) socialist.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Most newspaper reporters identify themselves as
A) liberal.
B)...

Question 17

The fact that the media referred to the Obama administration's health care initiative as "reform" instead of as "health care rationing" is an example of the media's power of
A) agenda setting.
B) framing.
C) sound bites.
D) news enclaves.
E) adversarial journalism.

Accepted Answer

"Framing" refers to how the media presents and shapes issues for public discussion. By referring to the health care initiative as "reform," the media framed it in a positive light, emphasizing the administration's efforts to improve the health care system rather than focusing on potential negative consequences like rationing.

Question 18

The most important selection bias in news is
A) the ideology of the journalists.
B) the audience appeal of a story.
C) the newsworthiness of a story.
D) the economic interests of the media's owners.
E) the approval of government regulators.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The most important selection bias in news...

Question 19

Which of the following statements best describes the changing ownership patterns in the American media?
A) There has been a recent trend toward homogenization of national news as conglomerates have come to own a larger and larger percentage of media outlets.
B) There has been a recent trend toward homogenization of national news as the Telecommunications Act of 1996 has required print media outlets to follow the fairness doctrine.
C) There has been a recent trend toward diversification of national news as conglomerates have come to own a smaller and smaller percentage of media outlets.
D) There has been a recent trend toward diversification of national news as the Telecommunications Act of 1996 has required print media outlets to follow the fairness doctrine.
E) There have been no meaningful changes in media ownership patterns over the last 200 years of American history.

Accepted Answer

There has been a recent trend toward homogenization of national news as conglomerates have come to own a larger and larger percentage of media outlets. This trend has been fueled by mergers and acquisitions within the media industry, resulting in a concentration of ownership among a few large corporations. This has led to concerns about a lack of diversity in news coverage and the potential for media monopolies to control public discourse.

Question 20

What has helped accelerate the trend toward less variety in national news in the past decade?
A) the rise of the Internet as a major source of news reporting
B) the growing level of government censorship and restrictions on the media
C) the corporate consolidation of news media into a small number of conglomerates
D) the increasing popularity of AM radio talk shows
E) the growing popularity of newspapers as a source of news

Accepted Answer

The corporate consolidation of news media into a small number of conglomerates has helped accelerate the trend toward less variety in national news in the past decade. As a result, these conglomerates have considerable power over the news that is available to the public, which often limits the diversity of perspectives and viewpoints in national news coverage.

Quiz 7: The Media

What percentage of radio stations in the United States are devoted to talk, news, or public affairs?

Most local newspapers get their national news from

Approximately what percentage of daily newspapers is owned by large media conglomerates?

Approximately ______ percent of news coverage in American newspapers is devoted to international events.

The development of media giants with access to a variety of media holdings raises the question of whether

The Valerie Plame affair is important because it illustrates

When media coverage affects the way the public evaluates a political leader in future actions, this effect is called

Which of the following statements best describes the coverage given to American politics by international newspapers?

Which of the following statements best describes the media's role in the Watergate affair?

Which of the following is generally regarded as a conservative news broadcasting service?

When the media focus on a candidate's relative standing in the polls instead of substantive issues, they are demonstrating ______ coverage.

The power of the media to draw public attention to particular issues and problems is called

The media can set the political agenda in the United States by

Which of the following is not an important national newspaper?

Besides their ideological biases, journalists also exhibit selection biases in favor of news stories they view as

Most newspaper reporters identify themselves as

The fact that the media referred to the Obama administration's health care initiative as "reform" instead of as "health care rationing" is an example of the media's power of

The most important selection bias in news is

Which of the following statements best describes the changing ownership patterns in the American media?

What has helped accelerate the trend toward less variety in national news in the past decade?