Question 1

Narrowcasting

Accepted Answer

A)  first became prominent in the early twentieth century. 
B)  has meant that most Americans don't receive the same news. 
C)  functions to promote common political experiences for Americans. 
D)  has become less important as the Internet has become more important. 
E)  has yet to have a significant impact on political coverage by the media. 
A)  first became prominent in the early twentieth century. 
B)  has meant that most Americans don't receive the same news. 
C)  functions to promote common political experiences for Americans. 
D)  has become less important as the Internet has become more important. 
E)  has yet to have a significant impact on political coverage by the media.

Question 2

Which of the following statements about media coverage of character issues is LEAST accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  During the first half of the twentieth century, the press devoted much of its coverage to uncovering the private peccadilloes of public officials. 
B)  Supreme Court decisions have made it difficult for public figures to sue newspapers for libel. 
C)  The current age of adversarial and "gotcha" journalism has increased attention on candidates' personal lives and failures. 
D)  Some scholars believe that television encouraged more coverage of candidates' personality traits than their policy positions. 
E)  Some scholars and journalists believe the increased number of female journalists has affected the boundaries of what the media consider to be newsworthy subject matter. 
A)  During the first half of the twentieth century, the press devoted much of its coverage to uncovering the private peccadilloes of public officials. 
B)  Supreme Court decisions have made it difficult for public figures to sue newspapers for libel. 
C)  The current age of adversarial and "gotcha" journalism has increased attention on candidates' personal lives and failures. 
D)  Some scholars believe that television encouraged more coverage of candidates' personality traits than their policy positions. 
E)  Some scholars and journalists believe the increased number of female journalists has affected the boundaries of what the media consider to be newsworthy subject matter.

Question 3

Which of the following statements about how political candidates exploit the media is LEAST accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Whereas prominent candidates once appeared on entertainment programs and other alternative media where they could expect more favorable treatment, this practice has waned since the early 1990s. 
B)  Candidates will often appear at rallies where the crowds have been prescreened to include only supporters. 
C)  Candidates often try to do something that is newsworthy in itself, in order to get earned media. 
D)  Candidates rely on spin doctors, who interpret recent events in a manner flattering to the candidate and try to make that interpretation widely accepted. 
E)  Candidates may "stroke" journalists by giving them exclusive interviews. 
A)  Whereas prominent candidates once appeared on entertainment programs and other alternative media where they could expect more favorable treatment, this practice has waned since the early 1990s. 
B)  Candidates will often appear at rallies where the crowds have been prescreened to include only supporters. 
C)  Candidates often try to do something that is newsworthy in itself, in order to get earned media. 
D)  Candidates rely on spin doctors, who interpret recent events in a manner flattering to the candidate and try to make that interpretation widely accepted. 
E)  Candidates may "stroke" journalists by giving them exclusive interviews.

Question 4

Which of the following networks is most likely to please liberals?

Accepted Answer

A)  MSNBC 
B)  ABC 
C)  CBS 
D)  Fox 
E)  NBC 
A)  MSNBC 
B)  ABC 
C)  CBS 
D)  Fox 
E)  NBC

Question 5

The rise of the Internet has brought the largest change in media production and consumption since the 1990s. Describe the important aspects of the Internet as a source of political news and a shaper of political views. Also examine how it has affected traditional media sources such as television and newspapers.

Accepted Answer

The rise of the Internet has indeed brou

Question 6

During the terms of presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, the relationship between the press and the presidency was

Accepted Answer

A)  adversarial, primarily because the general public detested the sitting president's policies. 
B)  adversarial, primarily because the press had discovered that presidential scandals helped sell newspapers. 
C)  friendly, like that between fellow members of a men's club. 
D)  strained, because the press tirelessly searched for evidence of presidential connections to Communists. 
E)  dominated by the president, who could summarily imprison a journalist who reported a negative account of the government or its measures. 
A)  adversarial, primarily because the general public detested the sitting president's policies. 
B)  adversarial, primarily because the press had discovered that presidential scandals helped sell newspapers. 
C)  friendly, like that between fellow members of a men's club. 
D)  strained, because the press tirelessly searched for evidence of presidential connections to Communists. 
E)  dominated by the president, who could summarily imprison a journalist who reported a negative account of the government or its measures.

Question 7

The United States is currently the only advanced industrial nation in the world in which

Accepted Answer

A)  the government dictates that media outlets must give candidates equal air time, if time is given to any candidate at all. 
B)  the government regulates private ownership of the media. 
C)  virtually all the major media outlets are privately owned. 
D)  the government directly sponsors a news media outlet. 
E)  a fairness doctrine is enforced on major media companies. 
A)  the government dictates that media outlets must give candidates equal air time, if time is given to any candidate at all. 
B)  the government regulates private ownership of the media. 
C)  virtually all the major media outlets are privately owned. 
D)  the government directly sponsors a news media outlet. 
E)  a fairness doctrine is enforced on major media companies.

Question 8

Which event convinced television networks that there was a large audience for televised news and led to the adoption of thirty-minute news programs?

Accepted Answer

A)  Stock Market Crash of 1929 
B)  attack on Pearl Harbor 
C)  outbreak of the Korean War 
D)  Nixon-Kennedy presidential debate 
E)  outbreak of the Vietnam War 
A)  Stock Market Crash of 1929 
B)  attack on Pearl Harbor 
C)  outbreak of the Korean War 
D)  Nixon-Kennedy presidential debate 
E)  outbreak of the Vietnam War

Question 9

Which of the following statements about bloggers is LEAST accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Many bloggers are average citizens who have no formal education in the field of journalism. 
B)  Bloggers are generally not held to the same journalistic standards as is the traditional press. 
C)  Those treated unfairly by bloggers typically have no formal recourse. 
D)  Many traditional journalists disparage bloggers for their lack of professional qualifications. 
E)  Although bloggers can amplify an already-reported story, they have not yet shown the capacity to break major news stories. 
A)  Many bloggers are average citizens who have no formal education in the field of journalism. 
B)  Bloggers are generally not held to the same journalistic standards as is the traditional press. 
C)  Those treated unfairly by bloggers typically have no formal recourse. 
D)  Many traditional journalists disparage bloggers for their lack of professional qualifications. 
E)  Although bloggers can amplify an already-reported story, they have not yet shown the capacity to break major news stories.

Question 10

Discuss the declining readership of newspapers. Why are decreasing numbers of Americans reading them regularly? What new media outlets are emerging to supplant newspapers? How do these new media outlets affect how citizens acquire information about current events? Is the decline of newspapers a cause for concern, or do new media outlets adequately replace them?

Accepted Answer

The declining readership of newspapers c

Question 11

Describe how the media cover political campaigns. Which aspects of campaigns do they cover best and which aspects of them do they slight? How do candidates attempt to exploit the media to their own advantage? What limits does the government place on candidates' access to the media? Are these limits effective, inadequate, or overly restrictive?

Accepted Answer

The media covers political campaigns in

Question 12

In the 2012 general election presidential debates, Mitt Romney

Accepted Answer

A)  won the first debate and saw a boost in the polls. 
B)  won all three debates, but got no boost in the polls. 
C)  lost the first debate and saw a decline in the polls. 
D)  appeared timid and unwilling to challenge President Obama. 
E)  None of these answers is correct. 
A)  won the first debate and saw a boost in the polls. 
B)  won all three debates, but got no boost in the polls. 
C)  lost the first debate and saw a decline in the polls. 
D)  appeared timid and unwilling to challenge President Obama. 
E)  None of these answers is correct.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about game coverage of politics is LEAST accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Game coverage tends to emphasize strategy and tactics over the potential for future leadership. 
B)  Game coverage contributes to an emphasis on how campaigns are conducted rather than the issues for which candidates stand. 
C)  Game coverage leads to a stress on which candidate is winning and which is losing. 
D)  Game coverage requires an in-depth understanding of complex issues on the part of journalists who employ it. 
E)  Game coverage fits with a cynical view of politics and trivializes the political process. 
A)  Game coverage tends to emphasize strategy and tactics over the potential for future leadership. 
B)  Game coverage contributes to an emphasis on how campaigns are conducted rather than the issues for which candidates stand. 
C)  Game coverage leads to a stress on which candidate is winning and which is losing. 
D)  Game coverage requires an in-depth understanding of complex issues on the part of journalists who employ it. 
E)  Game coverage fits with a cynical view of politics and trivializes the political process.

Question 14

Discuss the current state of television media. What are the most popular broadcast television news programs and how do they present the news? What is the effect of the proliferation of television news outlets? Does a desire for ratings and profits have a negative effect on news coverage? Should the government take greater steps to regulate broadcast media and ensure that they cover news events thoroughly?

Accepted Answer

The current state of television media is

Question 15

Which of the following statements about ownership of the media is LEAST accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  In many democracies, the government owns all or many of the major news outlets. 
B)  In the United States, the government does not own or control any major news outlet. 
C)  Some critics fear that corporate domination of the media leads to news that is meant to entertain rather than to inform. 
D)  Even some reporters feel that the profit motive in present-day journalism leads newsmakers to jump to conclusions before the facts are in. 
E)  Control of media outlets is being increasingly concentrated into the hands of a small number of corporations. 
A)  In many democracies, the government owns all or many of the major news outlets. 
B)  In the United States, the government does not own or control any major news outlet. 
C)  Some critics fear that corporate domination of the media leads to news that is meant to entertain rather than to inform. 
D)  Even some reporters feel that the profit motive in present-day journalism leads newsmakers to jump to conclusions before the facts are in. 
E)  Control of media outlets is being increasingly concentrated into the hands of a small number of corporations.

Question 16

Which of the following statements about the state of the media and Americans' relationship to them today is accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Despite a general cynicism about the news, millennials spend more time pursuing news daily than any other generation. 
B)  In the past few decades, only the attacks of September 11th, 2001, were able to briefly improve public views of the media. 
C)  The rise of alternative media, cable, and Internet news has brought a corresponding rise in news consumption. 
D)  Some 75 percent of millennials consider themselves to be active "seekers" of the news. 
E)  None of these answers is correct. 
A)  Despite a general cynicism about the news, millennials spend more time pursuing news daily than any other generation. 
B)  In the past few decades, only the attacks of September 11th, 2001, were able to briefly improve public views of the media. 
C)  The rise of alternative media, cable, and Internet news has brought a corresponding rise in news consumption. 
D)  Some 75 percent of millennials consider themselves to be active "seekers" of the news. 
E)  None of these answers is correct.

Question 17

Which of the following statements does NOT reflect conventional wisdom about presidential debates?

Accepted Answer

A)  Candidates must studiously avoid gaffes, because the media is likely to cover them extensively and aggravate their effect. 
B)  Candidates' demeanor and appearance have an effect on whether or not they win the support of viewers. 
C)  Debates offer citizens one of the rare opportunities to compare candidates side by side. 
D)  Incumbents generally have the most to gain from debates. 
E)  Candidates worry about passing the "living room test," coming across as someone whom viewers would like to welcome into their homes. 
A)  Candidates must studiously avoid gaffes, because the media is likely to cover them extensively and aggravate their effect. 
B)  Candidates' demeanor and appearance have an effect on whether or not they win the support of viewers. 
C)  Debates offer citizens one of the rare opportunities to compare candidates side by side. 
D)  Incumbents generally have the most to gain from debates. 
E)  Candidates worry about passing the "living room test," coming across as someone whom viewers would like to welcome into their homes.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a trend in newspaper readership today?

Accepted Answer

A)  The number of daily newspapers has decreased. 
B)  The circulation of daily newspapers has declined. 
C)  The number of people reading newspapers online is increasing. 
D)  Newspapers are thinner and stories shorter. 
E)  The amount of coverage devoted to community reporting in newspapers has decreased. 
A)  The number of daily newspapers has decreased. 
B)  The circulation of daily newspapers has declined. 
C)  The number of people reading newspapers online is increasing. 
D)  Newspapers are thinner and stories shorter. 
E)  The amount of coverage devoted to community reporting in newspapers has decreased.

Question 19

Based on current understandings of the First Amendment, which of the following statements regarding government regulation of the media is LEAST accurate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Having declared the airwaves on which television and radio broadcast public property, the government has more control over those media than it does over others. 
B)  Because the livelihood of public officials depends heavily on their reputations, courts have made it easy for them to successfully sue print media for libel. 
C)  The government is rarely authorized to prevent the publication of material that it does not want exposed. 
D)  Although the government limits the number of media outlets that a single entity can own, these limitations have been lessened in recent years. 
E)  The courts may allow the government to bar the publication of materials if the information contained therein poses a threat to national security. 
A)  Having declared the airwaves on which television and radio broadcast public property, the government has more control over those media than it does over others. 
B)  Because the livelihood of public officials depends heavily on their reputations, courts have made it easy for them to successfully sue print media for libel. 
C)  The government is rarely authorized to prevent the publication of material that it does not want exposed. 
D)  Although the government limits the number of media outlets that a single entity can own, these limitations have been lessened in recent years. 
E)  The courts may allow the government to bar the publication of materials if the information contained therein poses a threat to national security.

Narrowcasting

Which of the following statements about media coverage of character issues is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following statements about how political candidates exploit the media is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following networks is most likely to please liberals?

During the terms of presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, the relationship between the press and the presidency was

The United States is currently the only advanced industrial nation in the world in which

Which event convinced television networks that there was a large audience for televised news and led to the adoption of thirty-minute news programs?

Which of the following statements about bloggers is LEAST accurate?

In the 2012 general election presidential debates, Mitt Romney

Which of the following statements about game coverage of politics is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following statements about ownership of the media is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following statements about the state of the media and Americans' relationship to them today is accurate?

Which of the following statements does NOT reflect conventional wisdom about presidential debates?

Which of the following is NOT a trend in newspaper readership today?

Based on current understandings of the First Amendment, which of the following statements regarding government regulation of the media is LEAST accurate?

Citizenship: in Our Changing Democracy

The Constitution: The Foundation of Citizens Rights

Federalism: Citizenship and the Dispersal of Power

Civil Liberties: Citizens Rights Versus Security

Civil Rights: Toward a More Equal Citizenry

Public Opinion

Political Participation: Equal Opportunities and Unequal Voices

Interest Groups in America

Parties and Political Campaigns: Putting Democracy Into Action

Congress: Doing the Peoples Business

The Presidency: Power and Paradox

Bureaucracy: Citizens As Owners and Consumers

The Courts: Judicial Power in a Democratic Setting

Public Policy: Responding to Citizens

Foreign and Defense Policy: Protecting American Interests in the World

Filters

Exam 10: Media: Tuning in or Tuning Out

Narrowcasting

Which of the following statements about media coverage of character issues is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following statements about how political candidates exploit the media is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following networks is most likely to please liberals?

During the terms of presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, the relationship between the press and the presidency was

The United States is currently the only advanced industrial nation in the world in which

Which event convinced television networks that there was a large audience for televised news and led to the adoption of thirty-minute news programs?

Which of the following statements about bloggers is LEAST accurate?

In the 2012 general election presidential debates, Mitt Romney

Which of the following statements about game coverage of politics is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following statements about ownership of the media is LEAST accurate?

Which of the following statements about the state of the media and Americans' relationship to them today is accurate?

Which of the following statements does NOT reflect conventional wisdom about presidential debates?

Which of the following is NOT a trend in newspaper readership today?

Based on current understandings of the First Amendment, which of the following statements regarding government regulation of the media is LEAST accurate?

Citizenship: in Our Changing Democracy

The Constitution: The Foundation of Citizens Rights

Federalism: Citizenship and the Dispersal of Power

Civil Liberties: Citizens Rights Versus Security

Civil Rights: Toward a More Equal Citizenry

Public Opinion

Political Participation: Equal Opportunities and Unequal Voices

Interest Groups in America

Parties and Political Campaigns: Putting Democracy Into Action

Congress: Doing the Peoples Business

The Presidency: Power and Paradox

Bureaucracy: Citizens As Owners and Consumers

The Courts: Judicial Power in a Democratic Setting

Public Policy: Responding to Citizens

Foreign and Defense Policy: Protecting American Interests in the World

Filters