Deck 14: The Culture of Journalism: Values, Ethics, and Democracy

Question 1

Herbert Gans studied the newsroom cultures of CBS, NBC, Newsweek, and Time during the 1970s. Which of the following is not one of the enduring values he identified within these newsroom cultures?

A) A preference for large-scale, urban settings-a focus on cities rather than rural communities
B) A focus on the power of individuals to overcome obstacles and personal adversity
C) A relatively procapitalist assumption that businesses compete for the well-being of the community rather than merely to increase profits
D) A tendency to judge other nations based on how they live up to American values
E) All of the options are correct.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Herbert Gans found that beliefs like ethnocentrism and small-town pastoralism consistently affect American journalists' judgment.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

By presenting both sides of a controversy, reporters always ensure that the news story is fair and balanced.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Which of the following is not one of the techniques outlined by NBC news president Reuven Frank in 1963 as an effective way to tell a news story?

A) A story should have a beginning, middle, and end.
B) A story should include colorful descriptions that may or may not be factual.
C) A story should have structure and conflict.
D) A story should have rising and falling action.
E) A story should have a problem and denouement.

Question 5

According to modern reporting rituals, journalists must rely on outside expert sources for information, even if they are experts on a subject themselves.

Question 6

Based on the criteria a local broadcaster would use to determine newsworthiness, which of the following stories would most likely be covered?

A) Two local city council members get into a heated argument over building a new statue to honor a local celebrity.
B) People in a small foreign nation elect a new president.
C) Two local city council members agree to spend ten dollars on a new sign for the council chambers.
D) A local woman takes in a stray cat.
E) A Girl Scout helps an elderly woman cross the road.

Question 7

Which of the following is not one of the basic criteria of newsworthiness?

A) Human interest
B) Proximity
C) Timeliness
D) Conflict
E) Consensus

Question 8

The set of criteria for deciding what is newsworthy has evolved over time.

Question 9

An inverted-pyramid lead, carefully attributed sources, and limited use of adverbs and adjectives are the hallmarks of a neutral news story.

Question 10

The case of Richard Jewell and the Olympic Park bombing in 1996 demonstrates the danger of journalists' not independently verifying what they report.

Question 11

According to the textbook, which of the following ideas developed into an underlying, subjective value in the culture of American journalism?

A) Ethnocentrism
B) Individualism
C) Responsible capitalism
D) Small-town pastoralism
E) All of the options are correct.

Question 12

Critics of CNN say it too often engages in ethnocentrism because .

A) it only covers news about Caucasians
B) it tells international stories from a variety of global perspectives
C) it centers its news reporting around ethnic issues
D) it tells international stories from a largely American point of view
E) None of the above options is correct.

Question 13

Many journalists take great pride in asking tough questions and acting as an adversary to the prominent political leaders and major institutions they cover.

Question 14

The public journalism movement asks reporters to remain detached from their communities and avoid involvement that could reveal a point of view.

Question 15

Historically, ''objectivity'' became valuable for newspapers and journalists because .

A) it was highly valued by Joseph Pulitzer
B) offending the smallest number of people meant earning the largest profit
C) the general public loved the partisan press
D) reporters had a desire to be ''fair and balanced'' for society's sake
E) All of the options are correct.

Question 16

Journalists routinely straddle a line between the public's right to know and a person's right to privacy.

Question 17

One of the main reasons newspaper organizations started wanting their reporters to write in a neutral, detached style was that .

A) it would take less ink than printing stories with lots of adjectives
B) it would help reporters determine what is newsworthy
C) it would alienate fewer potential subscribers and advertisers
D) the tradition of a partisan press had become too old-fashioned
E) it made for shorter stories that would mean spending less on ink and paper

Question 18

One problem with journalists assuming the underlying value of responsible capitalism is that .

A) it can lead to a naïve belief that businesses compete to increase the prosperity of all instead of maximizing their own profits
B) it can lead to a naïve belief that businesses are always evil and put their interests over the
C) journalists understand too much about the financial issues related to the companies that employ them
D) it can lead to too much critical coverage of the oligopolistic nature of today's economy
E) None of the above options is correct.

Question 19

Newspaper editors feel that the public's right to know always outweighs other issues, including national security.

Question 20

Satirical news shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report only seek to entertain, not inform, viewers.

Question 21

Tweeting and blogging are .

A) considered a waste of time by almost all news organizations
B) mostly ignored by news media audiences
C) a journalism fad that has passed
D) becoming more and more required duties for journalists
E) done only by journalists of small local papers

Question 22

Why have local TV newscasts developed a similar look since the 1970s?

A) TV news directors copied each other.
B) Local news programs became syndicated.
C) Stations hired news consultants, who advised them to buy national prepackaged formats.
D) Technology dictated that news programs look alike.
E) Studies showed that there was only one way the news could logically be delivered to viewers.

Question 23

The growing trend of twenty-four-hour cable news stations filling time with ''talking head'' pundits .

A) enables the stations to spend more money on producing ''solid'' journalism
B) allows these stations to appeal to the broadest possible audience by avoiding offending viewers
C) displays a continued rejection of the ''partisan press'' roots of American journalism
D) encourages civil conversation about American politics
E) None of the above options is correct.

Question 24

The value of favoring the small over the large and the rural over the urban is called _.

A) ethnocentrism
B) individualism
C) responsible capitalism
D) small-town pastoralism
E) All of the options are correct.

Question 25

The sound bite in a TV news report is the equivalent of a in a newspaper story.

A) source
B) byline
C) lead paragraph
D) quote
E) footnote

Question 26

Which of the following did not result from hiring television news consultants?

A) Local news directors purchased national prepackaged formats.
B) Local news put its issues-oriented reporting at the forefront, often starting newscasts with those stories.
C) A culture of ''if it bleeds, it leads'' developed in the industry.
D) Everything from music to opening graphics developed a similar look across the country.
E) Standards of appearance for news anchors became even more rigid.

Question 27

For most journalists, the bottom line is .

A) ''Do unto others as you would have them do unto you''
B) ''Fairness first''
C) the public's right to know
D) "Get the story"
E) managing conflicts of interest

Question 28

Which of the following is not a change the Internet has wrought upon traditional journalism?

A) News reporters are increasingly required to have video and audio elements in their stories.
B) News consumers can more often see entire interviews instead of only sound bites.
C) Both print and TV news can continually update breaking news stories online.
D) Journalists might rely too heavily on Internet research rather than physically going to investigate stories.
E) E-mail interviews allow journalists to get more spontaneity out of interview subjects.

Question 29

Which of the following could help a journalist resolve a moral or ethical dilemma?

A) The Golden Rule, translated as treating others as you would want to be treated
B) Aristotle's ideal of the ''golden mean''
C) Immanuel Kant's principle that you should at all times stick to universal codes of behavior, such as honesty
D) Jeremy Bentham's and John Stuart Mill's principle of doing the greatest good for the greatest number
E) All of the options are correct.

Question 30

While the Internet has provided many new tools for journalists, what is a potential Internet pitfall for reporters?

A) The enormous amount of information on the Web makes it harder to copy the work of other journalists.
B) Print journalists are being told to focus on reporting and leave video and camera work to others.
C) The enormous amount of information available on databases and other sites can keep reporters at their desks rather than out in the community finding stories and cultivating sources.
D) Journalists are allowed to tell their story via only one medium.
E) None of the above options is correct.

Question 31

The textbook suggests that the best way for journalists to reach ethical decisions might be .

A) dealing with complex issues as they arise on a case-by-case basis
B) leaving all decisions to senior management
C) taking the time to work through several critical thinking steps
D) choosing one ethical model (such as Aristotle's) and sticking with it absolutely
E) always assuming that the public's need to know outweighs all other concerns

Question 32

Ad-libbed or scripted banter that goes on among local news anchors, reporters, meteorologists, and sports reporters before and after news reports is called .

A) happy talk
B) crime blocks
C) pretty-face
D) sound bites
E) talking heads

Question 33

Which of the following is true about the growing use of ''talking head'' pundits on cable news networks?

A) Pundits have charisma and opinions, but are often weak on facts.
B) It makes an effort to target ''niche'' news audiences rather than a larger general audience.
C) The return to partisan news could be seen as a return to journalistic practices of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
D) The use of pundits is a less expensive strategy for filling the twenty-four-hour news cycle.
E) All of the options are correct.

Question 34

refers to the moment when the reporter nabs the wrongdoer.

A) Balanced conflict
B) Herd journalism
C) Ethnocentrism
D) A gotcha story
E) A conflict of interest

Question 35

Scoop behavior, in which reporters stake out a house or chase celebrities, is called .

A) situational ethics
B) herd journalism
C) individualism
D) conflict of interest
E) yellow journalism

Question 36

According to the textbook, which of the following is not characteristic of modern journalism?

A) It tends to rely on ''expert'' sources for information.
B) It provides little historical context in most front-page stories.
C) It provides detailed interpretation and analysis of news events.
D) It creates an appearance that the reporter is neutral or detached.
E) All of the options are not characteristic.

Question 37

Which of the following is true about sound bites?

A) They are the TV equivalent of a photograph in newspapers.
B) Their average length has increased since the 1960s.
C) They are usually quite brief and can come from an expert, a celebrity, a victim, or a
D) They are part of a newspaper article.
E) They typically allow extra time for complex and nuanced ideas.

Question 38

Which of the following would be okay for a journalist to accept from a news source and still avoid a conflict of interest?

A) A train ride
B) A meal
C) Box seats for a baseball game
D) A promise of greater access to an important figure in exchange for positive stories
E) None of the options is correct.

Question 39

The textbook uses the news coverage of urban illegal drug problems as an example of _.

A) how the amount of coverage a social problem gets in the news is tied to the actual severity of that problem
B) how journalists overall are good at providing context for ongoing social problems
C) how news coverage can fail to offer strong continuing coverage of long-term social problems
D) how journalists can go undercover to get information
E) how journalists all tend to cover the same topics over and over again

Question 40

Journalism critics say the quest for balance presents some problems, including .

A) leading to stories that misrepresent complex issues as two-sided dramas
B) not revealing that quotes may be selected for the purpose of drama instead of fairness
C) serving business interests rather than journalistic interests
D) failing to represent those who hold a middle position
E) All of the options are correct.

Question 41

Which of the following is a basic tenet, or belief, of conventional journalism?

A) Reporters have a moral and ethical duty to help improve civic life.
B) Journalists should help improve political discourse.
C) A free press should question the government and get both sides of a story.
D) Journalists need to become activists for engaging the public in the political process.
E) All of the options are correct.

Question 42

A journalist who practices an informational or modern model approach to journalism would most likely be inclined to focus a story about a crime spree around .

A) presenting official comments and statistics in a neutral manner
B) taking an advocacy stance
C) condemning the criminals involved
D) acknowledging his or her own point of view
E) None of the above options is correct.

Question 43

Supporters of public journalism argue that insisting journalists are ''value-neutral'' .

A) helps bolster the actual professionalism and objectivity of journalists
B) creates a sense of greater trust by the public in the journalism profession
C) actually results in less credibility with the public
D) will help the news remain fair and unbiased
E) is a true reflection of the values held by journalists

Question 44

In which way does the current trend toward public journalism differ from modern journalism?

A) It moves away from just telling the news to becoming involved in community life.
B) It insists that neutrality and objectivity are essential to any type of journalism.
C) It moves to increase editorial control in the newsroom and encourage the detached
D) It does not propose solutions to the political and social problems of the day.
E) All of the options are correct.

Question 45

Which of the following is not true about ''fake'' news programs such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report?

A) Their success might be attributed in part to the audience's cynicism about politics and politicians.
B) They not only satirize people in the news, but critique the news media as well.
C) They are simply about telling jokes and never try to express any larger truth.
D) The tradition can trace its roots back to the 1970s when Saturday Night Live started running ''Weekend Update.''
E) The viewers of ''fake'' shows find the slick, formulaic political ads and canned sound bites of local TV news stories less persuasive.

Question 46

Which of the following is a characteristic of public journalism?

A) A focus on the most recent events
B) Following a ''he said--she said'' format for reporting news
C) An emphasis on human-interest stories to attract readers
D) Journalists not only criticizing communities but trying to improve them
E) The complete objectivity of reporters