Deck 4: New Media, New Forms of Communication

Question 1

In which of the following areas is the impact of new media likely to be strongest?

A) the level of voter turnout
B) the size of the knowledge gap
C) the mobilization of campaign activists
D) the tone of campaign advertising

Answer 1

C

Question 2

One area where the 2008 Obama campaign broke new ground was

A) the delivery of campaign videos through YouTube.
B) the rapid rebuttal of attacks from the McCain campaign.
C) using social media to solicit campaign contributions.
D) hiring a full-time web consultant.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

One possible explanation for increased selective exposure to news sources based on the source's party preference is

A) the increasing number of mainstream news organizations that provide biased reporting.
B) the increased level of party polarization among news consumers.
C) the higher level of political participation among people who pay attention to news.
D) None of these are correct.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Web-based campaigns provide candidates with the ability to

A) mobilize supporters at relatively low cost.
B) distribute messages directly to voters without going through the news media.
C) raise vast amounts of cash.
D) All of these are correct.

Question 5

The theory of cognitive dissonance holds that

A) people feel uncomfortable when they encounter information that is inconsistent with their views.
B) people are likely to seek out information that challenges their views.
C) more attentive voters are more likely to pay attention to online news.
D) people affected by a particular issue will seek out information about that issue.

Question 6

How has the diffusion of the Internet affected the "participation gap" between the more and less economically advantaged?

A) It has narrowed the gap by raising the level of participation among less educated and less affluent Americans.
B) It has maintained the gap; more advantaged people participate more frequently in both new and old forms of participation.
C) It has narrowed the gap by lowering the level of participation among the most educated and affluent Americans.
D) It has had no effect on wealth-related differences in participation, but has reduced the gap between the more and less educated.

Question 7

Which of the following statements describes the attentive public hypothesis?

A) People seek out information about subjects that are particularly important or interesting to them and ignore other subjects.
B) People prefer to encounter information that is politically agreeable to them.
C) The spread of new media allows people to tailor their news consumption to their own political tastes.
D) Seeking out political information is a matter of generic political interest. People absorbed by politics tune in to all forms of news, while the rest tune out politics.

Question 8

In the United States, access to the Internet is determined primarily by an individual's

A) age.
B) gender.
C) economic status.
D) urban/rural place of residence.

Question 9

Selective exposure to news is a consequence of

A) the increased delivery of soft news.
B) information overload.
C) greater levels of political participation in the post-Internet era.
D) higher levels of political cynicism.

Question 10

Fox News and the Huffington Post have both emerged as market leaders in the cable television and blog marketplace. Their success suggests that

A) consumers with strong political views gravitate to news sources they find agreeable.
B) news organizations with a conservative bias attract a larger audience.
C) highly prestigious news sources attract a larger market share.
D) news organizations owned by Rupert Murdoch have a comparative advantage.

Question 11

The American blogosphere is characterized by

A) extreme political polarization.
B) high levels of cross-posting between conservative- and liberal-leaning blogs.
C) a large number of well-known blogs with no clear partisan affiliation.
D) limited political content.

Question 12

The one area where the 2008 Obama campaign clearly outperformed the McCain campaign was

A) the presidential debates.
B) the use of new media.
C) tailoring the ad campaign to issues in the news.
D) playing the expectations game.

Question 13

Research into the effects of new media on the level of political participation suggests which of the following generalizations?

A) In the post-Internet era, the level of political participation has increased significantly.
B) The impact of new media on political participation is minimal.
C) People who use new media frequently are less likely to vote.
D) None of these are correct.