Deck 11: Writing Argumentative Essays and Thinking Critically About the Media

Question 1

The mass media are defined not so much by the size of the organizations that deliver the news and entertainment as by the size of the audience they reach through devices such as televisions, the Internet, magazines and so forth.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

A majority of journalists describe themselves as "Republican or conservative."

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Stories critical of powerful corporations and the media itself seldom appear in the mainstream press.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Many news stories are chosen, not because they serve the public interest, but because they reflect the entertainment preferences of viewers or readers.

Question 5

Persistent issues, long-term trends, and root causes typically receive little coverage in the news media.

Question 6

Social media pose few critical thinking challenges.

Question 7

According to the text, most mass media news reporting

A) has a pronounced liberal bias
B) has a pronounced conservative bias
C) has a strong anti-government bias
D) fits into a narrow band of ideology that hovers around the center of the political spectrum

Question 8

In advertising, "puffery" refers to

A) the use of repetitive jingles and meaningless slogans to sell products
B) the appeal to patriotism and group loyalty to sell products
C) the use of humor to sell products
D) none of the above

Question 9

According to Max Sutherland's "balance beam" metaphor, in advertising we should be looking for

A) the widest appeal possible
B) feathers rather than weights
C) fears rather than hopes
D) none of the above

Question 10

"J. C. Penney: It's All Inside" is an example of the following advertising gimmick:

A) puffery
B) catchy slogan or jingle
C) emotive language
D) bandwagon

Question 11

The news media is often criticized because

A) rather than offering an honest and thorough examination of an issue in all its complexity, it often distorts meaning in its presentation of the news
B) it often employs attention-grabbing techniques that do little to increase our knowledge of a topic
C) both a and b
D) none of the above

Question 12

Before you write, you should

A) choose and narrow your topic
B) write a sentence that expresses your claim
C) both a and b
D) none of the above

Question 13

The first rule of all communication is to

A) know who your audience is and adjust your style accordingly
B) know yourself
C) be clear
D) none of the above