Deck 7: The Media

Question 1

The news media did not become active in America until after the country declared independence in 1776.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Reporters typically promise anonymity to sources that give them confidential information. This anonymity is guaranteed by the presence of a federal shield law.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

There is no clear evidence that the Internet contributes to a better-informed citizenry.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The regulations on broadcast media by the Federal Communications Commission reflect the assumption that the airways are public property.

Question 5

If the New York Times publishes an article giving favorable coverage to one candidate for a Senate race but not another, it is an example of priming.

Question 6

Most political content on the radio comes in the form of brief news updates and headlines from Clear Channel, ABC, CBS, and other major radio networks.

Question 7

The main goal of most media, regardless of format, is increasing their audience.

Question 8

The equal time provision requires broadcasters to grant the same amount of on-air time on any non-news programming to every candidate running for office.

Question 9

One of the most important ways that the media influence people is through their decisions of what to cover.

Question 10

Media conglomerates have been created due to regulatory changes that accelerated concentration and cross-ownership.

Question 11

The major drawback of TV news coverage is timeliness.

Question 12

The Internet has raised the barriers to publication, since many people are not savvy enough to understand the technology.

Question 13

The primary reason that Congress deregulated media content was because it believed station owners were doing a good job in their role as public trustees to provide fair and unbiased information.

Question 14

Research has shown that if the media explained the process of government more often, their ratings would increase.

Question 15

In colonial America, newspapers had low circulation since they were costly and only available in major cities.

Question 16

The media's focus on horse race stories reflects their lack of interest in helping people make good decisions.

Question 17

A difficulty in determining media effects is causality-that is, whether exposure to a story actually leads people to change their minds about a particular issue.

Question 18

A government official who gives information to a reporter "on background" is requesting that they be quoted directly so that no misunderstanding can occur.

Question 19

Despite guarantees of freedom of the press in the Constitution, at times the government seeks ways to keep the press from publishing sensitive information and to manipulate press coverage.

Question 20

Mainstream media includes major newspapers, TV, and radio stations.

Question 21

What impact have communications technologies like cable television and the Internet had on government regulation of the broadcast media?

A) They changed the assumption that each and every broadcast outlet needs to be fair and unbiased.
B) They led to stricter enforcement of the fairness doctrine.
C) They increased public concern about the need to regulate broadcast media, leading to the establishment of the Federal Communications Commission.
D) They led to the expansion of the fairness doctrine.
E) They led to the suspension of the equal time provision.

Question 22

The Alien and Sedition Acts passed by Congress had what effect?

A) They required the news media to provide fair coverage of multiple political points of view.
B) They established the freedom of the press.
C) They outlawed publishing stories that might threaten national security.
D) They made it a crime to criticize the president or Congress.
E) They outlawed prior restraint.

Question 23

Which of the following is a characteristic of newspapers in colonial America?

A) relatively high levels of circulation
B) the practice of yellow journalism
C) stories from journalists known as "muckrakers"
D) only available in major cities
E) lack of political news

Question 24

Which of the following terms refers to journalism that seeks to expose corruption and inspire political reform?

A) muckraking
B) yellow journalism
C) penny press
D) cross-ownership
E) soft news

Question 25

Company X owns several radio stations in the city of Pittsburgh. This is an example of:

A) cross-ownership.
B) concentration.
C) penny press.
D) homegrown media.
E) filtering.

Question 26

The trend toward single-company ownership of several kinds of media outlets is known as:

A) cross-ownership.
B) concentration.
C) media conglomerates.
D) networks.
E) corporations.

Question 27

The term "yellow journalism" refers to:

A) the use of sensational headlines and illustrations to sell newspapers.
B) press stories that were highly critical of government.
C) fair and balanced coverage of politics.
D) investigative stories that called for reforms of government.
E) increased circulation of newspapers.

Question 28

A local newspaper runs a report on fraud in the housing insurance market. This is an example of what kind of journalism?

A) horse race
B) yellow
C) investigative
D) penny press
E) shielded

Question 29

Which term describes a situation in which one company owns most of the media in a single community?

A) cross-ownership
B) concentration
C) media conglomerate
D) homegrown media
E) filtering

Question 30

Which of the following did NOT occur with the emergence of the penny press era in the 1830s?

A) expanded circulation
B) beginning of wire services
C) larger newspaper staffs
D) more objective reporting
E) reduced prices for newspapers

Question 31

The government's willingness to regulate broadcast media more heavily than print media reflects:

A) public demands for a better political balance on television.
B) the history of partisan ownership of newspapers.
C) the fact that the framers did not anticipate broadcasting and therefore could not protect it in the Constitution.
D) the belief that the airways are public property.
E) the creation of the 24-hour news cycle.

Question 32

The fairness doctrine required:

A) the media to offer equal airtime to opposing candidates on any non-news program.
B) that candidates advertise equal amounts on television and radio.
C) broadcast media to present several points of view to ensure balanced coverage.
D) giving all companies a reasonable chance of owning multiple media outlets.
E) equal number of liberal and conservative TV stations in a city.

Question 33

Concerns about media concentration and cross-ownership are based on:

A) government hostility toward privately owned media.
B) interpretations of freedom of the press.
C) public standards about what constitutes quality news programming.
D) the expansion of the Internet and other media technologies.
E) beliefs that it is better for democracy if the press espouses many different views.

Question 34

Since the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the FCC has removed:

A) provisions of the equal time doctrine.
B) rules covering what kind of content can be shown on the Internet.
C) restrictions on how much of the media any one company can own.
D) restrictions on whether foreigners can own media.
E) rules governing content of newspaper articles.

Question 35

The invention of cheaper and faster printing presses in the early 1800s led to the onset of:

A) the penny press.
B) wire services.
C) yellow journalism.
D) muckraking.
E) objective news reporting.

Question 36

What kind of journalism involves covering a topic of public concern, often targeting government failures or inefficiencies?

A) yellow
B) filtering
C) investigative
D) horse race
E) attack

Question 37

When William Randolph Hearst said to one of his reporters, "You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war," it was an example of:

A) priming and framing.
B) media influence.
C) muckraking.
D) yellow journalism.
E) soft news.

Question 38

News Corporation owns Fox, Fox News, the film studio 20th Century Fox, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post, among many other media holdings. News Corporation is an example of a(n):

A) penny press.
B) wire service.
C) blog.
D) media conglomerate.
E) government agency.

Question 39

The Federal Communications Commission was prompted to revise its ownership restrictions because of:

A) its decisions in the Howard Stern and Janet Jackson situations.
B) the Communications Act of 1934.
C) the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
D) its lack of authority over satellite radio and television broadcasts.
E) the expansion of newspapers after the invention of the penny press.

Question 40

David Letterman has the Republican presidential candidate on his TV show. The FCC requires him to offer a similar amount of time to the Democratic candidate. This is an example of what principle?

A) fairness doctrine
B) penny press
C) equal time provision
D) slant
E) priming

Question 41

The National Journal, New Republic, Nation, and National Review are examples of what?

A) TV talk shows focused on current events
B) daily newspapers
C) magazines offering extensive news coverage
D) the penny press
E) wire services

Question 42

If an important news story were to happen at 2 A.M., CNN or Fox News would be able to cover it shortly thereafter, while the New York Times might not have printed coverage until the next day's edition. This is an example of the:

A) priming effect.
B) filtering effect.
C) news cycle.
D) penny press.
E) concentration of media.

Question 43

According to the textbook, most newspapers are "prisoners of the news cycle" because:

A) editors have little control over news content.
B) qualified reporters are hard to find.
C) so many newspapers have gone out of business.
D) they only publish once per day.
E) they do not have enough readers.

Question 44

The major nationwide talk radio shows generally offer:

A) a politically liberal point of view.
B) a politically conservative point of view.
C) extensive news coverage throughout the day.
D) a diversity of viewpoints.
E) equal time to Democratic and Republican viewpoints.

Question 45

Which of the following characteristics reduces the effectiveness of the Internet in creating informed citizens?

A) higher barriers to publication on the Internet
B) decreased competition among different media outlets because of the Internet
C) availability of search engines for finding sites
D) availability of videos of important political events
E) unreliability of many Internet sources

Question 46

The "47 percent" incident during the 2012 presidential campaign shows that:

A) the Internet allows anyone to influence the news.
B) campaigns continue to rely on public opinion polling.
C) media conglomerates shape the news through filtering.
D) horse race coverage is declining over time.
E) the FCC has started regulating the media more strictly than before.

Question 47

The Internet has _______ the barriers of publication, while leading to an increase in _______ reliable sources.

A) lowered; more
B) lowered; less
C) raised; more
D) raised; less
E) not affected; more

Question 48

Which of the following media sources tend to have the longest news cycle?

A) cable television
B) broadcast television
C) radio
D) newspapers
E) the Internet

Question 49

The Center for Responsive Politics and Pollster are examples of websites that:

A) allow anyone to post.
B) are search engines.
C) have many videos of campaign events.
D) provide blogs written by top journalists.
E) collect links to political information.

Question 50

The amount of time between the release of information and its publication is known as the:

A) priming effect.
B) filtering effect.
C) wire service.
D) news cycle.
E) delayed processing time.

Question 51

Although newspapers are limited in the ________ of their coverage, the ________ of their coverage means that they can provide more detailed knowledge to their readers.

A) depth; timeliness
B) breadth; timeliness
C) timeliness; breadth
D) timeliness; depth
E) depth; breadth

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT considered a major national television network?

A) ABC
B) Fox
C) The CW
D) NBC
E) CBS

Question 53

The quality and types of news sources vary most in which media format?

A) Internet
B) radio
C) television
D) newspapers
E) magazines

Question 54

Major newspapers, broadcast and cable TV stations, and radio stations when considered together make up the:

A) penny press.
B) yellow journalism school.
C) mainstream media.
D) media conglomeration.
E) wire service industry.

Question 55

Which of the following is NOT an important consequence of Internet growth for politics?

A) free content from sources that otherwise cost money
B) ability to access a wide variety of information sources quickly
C) access to analytic information
D) increased circulation of newspapers and magazines
E) opportunities for two-way interaction between citizens, reporters, and government officials

Question 56

Which television format is characterized by a person sitting behind a desk reading news copy?

A) talking head
B) investigative reporting
C) talk show
D) primetime
E) news cycle

Question 57

The biggest drawback to television news coverage is its:

A) timeliness of coverage.
B) lack of striking visuals.
C) declining viewership numbers.
D) breadth of coverage.
E) bias toward positive news.

Question 58

Major nationwide radio talk shows tend to:

A) lean conservative.
B) lean moderate.
C) lean liberal.
D) lean socialist.
E) be balanced across ideologies.

Question 59

Which of the following is a trend experienced by newspapers in recent years?

A) increasing number of independent newspapers
B) decreasing circulation
C) increase in the number of reporters
D) decrease in online readers
E) increasing competition within markets from other papers

Question 60

What effect does the Internet have on "the knowledge gap"?

A) The Internet lessens the gap by providing people with more information.
B) The Internet lessens the gap, giving people the opportunity to participate in the news.
C) It has no effect.
D) The Internet increases the gap because only the people with time and interest make the most of it.
E) The Internet increases the gap because fewer people have access to the Internet than other forms of media.

Question 61

The primary source of news for young people (ages 18 to 29) is:

A) radio.
B) newspapers.
C) television.
D) the Internet.
E) magazines.

Question 62

If a reporter calls to interview you and you agree to talk, but only on the condition that you are not listed as the source of the information, this is an example of what phenomenon?

A) yellow journalism
B) investigative journalism
C) filtering
D) shield laws
E) "on background" conversations

Question 63

If a television station only gives coverage to one side of an issue and people therefore have a positive view of that perspective, it is an example of:

A) priming effect.
B) persuasion effect.
C) filtering effect.
D) framing effect.
E) slant effect.

Question 64

Priming is:

A) the influence on the public's general impressions caused by positive or negative coverage of a candidate or issue.
B) the influence on public opinion that results from journalists' and editors' decisions about which of many potential news stories to report.
C) the imbalance in a story that covers one candidate or policy favorably without providing similar coverage of the other side.
D) the influence on public opinion caused by the way a story is presented or covered, including the details, explanations, and context offered in the report.
E) the way in which a story is pitched by a reporter to an editor or editorial board.

Question 65

Which of the following news sources do Americans use most?

A) local television news
B) cable television news
C) radio
D) newspapers
E) nightly network news

Question 66

Shield laws:

A) require that the press share their sources.
B) ensure that government employees protect confidential information.
C) protect reporters who have confidential sources.
D) prevent government from stopping the publication of certain stories.
E) protect the privacy of government employees.

Question 67

Which of the following is NOT a strategy the government uses to stop certain stories from being published?

A) using a judicial order that allows prior restraint
B) imprisoning reporters who publish stories the government disapproves of
C) appealing to the press, asking them to voluntarily not publish something
D) enforcing laws preventing publication of classified material
E) threatening to cut off access to sources for future stories

Question 68

When would the government use prior restraint?

A) when a news story posed a substantial security risk to the country or an individual
B) if the story was likely to embarrass the president or another high-ranking official
C) when reporting for a story was collected illegally
D) if the agency publishing a story did not have the proper credentials
E) only during times of war

Question 69

If the main way that you learn about politics is incidental, say, while watching The Daily Show or looking at ESPN.com, that is an example of:

A) slant.
B) by-product theory.
C) shield laws.
D) investigative journalism.
E) framing.

Question 70

The idea of prior restraint refers to:

A) the willingness of the press to refrain from publishing sensitive information.
B) the FCC shutting down a station for violating standards of decency.
C) information that comes from within government to stop it from doing something of which the public would not approve.
D) a judicial order allowing government to stop the press from publishing something.
E) the ability of the press to stop the government from taking an unconstitutional action.

Question 71

Which of the following media sources are people who have a great deal of political knowledge most likely to use?

A) blogs
B) network evening news
C) network morning news shows like Good Morning America
D) late-night comedy shows like The Daily Show
E) cable news shows

Question 72

Which of the following is NOT a main type of media effect?

A) persuasion
B) framing
C) priming
D) filtering
E) slant

Question 73

What secret information did WikiLeaks release in 2010 and 2011?

A) American diplomatic exchanges
B) plans for drone strikes in Afganistan
C) private phone records and text messages of world leaders
D) President Obama's 2008 campaign contributions
E) military salary information

Question 74

When Edward Snowden released information about programs being conducted by the NSA, it was an example of:

A) a leak.
B) giving information on background.
C) cyberterrorism.
D) invasion of privacy.
E) citizen journalism.

Question 75

Which of the following is an example of how leaks within government help provide the basis for news reports?

A) the rocky rollout of healthcare.gov
B) President Barack Obama's meeting with House Republicans
C) Senator Larry Craig's arrest
D) Edward Snowden and the NSA
E) a blog written by military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan

Question 76

When the Federal Emergency Management Agency held a press conference about California wildfires but had its own employees ask the questions rather than having reporters do so, it was:

A) going off the record.
B) exercising prior restraint.
C) staging the news.
D) providing background.
E) leaking information.

Question 77

The government sues to stop the publication of a top-secret memo about an ongoing military conflict. A judge agrees and prohibits publication. This is an example of:

A) off-the-record publishing.
B) a leak.
C) a shield law.
D) prior restraint.
E) yellow journalism.

Question 78

According to research, highly interested people are unlikely to change their minds when they learn something new from the news media because:

A) they do not trust the news media.
B) they believe that media sources contain political bias.
C) they have already decided what they think.
D) they cannot remember all of the information they read or hear.
E) they are more likely to use the Internet than other sources, and it is less reliable.

Question 79

Many Americans learn about politics accidentally, illustrating:

A) that the primary purpose of the media is framing how people think about politics.
B) the pervasive power of the media even when they are not focusing on politics and government.
C) the minimal effects hypothesis.
D) the by-product theory.
E) filtering.

Question 80

Many Americans learn about politics while engaged in other non-news activities, such as reading the sports page or watching The Daily Show. This an example of what phenomenon?

A) concentration
B) by-product theory
C) minimal effects hypothesis
D) shield laws
E) filtering