Question 1

What influences the perceived importance of attitudes (for an individual) ?

Accepted Answer

A)   Self-interest related to the issue/object that an attitude pertains to
B)   Values related to the issue/object that an attitude pertains to
C)   Affiliation with others that are affected by the issue that an attitude pertains to
D)   All of the above D

Question 2

Bennet (1988) identified four news flaws commonly found in news coverage. Which of the following is NOT one of those flaws

Accepted Answer

A)   Fragmentation
B)   Deindividuation
C)   Dramatization
D)   Normalization B

Question 3

Which of the following is a common factor for news selection?

Accepted Answer

A)   Geographic proximity
B)   Negativity
C)   Conflict
D)   All of the above D

Question 4

As discussed in class, regarding goals of mass media in a democracy, how should the mass media ideally consider the audience?

Accepted Answer

A)   As spectators who wish to maximize interest and enjoyment
B)   As critical consumers who make considerate purchase decisions
C)   As active participants and concerned citizens
D)   All of the above

Question 5

Which of the following does NOT influence the role of attitudes in promoting attention?

Accepted Answer

A)   Group affiliation
B)   Self-interest
C)   Self-efficacy
D)   Values

Question 6

Which of the following concepts of 'flaws' of the news (per Bennett, 2012, as discussed in class) is exemplified with the news headline:
"Heated Debate Between Patient Representative Group and Federal Drug Agency"

Accepted Answer

A)   Fragmentation
B)   Normalization
C)   Dramatization
D)   Personalization

Question 7

The knowledge gap hypothesis…

Accepted Answer

A)   Has consistently found support in empirical studies
B)   Has NOT consistently found support in empirical studies
C)   Has rarely been investigated
D)   Is too complicated to be tested with social scientific research

Question 8

When journalists choose what to report on from the large number of events that occur in the world, this is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

A)   Gatewatching
B)   Gatekeeping
C)   Produsage
D)   Two-step flow

Question 9

Gatewatching is defined as:

Accepted Answer

A)   Process by which all media users can now observe news outlets and highlight any information they choose
B)   Phenomenon that news users are not only recipients of the news but can easily contribute to an comment on the news
C)   Process by which a particular news story is allowed to pass through the 'gates' of a news medium into the news channels
D)   None of the above

Question 10

Kate tells her sister about a story she just watched on the news about the role of large corporations in global warming.
This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)   Two-step flow
B)   Gatewatching
C)   Gatekeeping
D)   None of the above

Question 11

Which of the following is considered a shortfall of mass media, compared to ideal functions of news media in a democracy?

Accepted Answer

A)   They focus on events and conflicts rather than issues and solutions
B)   They are often profit-driven, focus on what 'sells'
C)   They provide overwhelming amounts of background coverage and in-depth explanations
D)   Both A and B apply
E)   Both B and C apply

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a classic news factor?

Accepted Answer

A)   Intentionality
B)   Conflict
C)   Personalization
D)   Negativity

Question 13

Hard vs. soft news is differentiated based on which of the following dimensions?

Accepted Answer

A)   Likelihood
B)   Focus
C)   Severity
D)   All of the above

Question 14

According to the informational utility model, which of the following would impact the perceived usefulness of information in the news?

Accepted Answer

A)   Efficacy
B)   Likelihood
C)   Magnitude
D)   All of the above

Question 15

Which of the following headlines indicates 'soft news'?

Accepted Answer

A)   Tsunami death toll climbs to 76,000
B)   Candidates clash on healthcare in election debate
C)   'Law & Order' star Jerry Orbach dies at 69
D)   U.S. existing homes sales rose in November

Question 16

Reinemann et al. (2012) identified three factors that help differentiating hard and soft news. Which of the following is NOT one of those three factors?

Accepted Answer

A)   Moral dimension
B)   Topic dimension
C)   Focus dimension
D)   Style dimension

Question 17

You may find the following news title "useful" per the informational utility model:
"New Flu Virus This Semester: Dozens of [YOUR UNIVERSITY] Students Hospitalized".
According to the Informational Utility Model (Atkin, 1973) , which dimension of utility does NOT contribute to your perception of utility in this example?

Accepted Answer

A)   Magnitude
B)   Likelihood
C)   Immediacy
D)   Efficacy

Question 18

"Voluntary exposure to news while not seeking for specific information" is the definition of which term?

Accepted Answer

A)   Information search
B)   Information scanning
C)   Incidental information exposure
D)   Information avoidance

Question 19

are characteristics of events that influence journalists' selections for what events are covered in the news.

Accepted Answer

A)   News factors
B)   News values
C)   News elements
D)   None of the above

Question 20

While waiting for a flight connection at the airport, Cameron casually watches a TV news channel that's shown on the screen in the airport waiting area.
What level of news use describes Cameron's news consumption best?

Accepted Answer

A)   Information search
B)   Incidental information exposure
C)   Information avoidance
D)   Information scanning

Exam 6: Following and Contributing to News