Learning Objective: LO 9.2: Trace the evolution of the news media over the
course of U.S. history.
Page Reference: 277
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
55. How did the penny press alter the content of news?
a. It led to more political coverage.
b. It led to an increase in human-interest stories.
c. It led to more objectivity in news coverage.
d. It led to more liberal news coverage.
Topic: The Changing Role of the U.S. News Media
Learning Objective: LO 9.2: Trace the evolution of the news media over the
course of U.S. history.
Page Reference: 273
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
56. When did the era of “objective journalism” begin?
a. in the early 1800s
b. in the 1870s
c. in the early twentieth century
d. in the 1950s
Topic: The Changing Role of the U.S. News Media
Learning Objective: LO 9.2: Trace the evolution of the news media over the
course of U.S. history.
Page Reference: 273
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
57. How has competition from cable news stations influenced broadcast news
coverage?
a. It has led broadcast news to boost its entertainment value.
b. It has led broadcast news to provide extended news coverage.
c. It has led broadcast news to adopt an ideological perspective.
d. It has led broadcast news to provide more objective news coverage.
293
Topic: The Influence of the Media on Politics
Learning Objective: LO 9.1: Describe changes in the nature and extent of the
political influence of the various news media.
Page Reference: 268
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
58. Using a photo op and a large gathering of supporters to convey a specific message
as to whom the candidate really is, the politician is creating which of these?
a. a social event
b. a campaign event
c. a television operation
d. a horse race
Topic: The Media and Elections
Learning Objective: LO 9.4: Describe the media’s role in elections and the
associated problems and benefits.
Page Reference: 284
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
59. On election day, __________ inform(s) the public about who voted and why they
voted the way they did.
a. media consultants
b. campaign events
c. exit polls
d. the horse race
Topic: The Media and Elections
Learning Objective: LO 9.4: Describe the media’s role in elections and the
associated problems and benefits.
Page Reference: 288
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
60. Outside of family, the media are one of the strongest factors in __________.
a. political socialization
294
b. objectivity
c. the horse race
d. selective perception
Topic: The Media and Governance
Learning Objective: LO 9.3: Evaluate the media’s influence on public opinion
and attention.
Page Reference: 281
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
True–False Questions
61. Mass media by definition disseminate messages to a large audience for a profit.
Topic: The Influence of the Media on Politics
Learning Objective: LO 9.1: Describe changes in the nature and extent of the
political influence of the various news media.
Page Reference: 266
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
62. President Obama used the presidential press conference more than any other
president.
Topic: The Media and Governance
Learning Objective: LO 9.5: Assess the media’s relationship to governance in
the United States.
Page Reference: 289
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
63. During the 1820s and 1830s, newspapers began shifting their appeal from the elite
toward the masses.
Topic: The Changing Role of the U.S. News Media
Learning Objective: LO 9.2: Trace the evolution of the news media over the
course of U.S. history.
Page Reference: 273
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
64. Exaggeration and sensationalism are often associated with yellow journalism.
Topic: The Changing Role of the U.S. News Media
Learning Objective: LO 9.2: Trace the evolution of the news media over the
course of U.S. history.
Page Reference: 273
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
65. U.S. public opinion is not influenced by the images and events covered by
television.
Topic: The Media and Public Opinion
Learning Objective: LO 9.3: Evaluate the media’s influence on public opinion
and attention.
Page Reference: 278
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
66. Campaign advertising has recently taken on a much more positive tone with
regard to the opposing candidate.
Topic: The Media and Elections
Learning Objective: LO 9.4: Describe the media’s role in elections and the
associated problems and benefits.
Page Reference: 287
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
67. Most Americans believe that the media are a valuable watchdog over government.
Topic: The Media and Governance
Learning Objective: LO 9.5: Assess the media’s relationship to governance in
the United States.
Page Reference: 290
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
68. Political campaigns no longer use radio to communicate with voters.
Topic: The Influence of the Media on Politics
Learning Objective: LO 9.1: Describe changes in the nature and extent of the
political influence of the various news media.
Page Reference: 270
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
69. The growth of the Internet has led to fragmentation of media audiences.
Topic: The Media and Public Opinion
Learning Objective: LO 9.3: Evaluate the media’s influence on public opinion
and attention.
Page Reference: 282
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
70. Selective perception is the process by which we pick our political attitudes,
values, and beliefs.
Topic: The Media and Public Opinion
Learning Objective: LO 9.3: Evaluate the media’s influence on public opinion
and attention.
Page Reference: 281
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
71. Media consultants are playing an increasingly important role in political
campaigns.
Topic: The Media and Elections
Learning Objective: LO 9.4: Describe the media’s role in elections and the
associated problems and benefits.
Page Reference: 286
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
72. Of the three branches of government, the executive branch depends least on the
press.
Topic: The Media and Governance
Learning Objective: LO 9.5: Assess the media’s relationship to governance in
the United States.
Page Reference: 289
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
73. The Internet and social media have become increasingly important largely
because they are easily accessible.
Topic: The Influence of the Media on Politics
Learning Objective: LO 9.1: Describe changes in the nature and extent of the
political influence of the various news media.
Page Reference: 267
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
74. Politicians are friendly with the press in part because of the level of influence the
media have on the voting public.
Topic: The Media and Public Opinion
Learning Objective: LO 9.3: Evaluate the media’s influence on public opinion
and attention.
Page Reference: 280
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
75. For a potential candidate, looking and sounding good on television are
increasingly important.
298
Topic: The Media and Elections
Learning Objective: LO 9.4: Describe the media’s role in elections and the
associated problems and benefits.
Page Reference: 284
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
Fill–in–the–Blank Questions
76. The television networks ABC, NBC, and CBS are known as __________.
Topic: The Influence of the Media on Politics
Learning Objective: LO 9.1: Describe changes in the nature and extent of the
political influence of the various news media.
Page Reference: 268
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Difficulty Level: Difficult
77. Party identification acts as a(n) __________ through which people view the
media.
Topic: The Media and Public Opinion
Learning Objective: LO 9.3: Evaluate the media’s influence on public opinion
and attention.
Page Reference: 281
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
78. The nickname __________ was given to Ronald Reagan.
Topic: The Media and Public Opinion
Learning Objective: LO 9.3: Evaluate the media’s influence on public opinion
and attention.
Page Reference: 279
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
299
Difficulty Level: Moderate
79. Before the ___________, all news that was reported was political.
Topic: The Changing Role of the U.S. News Media
Learning Objective: LO 9.2: Trace the evolution of the news media over the
course of U.S. history.
Page Reference: 273
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
80. The primary responsibility of a(n) __________ is to provide a positive image of
the candidate and to reinforce negative images of the opponent.
Topic: The Media and Public Opinion
Learning Objective: LO 9.4: Describe the media’s role in elections and the
associated problems and benefits.
Page Reference: 286
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
81. __________ of types of media used in campaigns lessens the ability of any one
medium to influence election outcomes.
Topic: The Media and Elections
Learning Objective: LO 9.4: Describe the media’s role in elections and the
associated problems and benefits.
Page Reference: 283
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
82. The Supreme Court does not allow the use of ___________ to cover oral
arguments.
Topic: The Media and Governance
Learning Objective: LO 9.5: Assess the media’s relationship to governance in
the United States.
Page Reference: 289 – 290
300
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
83. Newspapers, the Internet, and radio are all examples of __________.
Topic: The Influence of the Media on Politics
Learning Objective: LO 9.1: Describe changes in the nature and extent of the
political influence of the various news media.
Page Reference: 266
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
84. The first newspapers in the early 1800s were run by __________.
Topic: The Changing Role of the U.S. News Media
Learning Objective: LO 9.2: Trace the evolution of the news media over the
course of U.S. history.
Page Reference: 273
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
85. The commercial tradition of exaggeration and sensationalism in selling
newspapers is called __________.
Topic: The Changing Role of the U.S. News Media
Learning Objective: LO 9.2: Trace the evolution of the news media over the
course of U.S. history.
Page Reference: 273
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
86. All serious candidates today have ___________ to make their positions and
policies accessible to the electorate via the computer.
Topic: The Influence of the Media on Politics
Learning Objective: LO 9.1: Describe changes in the nature and extent of the
political influence of the various news media.
Page Reference: 272
301
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Difficulty Level: Moderate
87. __________ held the largest number of press conferences of any president in U.S.
history.
Topic: The Media and Governance
Learning Objective: LO 9.5: Assess the media’s relationship to governance in
the United States.
Page Reference: 289
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Difficulty Level: Easy
88. When Walter Mondale famously said that he would give up the right to veto any
law Congress sent him for media access, he was simply acknowledging the power
of __________ news during the 1970s and 1980s.
Topic: The Media and Public Opinion
Learning Objective: LO 9.3: Evaluate the media’s influence on public opinion
and attention.
Page Reference: 279
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
89. __________ often has far more impact on our opinions than the information or
views we get from an impersonal television program or newspaper article.
Topic: The Media and Public Opinion
Learning Objective: LO 9.3: Evaluate the media’s influence on public opinion
and attention.
Page Reference: 281
Skill Level: Analyze It
Difficulty Level: Difficult
90. Although the media insist that they pay attention to all candidates who have a
__________ to win, they also influence who gets such an opportunity.
Topic: The Media and Elections
302