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28. BP’s response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil-rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico is an
excellent example of a company’s use of thoughtful crisis management to help its public
relations.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
29. When someone put poison in several bottles of Tylenol, company executives decided to
withhold comment for a few days while they assessed the damage.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
30. Journalists have traditionally held public relations practitioners in low esteem.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
31. Flack is the informal term some journalists use to describe PR people who interject
themselves between their clients and the press.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
32. Though most news reporters won’t easily admit it, they would have a harder time doing their
job without the help of PR practitioners.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
33. The fact that PR professionals often move into journalism contributes to ongoing tensions
between journalism and PR.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
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34. Reporters object to PR flacks who make it difficult for them to get access to people they want
to interview.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
35. Individuals and organizations with extensive PR resources usually receive more coverage in
the media than those without such PR resources.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
36. The mass media devote relatively few resources to the coverage of labor news.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
37. The PRSA tends to downplay ethical issues in public relations.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
38. Former president Richard Nixon used PR techniques to restore his tarnished image after he
left the White House.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
39. In 1992, the FTC first issued its “Green Guides.”
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
40. Which of the following was William F. Cody’s top publicity agent?
a.
“Poison Ivy” Lee
b.
John Burke
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c.
Edward Bernays
d.
Pierre Salinger
ANSWER:
b
41. Buffalo Bill’s publicity agent, John Burke, used all of the following EXCEPT ______ to
promote Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show.
a.
newspaper stories
b.
dime novels
c.
movies
d.
radio ads
ANSWER:
d
42. In the 1850s, America’s largest railroads used press agents to
a.
drum up passenger business.
b.
sell shares of stock.
c.
campaign for government funding.
d.
help them drop fares and shipping rates.
ANSWER:
c
43. In 1850, which industry began using press agents to help them get federal funds?
a.
electric companies
b.
railroads
c.
Carnegie Corporation
d.
telephone companies
ANSWER:
b
44. In a move widely attributed to Ivy Ledbetter Lee, John D. Rockefeller Sr. handed out ______
to children whenever he was in public; this positively transformed his image in the wake of the
______ disaster.
a.
candy/Standard Oil
b.
nickels/Standard Oil
c.
dimes/Ludlow
d.
quarters/Standard Oil
ANSWER:
c
45. Ivy Ledbetter Lee believed that facts
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a.
should not be manipulated or interpreted in any way.
b.
should be avoided at all costs and that it was better to deceive the public.
c.
were elusive and malleable, begging to be forged and shaped.
d.
were completely uninteresting to a public that just wanted to be entertained.
ANSWER:
c
46. “Since crowds do not _____,” Ivy Ledbetter Lee noted in 1917, “they can only be organized
and stimulated through symbols and phrases.”
a.
hear
b.
reason
c.
listen
d.
speak
ANSWER:
b
47. Edward Bernays, who authored the first PR textbook, is more generally known for which of
the following?
a.
being the first to send exaggerated stories to the press about his clients and to use
gossip and rumor as part of his campaigns
b.
staging the Boston Tea Party as the first PR event, using costumed protesters to add
controversy to the political statement
c.
being the first to use social science research and psychology to stage events that
associated a product with a particular attitude
d.
arguing that PR is about coercion, not consent
ANSWER:
c
48. Which of the following is NOT true about Ivy Ledbetter Lee, one of the founders of modern
public relations?
a.
He wrote the first college textbook on public relations.
b.
He worked as a reporter.
c.
He argued that an open relationship between business and the press would lead to a
better public image.
d.
He thought facts were important but also elusive and malleable.
ANSWER:
a
49. Edward Bernays NEVER did which of the following?
a.
called himself a public relations counselor
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b.
helped end the taboo against women smoking in public
c.
taught the first college class in public relations
d.
worked with women
ANSWER:
d
50. _____ wrote the famous book Public Opinion in 1922.
a.
Ivy Ledbetter Lee
b.
Walter Lippmann
c.
Edward Bernays
d.
P. T. Barnum
ANSWER:
b
51. Journalists like Walter Lippmann worried that
a.
they would lose their jobs to slick and savvy PR professionals.
b.
PR professionals lacked the professional detachment of journalists and held too much
power over American public opinion.
c.
PR professionals would obstruct journalists’ access to people in power, like politicians
and company presidents.
d.
PR professionals were laughing at the “poor journalists.”
ANSWER:
b
52. Which statement does NOT describe the current state of the public relations industry?
a.
There are fewer than one thousand public relations firms in the United States alone.
b.
There are thousands of corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations that have
their own PR departments.
c.
A good deal of the money and power in the PR field flows through a handful of major
multinational holding companies that often own several PR agencies.
d.
Most independent public relations firms operate on a local or regional level.
ANSWER:
a
53. Communication strategically placed—either as advertising or as publicity—to gain support
for a special issue, program, or policy is known as
a.
a public service announcement.
b.
lobbying.
c.
a pseudo-event.
d.
propaganda.
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ANSWER:
d
54. One of the most essential practices in the PR profession is doing
a.
PSAs.
b.
research.
c.
VNRs.
d.
publicity.
ANSWER:
b
55. One of the chief day-to–day functions in public relations is _____ for the news media or the
public.
a.
managing trade shows
b.
conducting historical tours
c.
creating and distributing PR messages
d.
producing employee newsletters
ANSWER:
c
56. Small media companies often use press releases verbatim because
a.
larger PR firms have more control over them.
b.
they have limited editorial resources.
c.
press releases always contain reliable information.
d.
a larger company’s press release contains the most original ideas.
ANSWER:
b
57. Usually, the more closely a press release resembles ______, the more likely it is to be used.
a.
actual news copy
b.
a VNR
c.
a PSA
d.
a pseudo-event
ANSWER:
a
58. Video news releases are
a.
public service announcements (PSAs).
b.
aired by TV stations as part of their requirement to serve the public interest.
c.
produced by PR agencies and companies for use in TV newscasts.
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d.
eagerly accepted by TV news departments, especially in large markets.
ANSWER:
c
59. Unlike publicity, which is sometimes outside a PR agency’s control, ______ may help focus
a complex issue or a client’s image.
a.
VNRs
b.
PSAs
c.
paid advertising
d.
press releases
ANSWER:
c
60. A pseudo-event is
a.
an unexpected and unplanned event.
b.
an exclusive gathering for society’s most fashionable people.
c.
any activity held for the sole purpose of getting media coverage.
d.
any illegal fund-raising circumstance.
ANSWER:
c
61. One of the most successful pseudo-events in recent years was
a.
P. T. Barnum’s publicity stunts.
b.
the publication of Unsafe at Any Speed.
c.
Felix Baumgartner’s free dive from the stratosphere.
d.
the first press conference held by Theodore Roosevelt.
ANSWER:
c
62. When companies host plant tours, donate money to charity, and support festivals, these are
examples of
a.
astroturf lobbying.
b.
social media relations.
c.
community and consumer relations.
d.
deadheading.
ANSWER:
c
63. Which of the following refers to the process of attempting to influence the voting of
lawmakers to support a company’s or an organization’s best interests?
a.
lobbying
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b.
deadheading
c.
outsourcing
d.
promotions
ANSWER:
a
64. Astroturf lobbying is
a.
illegal fund-raising efforts.
b.
sports-centered PR events.
c.
any activity held for the purpose of getting coverage in the media.
d.
phony grassroots public affairs campaigns.
ANSWER:
d
65. The Edelman Orlando office helped organize and assist the One Orlando Alliance in
a.
passing legislation banning soda and junk food from public schools
b.
banning smoking in restaurants
c.
connecting community leaders and more than thirty nonprofit organizations to unify
the LGBTQ+ community
d.
creating legislation banning the sale of foie gras
ANSWER:
c
66. Which of the following is a benefit of placing press releases, social media releases, VNRs,
images, executive bios, and other information on a company website?
a.
It prevents the public from getting too interested in a company.
b.
It helps the company keep its information private.
c.
It removes some of the barriers between an organization and the groups that PR
professionals ultimately want to reach.
d.
It leads to less press coverage in the event of a company PR crisis.
ANSWER:
c
67. Which statement about the relationship between public relations and social media sites is
true?
a.
Corporate executives can cast themselves in a friendly role by sharing professional
and personal observations.
b.
Politicians strictly avoid using services like Twitter because of the chance of saying
something damaging.
c.
Facebook doesn’t allow companies or politicians to have their own pages.
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d.
Wikipedia encourages PR firms to modify entries for their clients’ benefit.
ANSWER:
a
68. Why did the Federal Trade Commission set new rules about PR blogging in 2009?
a.
It was concerned about the use of sexually explicit images.
b.
It was worried about company representatives altering Wikipedia entries.
c.
It was concerned about “mom bloggers” offering advice about consumer products
while secretly getting money and gifts from the companies they reviewed.
d.
It didn’t like the fact that some companies had Facebook pages.
ANSWER:
c
69. Since the Ludlow strike, one important duty of PR has been helping a corporation handle
a.
how clients use social media tools like Facebook and Twitter to interact with
audiences.
b.
Wikipedia entries for its clients’ benefit.
c.
the promotion of its products by apparently independent bloggers.
d.
a public crisis or tragedy.
ANSWER:
d
70. Formerly British Petroleum, the company changed its name to BP with
a.
a promotional video highlighting the company’s products.
b.
the launch of a new logo in an effort to appear more “green-friendly.”
c.
press releases without journalistic filters.
d.
flattering bios of company officials on a website.
ANSWER:
b
71. How did BP respond to the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010?
a.
The chair referred to the “great people” of the Gulf region.
b.
It overestimated the amount of oil leaking.
c.
It urged the government to pay the cost of cleanup.
d.
It created a TV commercial campaign to communicate its cleanup efforts.
ANSWER:
d
72. Which of the following demonstrates why the 1982 tragedy involving someone tampering
with Tylenol packages and lacing them with poison is often given as an example of the correct
way to handle public relations during a crisis?
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a.
Tylenol successfully shifted blame by telling lies to cast suspicion on competitors.
b.
Tylenol changed its name to avoid any lingering negative publicity.
c.
Tylenol underestimated the number of contaminated bottles and still managed to get
the public to sympathize with the company.
d.
Tylenol offered full disclosure of the problem to the press, recalled its products
nationwide, and set up emergency phone lines to take calls from consumers and
health-care providers.
ANSWER:
d
73. The term flack is a derogatory term
a.
coined by journalists to describe PR agents.
b.
coined by PR professionals to describe their clients.
c.
coined by PR professionals to describe journalists.
d.
coined by journalists to describe the people that PR agents protect.
ANSWER:
a
74. Another cause of tension is that PR firms often raid the ranks of reporting for
a.
better stories.
b.
public opinion.
c.
new talent.
d.
prime-time coverage.
ANSWER:
c
75. A journalist might be likely to criticize public relations professionals for
a.
providing a useful press release for an upcoming event.
b.
only letting reporters sympathetic to the goals of an embattled company interview that
company’s president.
c.
helping them find experts to interview.
d.
giving a full and detailed account of the facts surrounding an issue.
ANSWER:
b
76. Which of the following is NOT true about PR?
a.
It tends to borrow a “neutral” voice from reporters or public officials.
b.
Journalism and PR have a symbiotic relationship with each other.
c.
Press releases are one of the common types of corporate PR.
d.
PR ultimately has little influence on news content.
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ANSWER:
d
77. The PRSA is
a.
a specialized area within PR.
b.
a division of the Center for Media and Democracy.
c.
the internal watchdog group for PR.
d.
the public agenda for private interests.
ANSWER:
c