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Chapter 08: Essay
Essay
1. Describe the kind of journalism used in the 2016 Academy Award–winning movie for best
picture, Spotlight.
ANSWER:
The 2016 Academy Award–winning movie for best picture, Spotlight, showcased the
kind of journalism that holds people in power accountable and that also changes
lives. This type of journalism is dying out today due to the loss of so many reporters.
Spotlight, the Boston Globe‘s investigative reporting team, won the Pulitzer Prize for
public service because it unveiled sexual abuse by Catholic priests. The movie
reinforced this idea of journalists working as a team rather than independently. It also
stood out in a time of “fake news” and noise from social media. Spotlight highlighted
real investigative journalism.
2. How did newspapers emerge as a mass medium during the penny press era?
ANSWER:
During the time when newspapers were rising in popularity, printing techniques were
not yet developed to help keep the cost of production down. The average newspaper
cost six cents per copy and approximately ten to twelve dollars for a one-year
subscription. Because this price was above most working-class salaries, newspaper
readers were mostly wealthy. Once the Industrial Revolution struck, penny papers
started to compete with six-cent papers. Penny papers were constructed of machine-
made paper and printed with steam-powered presses. With these technological
advancements, publishers were able to print significantly more copies at a much
faster pace.
3. What are the two main features of yellow journalism?
ANSWER:
Yellow journalism thrived on sensational stories and in-depth “detective” stories.
This type of journalism took on a watchdog role for the common people by exposing
corruption in business and government. These papers accentuated large headlines and
more readable copy in order to draw in more readers. These exciting human-interest
stories and crime news went hand in hand with the rise of competitive dailies and
penny papers. Yellow journalism closely resembles that of today’s tabloid papers and
reality television.
4. Explain different models of the newspaper in American society.
ANSWER:
Newspapers in American society came in multiple types. Early commercial papers
covered mostly important events with an impartial stance. These were meant to keep
the public informed with factual information. In the late nineteenth century, as papers
aimed for greater circulation, reporting changed. The story-driven model focused on
dramatizing important events. This model was used primarily by the penny papers
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Chapter 08: Essay
and the yellow press. The “just the facts” model took a different approach to
reporting. This model delivered stories in a much more impartial manner.
5. Why have African American newspapers had to struggle to maintain their circulation over the
past two decades?
ANSWER:
African American papers struggled in the beginning due to high illiteracy rates
among potential readers along with the hostility they faced from white society. These
papers took a stand against race baiting, lynching, and the Ku Klux Klan. Before the
Civil Rights movement even began, these African American papers promoted racial
pride. More struggle hit when funding drastically declined from advertisers
withdrawing support. This was due to the advertisers’ attempt to avoid controversy
during the Civil Rights movement. Following the enactment of Civil Rights laws, a
more integrated mainstream press initially hurt black papers, but black reporters and
editors eventually started to return to black press newsrooms. Around the early
2000s, minorities working in newsrooms grew to about 13 percent of the journalistic
workforce.
6. Describe the role of the underground press.
ANSWER:
The underground press had an overwhelming effect on journalism and society during
the late 1960s. These alternative papers, which popped up on college campuses and
in major cities, challenged mainstream political policies and conventional values with
radical opinions. Inspired by thinkers, artists, poets, and writers, these papers
criticized social institutions and official reports distributed by public relations agents,
government spokespeople, and the conventional press. These papers also gave a
voice to those whose opinions were often excluded from the mainstream press,
including students, women, African Americans, Native Americans, and gay men and
lesbians.
7. In what ways has the Internet resulted in changes in traditional newspaper operations?
ANSWER:
While traditional newspapers struggled to compete with the 24/7 news cycle on cable
television, the Internet gave them a fighting chance. Print newspapers may seem to
be facing extinction, but the Internet has provided a platform in which stories can be
shared immediately, be updated multiple times as stories advance, and be
accompanied by audio and video content and hyperlinks to additional resources. With
unlimited space, stories do not have to be abridged and can take advantage of the
flexibility of the web. Most online news sources are free of charge to readers, can be
accessed at any time, and possess an archive of past news stories that can be searched
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8. If traditional forms of revenue generation for newspapers (subscriptions and advertising) are
both falling for many newspapers, what possible alternatives are there to support the vital role of
print journalism?
ANSWER:
One of the biggest mistakes newspaper executives made was giving away online
content for free at the beginning of the Internet age. Execs saw online content as its
own advertisement to direct readers to purchase the print editions. Traditional printed
newspapers drew in revenue from subscription fees and paid advertising. Because of
this poor judgment early on, newspapers are now failing in their belated attempt to
charge for online content. Online readers are pushing back when it comes to the idea
of paying for content that was once free. Because readers will not want to pay for a
currently free service, revenue must come from other sources, such as ads prefacing
news video content and fees to access archived editions.
9. What is citizen journalism? Describe the possible positive and negative effects of citizen
journalism on the news media.
ANSWER:
Citizen journalism is the result of both the online news surge and traditional
newsroom cutbacks. Begun as a grassroots movement, citizen journalism refers to
activist amateurs and concerned citizens who use the Internet and blogs to publish
their own version of news and information. Many newspapers are trying to employ
these amateurs as a way to continue to report the news at a lower cost along with
combating newsroom downsizing. While this model still broadcasts the news, most
journalists and many citizens would prefer the higher-quality writing and video
produced by professionals. Some news sites have adopted the “pro-am” model, which
would provide more promise for the future of citizen journalism. In this model,
professionals provide training to amateurs in order to create better content.
Completion
1. An early dominant style of American journalism distinguished by opinion newspapers, which
generally argued the political point of view of the particular party that subsidized the paper, is
called the _______.
ANSWER:
partisan press
2. News accounts that focus on the trials and triumphs of the human condition are called
_______, which often feature ordinary individuals facing extraordinary challenges.
ANSWER:
human-interest stories
3. Yellow journalism can be seen as a predecessor of _______: news reports that hunt out and
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ANSWER:
investigative journalism
4. _______, who bought the New York Journal in 1895, is considered a yellow journalism
publisher.
ANSWER:
William Randolph Hearst
5. _______ was a female reporter for the New York World who traveled around the world in
seventy-two days.
ANSWER:
Nellie Bly
6. William Randolph Hearst reportedly once said, “The modern editor of the popular journal
does not care for _______. The editor wants novelty.”
ANSWER:
facts
7. _______ bought the New York Times in 1896.
ANSWER:
Adolph Ochs
8. _______, who bought the New York Times in 1896, championed “no frills” reporting.
ANSWER:
Adolph Ochs
9. The inverted-pyramid style is associated with _______ journalism.
ANSWER:
objective
10. _______ is a style of journalism that answers who, what, where, when (and, less frequently,
why or how) questions at the top of the story.
ANSWER:
Inverted-pyramid style
11. _______ attempts to make the news more scientifically accurate by using poll surveys and
questionnaires.
ANSWER:
Precision journalism
12. The space left over in a newspaper for news content after all the ads are placed is called the
_______.
ANSWER:
newshole
13. As a grassroots movement, _______ refers to people who use the Internet and blogs to
disseminate news and information.
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ANSWER:
citizen journalism
Multiple Choice
1. The first newspaper produced in North America was Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and
Domestick.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
2. By the late 1820s, the average newspaper cost eighteen cents per copy.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
3. Yellow journalism in the 1890s was the origin of objective journalism in the twentieth
century.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
4. The term yellow journalism originated from a New York newspaper in the late nineteenth
century that was printed on yellow-toned paper stock.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
5. The term yellow journalism has become associated with the cartoon strip created by R. F.
Outcault.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
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6. Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World sent star reporter Nellie Bly around the world in seventy-
two days to beat the fictional “record” set in the popular Jules Verne novel Around the World in
Eighty Days.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
7. The New York Journal used the motto “It does not soil the breakfast cloth.”
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
8. Journalism is a scientific and objective method of communication.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
9. The inverted-pyramid news story form is most commonly used with longer feature stories.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
10. History suggests that objective reporting grew out of an opportunity to mass-market news
that would not offend particular groups.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
11. Literary journalism uses the devices of fiction to construct a portrait of the real world using
nonfictional material.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
12. Digital news has helped speed up the news cycle.
a.
True
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b.
False
ANSWER:
a
13. According to the textbook, most small nondaily papers in the United States are consensus
oriented rather than conflict oriented.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
14. Frederick Douglass’s North Star was an antislavery paper published by a former slave.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
15. Starting around 2005, large newspaper chains responded to the decline in newspaper
circulation by buying up more newspapers and increasing newsroom staff.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
16. Many newspaper editors report that more people are reading their papers in combined print
and digital form than at any time in history.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
17. Online newspaper stories have to be briefer and more streamlined than their print version.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
18. Of all our mass media institutions, newspapers have played the leading role in sustaining
democracy.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
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19. Compared with World War II and Vietnam, the war in Iraq has been a safe haven for
reporters and other media workers.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
20. Penny press newspapers such as the New York Sun
a.
favored human-interest stories.
b.
relied on subsidies from political parties.
c.
catered to upper-class readers.
d.
were sold exclusively by subscription.
ANSWER:
a
21. Which of the following eras of journalism BEST represents the historical arrival of
newspapers as a mass medium?
a.
penny press
b.
partisan press
c.
literary journalism
d.
interpretive reporting
ANSWER:
a
22. Yellow journalism is
a.
a journalism term from the 1950s for small-town papers and reporting styles.
b.
a journalism term for federally funded newspaper archives in the 1960s and 1970s.
c.
a journalism trend that began in the late 1800s stressing profit and featuring human-
interest, stories, crime news, and large headlines.
d.
a 1980s industry term for PR–generated stories.
ANSWER:
c
23. The modern legacy of the style of journalism practiced by Joseph Pulitzer and William
Randolph Hearst includes
a.
investigative journalism and tabloid headlines.
b.
striving for objectivity in reporting.
c.
penny papers.
d.
literary journalism.
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ANSWER:
a
24. The two significant features of yellow journalism were an emphasis on crime and disasters
and
a.
an emphasis on objectivity.
b.
an emphasis on cooking tips.
c.
crusading for the common people.
d.
an emphasis on color photos.
ANSWER:
c
25. The two publishers most associated with yellow journalism in the late 1800s were
a.
Penn and Teller.
b.
Pulitzer and Hearst.
c.
Ochs and Pulitzer.
d.
Rowan and Martin
ANSWER:
b
26. By the end of the nineteenth century, crusading newspapers like the New York World had
what kind of approach to women’s rights?
a.
They were against them.
b.
They championed conservative values and the status quo.
c.
They hired women as reporters and crusaded for better conditions for women.
d.
They hired mostly women for management positions.
ANSWER:
c
27. Who reportedly said, “The modern editor of the popular journal does not care for facts. The
editor wants novelty”?
a.
Frederick Douglass
b.
Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
c.
Joseph Pulitzer
d.
William Randolph Hearst
ANSWER:
d
28. Hearst is remembered as an unscrupulous publisher because he
a.
once hired gangsters to distribute his newspapers.
b.
realized there were two sides to every issue.
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c.
discovered a scientific method for covering events.
d.
wanted to attract as many readers and advertisers as possible.
ANSWER:
a
29. Hearst—the model for Charles Foster Kane, the ruthless publisher in Orson Welles’s classic
1940 film _____—operated the largest media business in the world, comparable to today’s
Disney or Google.
a.
Spotlight
b.
Around the World in Eighty Days
c.
Citizen Kane
d.
Birth of a Nation
ANSWER:
c
30. Which of the following publications is most closely associated with the rise of modern
journalism?
a.
Time
b.
USA Today
c.
New York World
d.
New York Times
ANSWER:
d
31. Objective journalism as championed by Adolph Ochs and the New York Times was
particularly good at
a.
helping readers understand the complexities of the modern age by offering insightful
analysis and context.
b.
moving the practice of journalism out of the realm of sensationalism.
c.
exploring journalism’s ties to storytelling by adopting a more literary model.
d.
appealing to working-class readers.
ANSWER:
b
32. What point was the newspaper motto “It does not soil the breakfast cloth” trying to make?
a.
The paper had developed special ink that wouldn’t smudge.
b.
Paper carriers were instructed to avoid throwing the morning paper into mud puddles.
c.
It was going to focus on sensational and even manufactured stories.
d.
Its news stories would be less sensational and more matter of fact.
ANSWER:
d
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33. Which of the following statements about the inverted-pyramid style is NOT true?
a.
A story using this style typically begins with answering why.
b.
It serves as a quick and efficient way to organize a news story.
c.
It strives for a form of objectivity that is more likely to be accepted by people with
different backgrounds and beliefs.
d.
It can lead to formulaic stories.
ANSWER:
a
34. What spawned the rise of interpretive journalism in the 1930s and 1940s?
a.
the success of the New York Times
b.
journalists’ desire to do more creative reporting
c.
the world’s increasing complexity
d.
the expensive nature of objective reporting
ANSWER:
c
35. The practice of interpretive journalism in the twentieth century got its first significant boost
from
a.
print journalism, which then passed the practice along to radio.
b.
radio broadcasters, who started developing commentary as part of their news in the
1930s.
c.
the introduction of television.
d.
a push for probing analysis in print journalism in the 1920s and 1930s.
ANSWER:
b
36. What makes literary journalism different from early-twentieth-century models of “objective”
journalism?
a.
Literary journalism focused on a “just the facts” approach, cutting out the extra
descriptive details found in objective journalism.
b.
Literary journalism applied fiction-writing techniques to nonfiction material instead of
being purely informational, as in objective journalism.
c.
Literary journalism focused only on gossip, whereas objective journalism focused
only on news.
d.
Literary journalism believed in reporting on both sides of an argument, whereas
objective journalism focused only on one opinion.
ANSWER:
b
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37. According to the textbook, which of the following has been a critique of the idea of
journalistic objectivity?
a.
Journalists use too much flair in their stories, obscuring the important details.
b.
Objective journalism fuels unhealthy competition between journalists to see who can
get the story first.
c.
Journalists become so focused on the ideal of objective journalism that they stopped
reporting more than just basic facts.
d.
It’s too difficult to tell the journalist’s thoughts apart from the thoughts of the subject
of the story.
ANSWER:
c
38. In 1982, which of the following changed the look of most major U.S. dailies?
a.
USA Today
b.
New York Times
c.
Washington Post
d.
LA Times
ANSWER:
a
39. Which of the following is a way that online journalism is redefining news?
a.
Digital news has sped up the news cycle to a constant stream of information.
b.
Newspapers are making huge profits from their online versions.
c.
Spurred by online news, newspapers are once again rapidly expanding their news
staffs.
d.
Bloggers are taking more of a backseat to traditional journalism.
ANSWER:
a
40. Which of the following is NOT a way in which convergence with the Internet (online
journalism) is redefining how newspapers operate?
a.
More and more readers go online for news rather than subscribing to a traditional
paper.
b.
Online news is speeding up the news cycle, with constant publishing pressure rather
than a daily deadline.
c.
Bloggers can have great influence on the news that is covered by traditional
newspaper operations.
d.
Traditional newspapers choose to publish breaking news stories in print rather than
digitally.
ANSWER:
d
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41. Besides providing community calendars and meeting notices, nondaily papers focus on
______ journalism, carrying articles on local schools, social events, town government, property
crimes, and zoning issues.
a.
underground
b.
alternative
c.
conflict-oriented
d.
consensus-oriented
ANSWER:
d
42. The newshole
a.
refers to all the space not used by ads, which takes up about 35 to 50 percent of a
typical metropolitan daily newspaper.
b.
refers to those parts of the public agenda that are ignored by news media.
c.
refers to a story that is somewhat incomplete but printed anyway.
d.
refers to the space for advertising left over after the news content goes into the paper.
ANSWER:
a
43. General assignment reporters
a.
are assigned to particular beats or topics.
b.
are sometimes referred to as specialty reporters.
c.
are sometimes referred to as bureau reporters.
d.
handle all sorts of stories that might “break” in a day.
ANSWER:
d
44. Bureau reporters
a.
manage the columnists who deal with particular aspects of culture.
b.
typically file reports from major cities other than where their paper is located.
c.
work mainly on online stories.
d.
manage a newspaper’s daily operations.
ANSWER:
b
45. The textbook suggests that closing newspaper bureau offices
a.
results in a better, more detailed, and more diverse view of news events for
consumers.
b.
means fewer stories and fewer versions of stories about important issues and events.
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c.
means that newspapers are hiring more reporters to staff their central news offices.
d.
means that newspapers are cutting their arts or culture sections.
ANSWER:
b
46. Which of the following is NOT true about large newspaper chains today?
a.
They are adding more people to their newsroom staffs.
b.
They are often suffering financially because of huge debt and falling income.
c.
They are selling off individual papers.
d.
They are losing talented, award-winning journalists and editors.
ANSWER:
a
47. The business arrangement in the newspaper industry in which two separately owned papers
in the same city are permitted to combine their business and production operations is called a
a.
consensus operation (CO).
b.
multiple-system operation (MSO).
c.
duopoly.
d.
joint operating agreement (JOA).
ANSWER:
d
48. Which of the following is generally considered the biggest threat to the future of
newspapers?
a.
yellow journalism
b.
competition from radio and TV
c.
declining readership, especially among younger people
d.
the rising cost of paper
ANSWER:
c
49. Daily newspaper circulation numbers
a.
have declined, but these declines show some signs of being offset by increases in
online readership.
b.
continue to grow in terms of actual paper subscriptions in the United States.
c.
continue to decline in places like Asia, Africa, and South America.
d.
continue to grow, but newspapers are still operating in the red.
ANSWER:
a
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50. Which of the following did NOT contribute to the overall decline in newspaper readership
over most of the last century?
a.
increase in the number of working women
b.
the rise of radio
c.
competition from television
d.
greater competition from urban weeklies
ANSWER:
d
51. According to the textbook, some print journalism observers think one piece of good news for
the industry is that
a.
small papers that focus on local news and ads retain a loyal reader base.
b.
large corporate chains have numerous divisions to spread costs across.
c.
college graduates entering the print journalism field are looking for job openings.
d.
newspaper sales are increasing in North America and Europe.
ANSWER:
a
52. Advertising revenue, the lifeblood of newspaper operations,
a.
grew rapidly once the Internet boom took off in the late 1990s.
b.
is holding steady even as the number of newspaper subscriptions increases.
c.
has fallen dramatically in the last few years, with Internet ad sales unable to fill the
gap.
d.
cycles through periods of increase and decrease every few years.
ANSWER:
c
53. Which of the following statements about paywalls is NOT true?
a.
The Wall Street Journal pioneered one of the few successful paywalls.
b.
Readers who are used to free online content are shunning the idea of paywalls.
c.
A 2011 study found that smaller newspapers were more likely to have a paywall than
larger papers.
d.
Newspapers don’t see any reason for paywalls—ad revenue is more than enough to
cover costs.
ANSWER:
d
54. Smaller newspapers tend to be more _____ in their approach to news.
a.
conflict-oriented
b.
consensus-oriented
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c.
flexible
d.
partisan
ANSWER:
b
55. Worried about the shaky financial underpinnings of print journalism, some have suggested
new business models, except
a.
having former reporters start new print newspapers.
b.
having wealthy universities buy and support newspapers.
c.
having wealthy Internet companies expand into the news business.
d.
having newspapers operate as nonprofits that run on tax-deductible contributions.
ANSWER:
a
56. Which of the following is NOT a potential obstacle to print journalism’s vital role in
sustaining democracy?
a.
the risk of a reporters being injured or killed while covering important stories like
wars
b.
newsroom cutbacks
c.
the closing of foreign bureaus
d.
the addition of online newspapers
ANSWER:
d