Chapter 13
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
______.
a. Larry Flynt
b. Samuel Roth
c. Barbara Ringer
d. Judith Miller
2. The belief that Americans should be allowed to freely express themselves originated with
which of the following?
a. Smith Act
b. Espionage Act of 1918
c. USA PATRIOT Act
d. First Amendment
3. The John Peter Zenger case established which of the following?
a. truth as an absolute defense against libel
b. that the Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional
c. the requirement to submit to government censorship was illegal
d. “the right of the people peaceably to assemble”
4. The law passed by Congress following the 9/11 attacks, which expanded the ability of the FBI
to look into people’s media use and tap their phones, is known as which of the following?
a. Smith Act
b. Espionage Act
c. USA PATRIOT Act
d. First Amendment
5. The definition of libel is which of the following?
a. any published statement that unjustifiably exposes someone to ridicule or contempt
b. any published statement about someone that can be established to be untrue
c. any true but embarrassing statement or image of an individual
d. all of the above
6. Truth is not always an effective defense against libel for which of the following reasons?
a. Many people do not want to believe the truth.
b. Too many people are willing to lie in court.
c. It is not always clear what the truth is.
d. It may be necessary to keep the truth private.
7. Which of the following cases established that the actual malice standard in libel law applied to
public figures as well as public officials?
a. Morse v. Frederick
b. Cohen v. Cowles Media
c. Gertz v. Roberts
d. Food Lion v. ABC
8. Which of the following did the Supreme Court suggest judges do after overturning the Sam
Sheppard conviction?
a. have the trial quickly, before the public forms an opinion
b. put a gag order on all participants in the trial
c. make rules about how frequently the media can report on the trial
d. all of the above
9. Which of the following cases established that reporters have a legal obligation to keep a verbal
promise made to a source?
a. Morse v. Frederick
b. Cohen v. Cowles Media
c. Gertz v. Roberts
d. Food Lion v. ABC
10. Which of the following cases established that reporters have a right to publish truthful
information even if it was obtained using deception?
a. Morse v. Frederick
b. Cohen v. Cowles Media
c. Gertz v. Roberts
d. Food Lion v. ABC
11. Several newspapers were initially prevented from printing the Pentagon Papers through the
government’s use of which of the following?
a. libel law
b. invasion of privacy law
c. prior restraint
d. obscenity law
12. In the case of Roth v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down which of the
following rulings?
a. Obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment.
b. All sexually explicit material is obscene.
c. It is illegal to publish an article about how to build a nuclear bomb.
d. High school principals are allowed to censor a student newspaper for “any legitimate
educational purpose.”
13. The first U.S. copyright law permitted authors and artists to protect their work for how long?
a. 10 years
b. 28 years
c. 80 years
d. 90 years
14. The FCC’s Equal Time Provision requires that stations do which of the following?
a. provide free air time to candidates
b. prohibit libelous information in political ads
c. have “fair and balanced” newscasts
d. give all candidates equal access to non-news air time
15. Editorial cartoons are generally given a lot of protection from libel for which of the following
reasons?
a. Many attorneys and judges enjoy reading them.
b. They rarely express anything derogatory about a public figure.
c. Their writers are typically quite cautious about checking their facts.
d. They are considered a statement of opinion, neither true nor false.
16. The First Amendment does not protect people from being sued for statements that are which
of the following?
a. false
b. libelous
c. unpopular
d. politically incorrect
17. A newspaper ran an article that says a congressman has accepted a number of payments from
an oil company. The article claims that the payments were illegal and that the congressman has
committed a crime by receiving the payments. It turns out that the reporter made a mistake in
reading a financial report, and the payments were, in fact, legal. The congressman sues the
newspaper for libel. The newspaper acknowledges that it made a mistake, apologizes, and then
defends itself using the legal principles established by which of the following cases?
a. New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
b. Near v. Minnesota
c. Gertz v. Welch
d. Miller v. California
18. A clothing company starts selling a line of dresses called the “Going Gaga” collection that
they say is based on the style sense of singer Lady Gaga. The company does not get Ms. Gaga’s
permission and does not pay her a licensing fee. Lady Gaga sues the company to make it stop
selling the clothing. The grounds for Ms. Gaga’s lawsuit would be based on which of the
following?
a. invasion of privacy—misappropriation
b. invasion of privacy—intrusion
c. invasion of privacy—false light
d. You can’t fool me; she would have no grounds for an invasion of privacy suit.
19. A photographer goes onto private property and takes a picture of a woman sunbathing topless
in her backyard. The woman could sue for which of the following?
a. invasion of privacy—misappropriation
b. invasion of privacy—intrusion
c. invasion of privacy—false light
d. You can’t fool me; she would have no grounds for an invasion of privacy suit.
20. The central argument for allowing cameras in the courtroom is which of the following?
a. Court trials make for exciting media.
b. Young people should be exposed to trials as an educational experience.
c. A trial belongs to the public, not the participants in the trial.
d. Advertising revenue for televised trials can help pay the cost of running the courts.
21. The Progressive case demonstrated which of the following?
a. It is difficult for the government to suppress information that people want to make public.
b. High school students can be punished for speech promoting drug use.
c. Journalists can be sent to jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury.
d. Bloggers are considered journalists by the courts.
22. In the Hazelwood case, the Supreme Court made which of the following rulings about high
school newspapers?
a. They could be censored only when they invade the privacy of “a teacher, student, or other
employee of the district.”
b. They are entitled to “the full protection of the First Amendment.”
c. They could be censored at any time because the newspaper was part of a class and not a
“public forum.”
d. They are a valuable resource and should be given “as much freedom as possible without
compromising discipline at the school.”
23. The case of Morse v. Frederick demonstrated which of the following?
a. It is difficult for the government to suppress information that people want to make public.
b. High school students can be punished for speech promoting drug use.
c. Journalists can be sent to jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury.
d. Bloggers are considered journalists by the courts.
24. The Judith Miller case demonstrated which of the following?
a. It is difficult for the government to suppress information that people want to make public.
b. High school students can be punished for speech promoting drug use.
c. Journalists can be sent to jail for refusing to testify before a grand jury.
d. Bloggers are considered journalists by the courts.
25. Are bloggers who report news on their own Web sites protected by the same shield laws that
protect journalists?
a. Yes, bloggers are considered journalists by the courts.
b. No, bloggers are given no special protection as members of the press.
c. Bloggers who have been to journalism school are protected.
d. It’s hard to tell. The different courts have ruled in different ways.
26. Net neutrality means ______.
a. Internet providers cannot censor transmitted material on the basis of content
b. message packets sent over the Internet must carry a neutral electric charge
c. Web sites have to be balanced in their coverage of political news
d. Internet providers can’t favor the transmission of content from one site over that of another
27. The greatest impact on broadcasting of the Telecommunications Act of 1996
was which of the following?
a. a relaxation of ownership rules
b. the introduction of the V-chip
c. attempts to regulate the Internet
d. the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine
28. The Communications Decency Act was struck down in 1997 because it did which of the
following?
a. limited the First Amendment rights of minors
b. limited the First Amendment rights of adults
c. violated the standards set in Morse v. Frederick
d. violated the standards set in United States v. Noriega
29. The National Security Agency (NSA) used section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act to justify
______.
a. placing video monitors in dressing rooms in shopping malls
b. collecting “metadata” phone information on millions of Americans who were not suspected of
any crime
c. suppressing stories in newspapers that were critical of the NSA
d. all of the above
30. The USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 took away the right of the National Security Agency
(NSA) to ______.
a. place video monitors in dressing rooms in shopping malls
b. collect “metadata” phone information on millions of Americans who were not suspected of
any crime
c. suppress stories in newspapers that were critical of the NSA
d. You can’t fool me; the USA FREEDOM Act expanded what the NSA could do, not limit it.
31. The Oklahoma City bombing case trial demonstrated the importance and usefulness of
______.
a. having a judge who keeps tight control of the trail
b. punishing journalists who reveal confidential trial information
c. closing the trial so that the public cannot see or hear the testimony
d. having the full trial broadcast on network and cable television nationwide