Filak, Dynamics of Media Writing, 2e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Chapter 7: Social Media
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Social media ______.
A. relies less on a central focal point of information and more on pockets of interested
individuals finding each other on various platforms
B. relies more on a central focal point of information and less on pockets of interested
individuals finding each other on various platforms
C. only allows the audience to receive content
D. only allows the audience to send content
2. In the case of social media, ______.
A. few individuals serve as the sources of information
B. many individuals serve as the sources of information
C. trust is not conveyed on an individual basis
D. each reader can’t decide for himself or herself if that source is worthy of attention
3. Selective engagement means ______.
A. readers can’t choose which news feeds to follow
B. readers can’t refine their social media selections based on their interests
C. readers “follow” certain Twitter or Instagram accounts to get information from specific
individuals
D. readers have less choices in news selection
4. Social media is valuable because ______.
A. news can’t be shared easily
B. news can’t be updated easily
C. news can’t benefit from a variety of sources
D. it allows access on all devices
5. Twitter ______.
A. began as an outgrowth of short message services (SMS), in which users could send
basic text messages to one another via mobile devices
B. can’t be used effectively in public relations
C. can’t be used effectively in advertising
D. can’t be used effectively in news gathering
6. The following are all drawbacks of using Twitter EXCEPT ______.
A. The quick use of thumb-based keyboards occasionally leads to spelling problems
B. Twitter allows you to drive traffic to your site through the use of micro-URLs
C. it can be difficult for people to understand more complex topics
D. writers can have difficulty conveying the proper tone in so few characters, thus
angering readers who misunderstand the intent behind the tweets
7. The following are some key writing tips to create top-notch tweets EXCEPT ______.
A. start with the noun-verb structure
B. make one point at a time
C. don’t edit and tighten
D. use smart substitutions
8. The following are ways to avoid failing when connecting with your audience EXCEPT
______.
A. avoid double entendres
B. don’t misappropriate someone else’s campaign
C. don’t let robots run your social media without supervision
D. don’t prepare for the worst
9. ______ often serves as a social media hub for Twitter posts, Instagram images, and
live videos.
A. Facebook
B. LinkedIn
C. Twitter
D. Instagram
10. LinkedIn ______.
A. does not offer opportunities to share information in a more formal setting
B. allows employers to find potential candidates to fill jobs, post hiring notices, and seek
connections with like-minded people and organizations
C. does not allow employers to find potential candidates to fill jobs
D. does not allow updates as to people who viewed profiles or updates from people
within the individual’s network and suggestions for people to follow
11. Ways to build a social media audience include all of the following EXCEPT ______.
A. pick your social media platform(s) wisely
Filak, Dynamics of Media Writing, 2e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
B. let users know you are human
C. don’t produce valuable content
D. consistently post at a comfortable rate
12. The following is true about LinkedIn EXCEPT ______.
A. LinkedIn is a cross between a job fair and a breakroom at work
B. individuals can post content of a work-oriented nature on their own page, which gets
shared to the person’s connections as part of a time line
C. to improve credibility and trust among users, individuals must have an existing
relationship before being allowed to connect
D. it isn’t up to the person receiving a connection request to decide if he or she will
accept that request
13. ______ began as an outgrowth of short message services (SMS), in which users
could send basic text messages to one another via mobile devices.
A. Twitter
B. Facebook
C. Storify
D. LinkedIn
14. One of the drawbacks of ______ is the quick use of thumb-based keyboards
occasionally leads to spelling problems.
A. Storify
B. Twitter
C. LinkedIn
D. Facebook
15. ______ is a tool that allows journalists to make sense of all of these elements as
they select from various social media feeds and add their own information to tell a story.
A. Twitter
B. LinkedIn
C. Storify
D. Facebook
16. With social media, authority is conveyed ______.
A. assess the situation
B. identify the values
C. discuss the issue with others
D. by following that source’s social media accounts and deciding to share that
information with one’s own followers
17. Readers ______ certain Twitter or Instagram accounts to get information from
specific individuals.
A. subscribe
B. like
C. follow
D. pin
18. The ubiquity of social media is ______.
Filak, Dynamics of Media Writing, 2e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
A. not tied directly to the rise in portable digital devices that are always connected to the
Internet
B. tied directly to the rise in portable digital devices that are always connected to the
Internet
C. tied directly to the rise in the use of the Internet
D. tied directly to the rise in the use of desktop computers
19. ______ refers to the idea that something can spread quickly within a population
from a variety of sources.
A. Growing
B. Contagious
C. Sticky
D. Viral
20. It can be difficult for people to understand more complex topics via ______.
A. radio
B. TV
C. Twitter
D. computers
21. The tweet functions like a ______.
A. lead
B. headline and lead
C. caption
D. quote
22. ______ provide you with an option to meet people with similar interests and
showcase your skills and products.
A. Twitter and Facebook
B. Facebook and LinkedIn
C. Twitter and LinkedIn
D. Twitter and Pinterest
23. ______ offers a more formal setting with a stronger interest in business-based
connections.
A. LinkedIn
B. Twitter
C. Facebook
D. Pinterest
24. Employers can find potential candidates to fill jobs, post hiring notices, and seek
connections with like-minded people and organizations on ______.
A. Facebook
B. LinkedIn
C. Twitter
D. Pinterest
25. When it comes to Facebook and LinkedIn, ______.
A. post for a while, then give it a break
B. don’t post frequently
Filak, Dynamics of Media Writing, 2e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
C. post frequently over a short span of time
D. post frequently over an extended period of time
1. When it comes to Facebook and LinkedIn, don’t post frequently over an extended
period of time.
2. Employers can find potential candidates to fill jobs, post hiring notices, and seek
connections with like-minded people and organizations on LinkedIn.
3. Facebook and LinkedIn provide you with an option to meet people with similar
interests and showcase your skills and products.
4. The tweet functions like a quote.
5. Viral refers to the idea that something can spread quickly within a population from a
variety of sources.
6. The ubiquity of social media is tied directly to the rise in portable digital devices that
are always connected to the Internet.
7. Readers follow certain Twitter or Instagram accounts to get information from specific
individuals.
8. With social media, authority is conveyed by its advertisements.
9. Twitter is a tool that allows journalists to make sense of all of these elements as they
select from various social media feeds and add their own information to tell a story.
10. One of the drawbacks of Twitter is the quick use of thumb-based keyboards
occasionally leads to spelling problems.
Filak, Dynamics of Media Writing, 2e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
11. Facebook began as an outgrowth of short message services (SMS), in which users
could send basic text messages to one another via mobile devices.
12. LinkedIn is a cross between a job fair and a breakroom at work.
13. One way to build a social media audience is to produce boring content.
14. LinkedIn allows employers to find potential candidates to fill jobs, post hiring notices,
and seek connections with like-minded people and organizations.
15. Facebook often serves as a social media hub for Twitter posts, Instagram images,
and live videos.
16. One way to avoid failing when connecting with your audience is to appropriate
someone else’s campaign.
17. Twitter began as an outgrowth of short message services (SMS), in which users
could send basic text messages to one another via mobile devices.
18. Social media is valuable because it allows access on all devices.
19. Selective engagement means readers “follow” certain Twitter or Instagram accounts
to get information from specific individuals.
1. How does social media work as a communications platform?
2. Why is social media valuable?
3. How does a tweet function?
4. How can you use Facebook to cultivate your audience?
5. What are the key elements for building your social media audience?
1. What are some of the characteristics of social media?
Filak, Dynamics of Media Writing, 2e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
2. What are some of the things that make social media valuable?
3. How can you write a good tweet?
4. What is the difference between Facebook and LinkedIn?
5. How can you build your social media audience?