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Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Chapter 13: Ethics
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Ethics are vitally important to journalists because they are inextricably linked to their ______.
A. wages
B. credibility
C. talent
D. education
2. Credibility is a(n) ______ component of journalism.
A. fragile
B. robust
C. optional
D. minor
3. Ethics give people a sense of what is ______.
A. legal and illegal
B. cheap and expensive
C. right and wrong
D. popular and outdated
4. What is implied by the ethical contract established between journalists and the public?
A. The public expects journalists to be fair and impartial.
B. The public realizes that journalistic mistakes are inexcusable.
C. Journalists realize they are required to tell the public what they want to hear.
D. Journalists expect the public to realize they are promoting a biased agenda.
5. Losing credibility with the public ______.
A. inevitably happens to career journalists
B. makes a journalist ineffective
C. increases a journalist’s popularity
D. subjects a journalist to criminal charges
6. The public learns that a reporter agreed not to ever mention a politician’s arrest record if the politician
would give him the name of the person who benefited from a dishonest charity. How will this revelation
affect the reporter’s credibility with the public?
A. The public will demand he be arrested for being unethical.
B. He will be admired for getting a story by any means necessary.
C. He will be respected for uncovering the dishonest charity beneficiary.
D. The public will doubt his trustworthiness and integrity.
7. Christine is a news reporter on a large metropolitan radio station. A source she has used in the past
wants to give her information about an unsafe condition at a school but asks that she wait one week to
report on it so he can check whether the school is intentionally ignoring the issue. She agrees, but then
she blasts the schools for their incompetence on her broadcast the next morning, making her informant
angry and distrustful. In this case, Christine’s relationship with her informant is not ethical because
______.
A. she did not pay the informant for his information
B. the informant had no right to ask her to delay her report
C. schools are protected from negative media publicity
D. it is not mutually beneficial to her and the informant
8. An ethical approach designed to yield the greatest total good from ethical exchanges is known as the
______.
A. veil of ignorance
B. golden mean
C. principle of utility
D. principle of self-determination
9. Avoiding making exceptions in special circumstances describes the approach known as the ______.
A. veil of ignorance
B. principle of utility
C. golden rule
D. categorical imperative
10. The belief that the relationship between the public and the media must benefit both sides is known as
the _____.
A. golden mean
B. principle of self-determination
C. veil of ignorance
D. categorical imperative
11. An ethical view that tries to balance the interests of everyone involved and provide them all with some
benefit is known as the ______.
A. categorical imperative
B. principle of utility
C. veil of ignorance
D. golden mean
12. Saying that if an informant lies to a journalist, it is acceptable for the journalist to lie to the informant is
characteristic of the ______.
A. categorical imperative
B. golden mean
C. veil of ignorance
D. principle of self-determination
13. Bob deliberately lied to an informant about his intent so he could gain access to a private meeting,
which helped him break a big story and make a name for himself. Bob violated the ethical philosophy of
______.
A. self-determination
B. diversity
C. accuracy
D. utilitarianism
14. A newspaper refuses to print allegations of misconduct against a star wrestler until after the state
finals. This is a violation of the ______.
A. principle of self-determination
B. categorical imperative
C. veil of ignorance
D. golden mean
15. Under the ethical philosophy known as the ______, when might it be acceptable for a journalist to
mislead an informant?
A. golden mean
B. categorical imperative
C. veil of ignorance
D. principle of self-determination
16. What will a beginning journalist learn when he or she begins looking at the topic of ethics?
A. Different ethical philosophies contain basically the same ideas and guidelines.
B. Ethical beliefs fall along a continuum and differ for each person.
C. There is little overlap in the ethics of different groups and individuals.
D. Ethical behavior is seldom expected by employers in the field of journalism.
17. A journalist running a story that hurts some people but helps many more exemplifies the ______.
A. golden mean
B. principle of self-determination
C. veil of ignorance
D. principle of utility
18. When a newspaper reports that a crime has happened so the public knows to be vigilant, but
withholds the name and location of the victims to protect their privacy, it is following the ______.
A. golden mean
B. veil of ignorance
C. categorical imperative
D. principle of self-determination
19. Which of the following scenarios demonstrates the veil of ignorance?
A. Larry refuses to name his source in a fraud investigation.
B. Paula refuses to withhold a negative story that involves her son’s preschool teacher.
C. Sami reports a story that identifies a solution for both sides in a contract dispute.
D. Vinny posts a story that costs the city a million dollars but potentially saves lives.
20. Which of the following scenarios demonstrates the principle of self-determination?
A. Kimo publishes a story that implicates all of the team members accused of cheating, regardless of their
importance to the team.
B. Alyssa has embarrassing information about a school teacher’s sex life that would boost her readership,
but she does not publish it because it would ruin the teacher’s reputation.
C. Colton knows his crime informant has lied to him in the past, so this time he decides to lie to the
informant.
D. Fran exposes the local manufacturing plant for releasing carcinogenic chemicals into the air, resulting
in the firing of 50 employees but a reduction in cancer risk for the entire city.
21. Haley investigates the local school system’s handling of fundraiser money. After being assured she
and her husband will not be mentioned in Haley’s article, the band director’s wife confidentially informs
Haley that her husband knows the principal took the fundraising money to pay a gambling debt, but he
will pay all of it back by the end of the month. Haley prints a front-page story naming the band director as
a source, and the principal fires him. Haley obviously does not believe in ______.
A. categorical imperative
B. accuracy
C. self-determination
D. diversity
22. News stories that are counter to the way people see the world lead to claims of ______.
A. self-determination
B. utilitarianism
C. fake news
D. diversity
23. Being careful not to mislead media consumers or sources reflects ______.
A. honesty
B. diversity
C. compassion
D. humanity
24. Checking material to eliminate and avoid mistakes reflects ______.
A. interdependence
B. accuracy
C. diversity
D. independence
25. Creating stories that help people see things in different ways reflects ______.
A. honesty
B. independence
C. accuracy
D. diversity
26. Treating people in a caring, understanding way during difficult times reflects ______.
A. accuracy
B. compassion
C. diversity
D. independence
27. A journalist avoiding any influence or appearance of influence from the government reflects ______.
A. independence
B. compassion
C. diversity
D. honesty
28. ______ occurs when a person has to sacrifice one of two opposing options to the advantage of the
other.
A. Independence
B. Conflict of interest
C. Manipulation
D. Negative stereotyping
29. One of the best ways for a reporter to maintain independence is to ______.
A. shun conflicts of interest
B. admit to mistakes
C. resist stereotypes
D. follow-through on promises
30. Which of the following is a strategy for maintaining independence as a journalist?
A. double-checking a story for typos and misspellings
B. interviewing a homeless person to get her perspective
C. refusing to accept complimentary gifts and favors
D. throwing out quotes that don’t convey a clear meaning
31. Which of the following strategies could a reporter use to show compassion?
A. declining free tickets to an opera from a person who will be featured in an upcoming report
B. thinking carefully about how to question people who have just experienced a tragedy
C. interviewing people who typically do not have much say in how events are carried out
D. being truthful with an informant, even if he or she may not provide the information being sought
32. Making sure to use clear, precise wording instead of vague wording and insinuations is a way to
______.
A. show compassion
B. remain independent
C. promote diversity
D. avoid misinformation
33. Which of the following is true concerning the codes of ethics of the NPPA, RTDNA, and SPJ?
A. The codes all cover several common themes.
B. The codes have very little overlap.
C. The SPJ code is confined to online media.
D. The NPPA borrows from the RTDNA code to address ethics.
34. Letting a person respond to allegations or criticisms exemplifies the journalistic ideal of ______.
A. independence
B. diversity
C. fairness
D. accuracy
35. Jerri was reporting on the local elections. One of the candidates was very kind and asked Jerri to let
him put a campaign sign in her yard. Jerri, trying to be kind in return, agreed. The next morning her boss
was very angry, because Jerri’s actions jeopardized her ______.
A. diversity
B. honesty
C. independence
D. accuracy
36. Which of the following scenarios depicts a journalist striving for accuracy?
A. Alec searches property records to learn how much real estate a politician sold last year.
B. Wilhelm assures his informant that he will never divulge his true identity.
C. Anna broadcasts a segment about how minimum wage workers are going to vote next year.
D. Narcisso runs a story in a Midwestern newspaper about how people in India view climate change.
37. The increasingly common news stories that blatantly support one political viewpoint are known as
______ news.
A. electoral
B. fact-verification
C. hyperpartisan
D. independent
38. Refusing to accept something as the truth without checking on it describes the process of ______.
A. verification
B. diversification
C. manipulation
D. compassion
39. Intentionally blocking shortcuts created by the brain to organize information is a way for journalists to
avoid ______.
A. stereotyping
B. manipulation
C. diversity
D. verification
40. In a tragic or emotional situation, the most important aspect of a journalist’s question is ______.
A. what is being asked
B. how and why it is being asked
C. where and when it is being asked
D. who is being asked
41. Which of the following statements is true regarding journalistic accountability?
A. Mistakes are unacceptable.
B. A journalist should never admit to errors.
C. Mistakes are going to happen.
D. A journalist should never apologize.
42. Carrie Anne’s paper released a story about the past job experience of Hamilton, a city council
member who has previously disagreed with the paper. The story was later proven to be incorrect due to
an honest research mistake. Carrie Anne printed a short statement that said, “The story we printed about
Hamilton’s past work experience was incorrect. We apologize, and we will let Hamilton make a statement
in our paper about the incident.” This led to an even deeper mistrust of the paper than before the
statement was printed. What did Carrie Anne forget to do?
A. apologize for the mistake
B. admit to making the mistake
C. allow the accused to respond to the mistake
Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
D. explain the reasons for the mistake
43. Madison is a junior reporter for a large newspaper. She sincerely promised a source that if he gave
her the name of a politician who helped cover up the drug overdose of a prominent doctor, she would
make sure the police did not learn where she got the information. Just before printing the story, the
paper’s editor called the police and gave them the informant’s name in accordance with the paper’s
established policy that Madison did not know about. What mistake did Madison make?
A. failing to show compassion
B. making a promise she could not keep
C. following a stereotype
D. letting herself be manipulated
44. Which of the following scenarios demonstrates how journalism is the “Fourth Estate?”
A. A long-time anchor on a television news program retired with great admiration and respect because he
maintained a high ethical standard.
B. When a tabloid ran a false story about a football player, he was able to sue it and receive a settlement
for damages.
C. A radio talk show host was prohibited from broadcasting obscene and pornographic content during his
daily broadcast.
D. A U.S. senator was unable to stop his local newspaper from printing a story that heavily criticized a bill
he was trying to pass.
45. Which of the following scenarios shows a conflict of interest?
A. Lucy works for one newspaper but often reads other ones.
B. Polly lets the police chief respond to the demands of protesters.
C. Gilbert honors the privacy of his informants.
D. Bob’s newspaper sends him to cover a strike at his uncle’s company.
46. Landon has been asked to cover a local bidding process for construction of a government building.
While doing research, he sees that one of the contractors has a criminal record for abandoning contracts
without completing the work. He runs a story on his findings, only to learn that the person convicted was
actually someone else with the same name and age as the contractor he ran the story about. What
should Landon do?
A. keep his mistake a secret unless someone else uncovers it
B. admit to his mistake but provide no explanation
Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
C. stand by his claims and refuse to make a statement
D. admit to his mistake and explain how it happened
47. Glen is a reporter for a local newspaper. As he is a bit of a celebrity, he has been asked to judge the
best barbecue restaurant in town. People don’t realize Glen is a silent partner in Roy’s Hickory Flame,
one of the leading contenders, and perhaps the best one. What should Glen do?
A. disclose his partnership and step down from judging the contest
B. disclose his partnership but judge the contest anyway
C. keep his partnership a secret and proceed as the judge
D. keep his partnership a secret but resign as judge
48. Lori is covering the demolition of low-income housing that will be replaced by expensive
condominiums. The mayor and all the council members have spoken publicly in support of the project, but
many of the current residents oppose the plan. Lori actually agrees with the mayor and realizes that most
of the town does as well. What should Lori do?
A. publicly show her support for the mayor’s plan
B. remove herself from reporting on the issue
C. allow the current residents to voice their views
D. print facts and figures but leave out people’s arguments
49. Which of the following scenarios demonstrates a journalist exercising compassion?
A. Harvey will not investigate a shooting because the relatives and witnesses are having a rough time
emotionally.
B. Lloyd asks the father of a teenager who just died of a heroin overdose why his son was walking in a
bad neighborhood late at night.
C. Andy tells an obese witness he will interview him because he thinks overweight people should get
more exposure on television.
D. Marc pauses before speaking in order to reword a question he is about to ask the mother of a murder
suspect so it seems less accusatory.
50. Bradley has worked very hard on a story about environmental violations at a local coal mine. He has
been trying to find out where the mine disposes of the toxic byproducts of its activities, and he has a
pretty good idea of where they do it, but he has not yet tracked down the proof. Then he reads a report in
another publication that confirms what he thought. Rather than verifying the information in the other
Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
report, he adds the information to his story, acting as if he discovered it himself. What ethical violation has
Bradley committed?
A. manipulation
B. plagiarism
C. stereotyping
D. favoritism
True/False
1. Ethics follow a more formal, rigid structure than laws.
2. A reporter who loses credibility becomes ineffective.
3. The veil of ignorance is concerned with printing information without knowing the source.
4. The golden mean gives positive outcomes to multiple parties.
5. The categorical imperative is the same thing as the golden rule.
6. The fear some people have of working with the media is unfounded.
7. It is understood that journalists are not expected to keep their promises.
8. Journalists see accuracy as their most important professional belief.
9. Journalists are sometimes restricted in what they can do in their personal lives because it may cast
doubt on the integrity of their reporting.
10. A journalist should never publicly admit to a mistake.
1. Explain what happens if a journalist gets a story by deceiving a source?
2. Briefly describe the golden mean and what it seeks to accomplish.
Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
3. Briefly explain how reporters can help the public see more diverse views.
4. Explain what the phrase “give voice to the voiceless” means to a journalist.
5. Briefly explain how the U.S. Constitution addresses the rights of the press and why it addresses them
in this way.
1. Explain why ethics are important and how they affect the career of a journalist.
2. Describe the principle of self-determination, and provide an example of how a journalist might use this
principle.
3. Mia has just been hired as a small-town newspaper reporter. On one of her first assignments, three
young toddlers were run over by a tractor being driven by their grandfather, and two of them died. Explain
how Mia should approach this story in general, and especially when dealing with witnesses and family
members.
4. Explain methods journalists can use to ensure accuracy and create diversity in their reporting, and give
a specific example of each.
5. Bobby has been assigned to report about the impact of the construction of a new hotel and casino on
the local environment and economy. When he goes to the hotel, the owner, Mike, offers him a
complementary press card, which entitles him and a guest to stay free for two nights at the hotel. When
Bobby inquires, Mike says that he gives these passes to all press members as a way of “saying thanks for
all they do for the community.” Identify the term used to describe what is going on in this situation and
why, and explain how Bobby should react to the situation.
