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Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Chapter 2: Critical Thinking
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. A journalist should always seek to balance ______.
A. the perspectives of the audience and the sources
B. the number of print and digital readers
C. the needs of audiences and the needs of advertisers
D. their personal opinions with the truth
2. In a 24-7 news environment, critical thinking is ______.
A. less important than trendiness
B. important to readers but not to journalists
C. more important than ever
D. not important at all
3. According to the book How Do Journalists Think?, the standard cognitive process for journalists is to
______.
A. evaluate stimuli against what advertisers prefer to see in the news
B. match new stimuli with old categories stored in the mind
C. capture everything they see or hear and let editors filter out the irrelevant details
D. focus on the loudest or most prominent voices
4. Which of the following is the best metaphor for how we process information?
A. a train rolling down the tracks
B. a plant drawing water through its roots
C. a giant filing cabinet with millions of folders
D. a light switch in the off position
5. A major consequence of our way of processing information is that ______.
Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
A. we treat each situation as new and full of possibility
B. we are entirely reliant on others to tell us what is happening
C. we are incapable of forming an opinion on a subject
D. we have a view of the world that is highly biased
6. Which of the following behaviors shows a journalist being proactive in his or her thinking?
A. viewing the story as a single incident
B. adapting to changes that occur during the information-gathering process
C. framing the story exactly the way the subject prefers it to be framed
D. looking for patterns in the story subject’s behavior
7. Elliott is covering the aftermath of a hurricane. Which of the following actions best shows him using
reactive skills?
A. When cholera breaks out, he changes his story to include important information about the disease.
B. Before going to the disaster scene, he researches what he can expect to find.
C. While covering the story, he focuses on patterns of effects instead of isolated incidents.
D. As soon as he arrives at the disaster scene, he seeks out the officials in charge to use as sources.
8. A journalist who adapts to changes that occur during the process of gathering a story is being ______.
A. proactive
B. reactive
C. subjective
D. objective
9. A journalist who prepares to cover a story by researching events that led up to it is being ______.
A. proactive
B. reactive
C. subjective
D. objective
10. Which of the following is an important aspect of being a proactive journalist?
A. focusing exclusively on one aspect of the story
B. changing his or her approach as the story changes
C. being prepared for what is likely to come next
D. memorizing as many facts about the story as possible
11. Which of the following best describes the act of critical thinking?
A. thinking about your thoughts
B. looking for flaws in others
C. seeking feedback from others
D. finding ways to make others think the way you do
12. The primary goal of critical thinking is to ______.
A. develop a better eye for exciting or controversial stories
B. improve your thought processes and eliminate bias
C. influence people more effectively
D. find flaws in your competitors’ work
13. Which aspect of the education system is most detrimental to critical thinking?
A. early start times
B. heavy homework loads
C. reliance on memorization
D. outdated materials
14. Critical thinking requires ______.
A. as much as information as possible
B. no information whatsoever
C. a strong opinion on world events
D. the ability to capitalize on trending stories
15. You are in the process of reporting on an upcoming vote to increase funding for local schools. Which
of the following is a proactive step that will most benefit your reporting on the topic?
A. Read the daily vote projections and polls to get a sense of whether the measure is likely to pass or fail.
B. Ask supporters of the bill to explain it to you in detail.
C. Read coverage of previous school funding votes and look for patterns in voter behavior.
D. Decide where you stand on the issue and write an editorial supporting or opposing the measure.
16. What is the main difference between critical thinkers and noncritical thinkers?
A. Critical thinkers are more likely to fall victim to bias.
B. Critical thinkers focus on “what”; noncritical thinkers focus on “why.”
C. Critical thinkers are not limited by what they know.
D. Noncritical thinkers are more capable of recognizing patterns in behavior.
17. Critical thinking is based on ______.
A. emotion
B. self-interest
C. cynicism
D. reason
18. What is the best method for becoming a critical thinker?
A. read books
B. see a counselor
C. practice the skills
D. copy colleagues
19. Which of the following best describes our default way of thinking?
A. a blank slate open to anything
B. dependence on old models to preserve energy
C. rigorous analyses of competing concepts
D. mirroring the thought processes of authority figures
Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
20. You are writing a story on a debate between two candidates for mayor. Which of the following aspects
of your reporting is most important?
A. quickly transcribing the remarks from each candidate
B. making time for each candidate to clarify his or her positions
C. understanding and communicating the implications of what each candidate is saying
D. establishing a relationship with whichever candidate appears most likely to win
21. Who is most likely to be able to think critically about a story?
A. an editor overseeing an entire team of reporters
B. an advertiser with a vested interest in increasing audience sizes
C. a beat reporter focused on a single topic
D. a casual news consumer with a broad range of interests
22. The best way to find a “big picture” story is to ______.
A. look for patterns in stories written about a subject
B. ask for reader suggestions on what to cover
C. let your sources tell you how to cover an event or topic
D. follow up on theories posted on social media
23. Which of the following questions best exemplifies a reporter coming to grips with a story about a new
law restricting cell phone use while driving?
A. Who sponsored the law?
B. How did each legislator vote?
C. How quickly did the bill move through the legislature?
D. Why did legislators support or oppose the law?
24. How does critical thinking help journalists break down a story into simple pieces for their audience?
A. It gives them a strong perspective on the news that they can use to influence others.
B. It gives them a less-detailed understanding of the subject, leading to simplified stories.
C. It makes them more likely to simply repeat information provided by official sources.
D. It gives them a sense of what will happen and why it is newsworthy.
25. You are writing a story on the local sports team hiring a new coach and are preparing to attend the
new coach’s introductory news conference. Which of the following is an example of a proactive approach
to thinking critically about the story?
A. asking the team’s public relations department for talking points
B. creating a checklist of the information you need to gather at the conference to complete your story
C. letting the coach’s speech at the conference shape your coverage
D. waiting to read other stories on the hiring and synthesizing the most effective parts of those stories
26. Which of the following activities would create the most value for readers in a story about a proposed
increase in sales taxes?
A. including quotes from both supporters and opponents of the bond measure
B. reprinting portions of the text of the legislation
C. explaining the expected costs and benefits of the measure
D. projecting whether the measure will pass or fail
27. If you are reporting on a city council meeting to dedicate funding to a proposed monument, and a
local biologist gives an unexpected speech on how building the monument will disrupt the habitat of
native wildlife, you should ______.
A. adapt to the new information and include it in your story
B. ignore the biologist’s speech and write on the council’s decision
C. abandon your story entirely because of the controversy
D. ask other reporters if they think the biologist’s speech is worth mentioning
28. A local firefighter sustained a severe spinal injury rescuing a family from their burning home one year
ago. After many months of physical therapy, the firefighter regained the ability to walk. Your story reports
that a local resident regained the ability to walk after recovering from a back injury. What is wrong with
this story?
A. It is about an event that is too far in the past.
B. It does not include an eye-catching quote.
C. It lacks context that adds value for readers.
D. It lacks controversy and conflict.
29. What is the purpose of applying the Topeka Test to your writing?
A. to make sure the story is exciting enough to grab readers’ attention
B. to ensure readers have enough information to make sense out of an unfamiliar topic
C. to confirm that important advertisers approve of the story angle
D. to ensure the perspective of the story conforms to the worldview of most rural Americans
30. A reporter is assigned to cover an ongoing story about the mayor, who has been accused of
corruption. At the first press conference he attends, the reporter asks, “Mayor, what are the charges
against you?” What is the main problem with this question?
A. The reporter is just trying to get a juicy quote from the mayor.
B. The reporter is asking a question he thinks will make him look smarter than the other reporters.
C. The reporter should have used more formal language.
D. The reporter should have researched that information before the press conference.
31. A good question will help the journalist ______.
A. push the subject toward a predetermined opinion
B. elicit a controversial or emotional response from a subject
C. understand the subject’s position on a topic
D. signal his or her position on the topic
32. Which of the following is most likely to help you ask appropriate questions?
Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
A. being a “blank slate” about the subject
B. having a specific quote in mind that you can lead the source towards
C. having a standard set of questions that you ask all your sources
D. researching and understanding the subject
33. When interviewing a subject on climate change, your questions should ______.
A. test the source’s ability to recall minor facts about the topic
B. stir up controversy and attract readers
C. help readers understand why climate change is an important topic
D. help you “catch up” on what climate change is and major recent developments
34. Which of the following personal characteristics is most likely to prevent you from thinking critically
about a topic?
A. egocentrism
B. compassion
C. curiosity
D. determination
35. Which of the following industries relies on principles similar to those employed by journalists?
A. construction
B. advertising
C. healthcare
D. manufacturing
36. What is the most likely effect of egotism on your reporting?
A. spending too much time researching a topic
B. obsessing over readers’ reactions
C. catering the story to your own interests
D. oversimplifying the issue
37. Which of the following best exemplifies egotism in journalism?
A. writing with the audience’s needs in mind
B. pushing back against untruthful or misleading sources
C. spending significant amounts of time on each story
D. attaching special importance to one’s own thoughts
38. A reporter covering the local school board should be a conduit between ______.
A. the newspaper owner and advertisers
B. school board members and students and parents in the district
C. readers in the district and readers outside the district
D. the newspaper editor and other reporters
39. What is the effect of quality journalism on readers?
A. It shapes readers’ emotions.
B. It makes readers more likely to have the same opinions as the writer.
C. It allows readers to make rational and educated decisions.
D. It makes readers less likely to trust others.
40. The most effective journalist will be ______.
A. an influential “thought leader”
B. overshadowed by his or her stories
C. skilled at sensationalizing boring stories
D. a beloved local celebrity
41. You are preparing to cover a contentious news conference at City Hall regarding police misconduct.
Which of the following will best prepare you to adapt to unexpected events at the conference?
A. having a draft of your story already written before the event
B. knowing very little about the subject to keep an open mind
C. asking officials at City Hall how you should cover the event
D. doing plenty of research on the subject before the event
42. How does critical thinking by journalists affect the relationship between the story and the audience?
A. It helps clarify why the story matters to readers.
B. It limits the audience to “news junkies” and subject experts.
C. It tailors the story to the journalist’s interests.
D. It increases the entertainment value of the story but reduces the amount of meaningful content.
1. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which aspects of reporting are influenced by critical thinking?
A. what to report on
B. how you go about gathering information and writing the story
C. why you are writing this story and not another
D. whether accuracy is important
2. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Critical thinkers are most likely to ______.
A. ignore doubts about whether something is newsworthy
B. adapt their thought processes to the situation
C. see the “big picture” of a situation
D. focus their coverage on stories that confirm their worldview
3. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which verbs are associated with critical thinking?
A. prepare
B. adapt
C. ignore
D. synthesize
4. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Critical thinking benefits reporters by allowing them to understand
______.
A. what is going on
B. when a breaking news story is about to hit
C. why certain events matter to readers
D. who will provide a quote that best matches their own worldview
5. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. You are writing a story on the debate in Congress over raising the debt
ceiling. Which of the following elements are essential to include in your story?
A. explanation of what the debt ceiling is
B. speculation on how Congress will vote on the issue
C. discussion of how raising the debt ceiling could personally affect readers
D. detailed statistics on the national debt and its various components
6. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following characteristics apply to high-quality quotes?
A. informative
B. glib
C. thought provoking
D. abstract
1. There is one correct definition of “getting” the story.
2. The 24-7 news environment makes thinking critically as a journalist more difficult.
3. A good reporter should always be proactive, not reactive.
4. Memorization and critical thinking are complementary skills.
5. Critical thinking makes it more difficult to defend your ideas against opposing arguments.
6. Focusing on one issue will improve your critical thinking abilities.
7. As a critical thinker, assessing information matters more than gathering information.
8. When covering a contentious issue, it is more important that you give equal coverage to both sides of
the issue than to think analytically about why the story matters.
9. A well-written story should require readers to do more research on the topic.
10. The best questions will make the journalist, and thus the reader, more informed about a topic.
11. If a journalist finds a story interesting, he or she does not have to worry about its relevance to readers.
12. “Getting” the story means understanding why the story is important.
1. What is the difference between knowledge and critical thinking?
2. In what way is the human mind like a giant filing cabinet?
3. Explain how being a critical thinker is similar to being a strong chess player.
4. Describe the Topeka Test and explain how it encourages critical thinking.
5. How does critical thinking help journalists to ask better questions?
1. Describe the problems with journalists’ default cognitive process and how critical thinking helps
alleviate some of those problems.
2. List the characteristics of a critical thinker. Then think of at least three specific actions you could take to
improve as a critical thinker.
3. With the help of an example, explain how reporters must be both proactive and reactive to think
critically about a story.
4. Voters narrowly rejected a controversial measure to approve raising taxes for the construction of a new
sports arena. Compare and contrast the standard approach to reporting on the vote with an approach
based on critical thinking.
5. Explain why an effective journalist will often go unnoticed and how this relates to critical thinking.
