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Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Chapter 4: Expanded News Writing
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. What is a major problem with following the inverted-pyramid approach to journalistic writing?
A. The important information gets buried at the bottom of the story.
B. It lacks flow for readers.
C. It forces writers to focus on the big picture rather than individual impacts.
D. It limits writers to a few types of stories.
2. What is the purpose of a bridge paragraph?
A. to skip over inconvenient or contradictory information
B. to summarize all the important information in a story
C. to help the reader move from the lead to the rest of the story
D. to provide an impactful conclusion to a story
3. In most cases, a lead-cleanup bridge will improve an interesting-action lead by ______.
A. expanding upon the “who” element of the 5W’s and 1H
B. making clear why the action was odd or improbable
C. filling in the “what” element of the 5W’s and 1H
D. explaining to readers why they should care about the story
4. Which type of story most benefits from a quote bridge?
A. breaking news
B. meeting, speech, or news conference
C. celebrity profile
D. editorial
5. What should be included in an advance-the-story bridge?
A. the most important information in the story
B. the second-most important information in the story
C. the least important information in the story
D. an unrelated anecdote or joke
6. For a story to be effective, it is important for readers to have the same ______.
A. worldview
B. level of education
C. frame of reference
D. interests
7. The best place to put background information is ______.
A. before the lead
B. between the lead and the bridge
C. in the final paragraph
D. after the bridge
8. In most cases, important background information can be communicated in _______.
A. two sentences
B. five sentences
C. a sidebar
D. a separate story
9. The best way to introduce a direct quote is to ______.
A. make it the first sentence of the story
B. pair it with an indirect quote or paraphrase
C. provide several sentences of background information
D. encourage readers to visit the speaker’s website or social media
10. How does a closing quote benefit a story that is still developing?
A. by giving readers the background information they need to understand a story
B. by summarizing everything that was said in the story
C. by making sure the readers feel unfulfilled so that they return for follow-up stories
D. by signaling that the story has reached a junction point
11. What is the purpose of a wrap-up paragraph?
A. to end the story with a simple statement of fact
B. to summarize everything that was said in the story
C. to leave the reader unsatisfied or wanting more
D. to indicate the writer’s opinion on the story
12. What do readers expect to feel when they reach the end of a story?
A. a call to action
B. a feeling of suspense
C. a sense of finality
D. the pressure to agree with the writer
13. Which form of opening is best suited to the narrative approach?
A. summary lead
B. descriptive
C. straw-man
D. quote lead
14. Which writing style encourages writers to manipulate the reader’s feelings?
A. inverted pyramid
Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
B. narrative
C. nonlinear
D. expository
15. Which style of writing is most similar to a dramatic play?
A. inverted pyramid
B. narrative
C. nonlinear
D. social media post
16. Which of the following best describes the “narrative thread” or “kabob” approach?
A. using a person or incident as a representative of a larger issue
B. hinting that two events share a cause and effect relationship
C. comparing one individual to another
D. blaming an entire group or organization for a specific problem
17. How does the narrative thread or kabob approach benefit readers?
A. It provides a succinct summary of the basic facts surrounding an issue.
B. It gives readers a scapegoat for their problems.
C. It allows readers to read the story in any order they choose.
D. It humanizes an abstract issue.
18. Which of the following best explains the purpose of the nut graph?
A. It gives readers deep insight into the personality of the person featured in the story.
B. It explains the author’s opinions about the story and its subjects.
C. It explains to readers why a narrative story matters to them.
D. It provides a moment of lightheartedness to break up the somber tone of a piece.
19. Which element of the narrative writing style is most similar to the lead in an inverted-pyramid story?
A. nut graph
B. scene setting
C. narrative thread
D. conclusion
20. Which of the following sentences best sums up the primary aim of journalistic description?
A. Use words, words, and more words.
B. Show, don’t tell.
C. Feature people over places.
D. Keep them guessing.
21. Besides providing a comparative element, how can you clarify a vague descriptor such as “tall”?
A. Include an intensifier, such as “really tall”.
B. Use all caps or italics for emphasis.
C. Repeat the descriptor throughout the piece.
D. Provide a short anecdote.
22. When you have finished writing a narrative story, you should go back through the piece to ______.
A. try to increase the word count as much as possible
B. arrange the facts in descending order of importance
C. make sure your words convey the right feelings
D. confirm that your opinion is expressed clearly and forcefully
23. Which of the following writing styles is most likely to require the use of subheadings?
A. inverted pyramid
B. narrative
C. nonlinear
D. sponsored content
24. If a story has at least _____ themes, the writer should consider using subheadings.
A. one or two
B. three or four
C. five to seven
D. ten or more
25. A good option for smoothing the transition between subheads is to ______.
A. return to the narrative thread
B. tell a short, unrelated joke
C. briefly discuss your reporting and writing process
D. summarize the main points of the previous subhead
26. Which of the following approaches is the best alternative to organizing a narrative story by theme?
A. descending importance
B. bullet points
C. chronological
D. zig-zag
27. A journalist writing a narrative story needs to rely on ______ to set a scene properly.
A. primary senses
B. secondary senses
C. extra-sensory perception
D. other people’s senses
28. You are writing a story about conditions in a local jail. Which of the following sensory details would
best place the reader in that specific environment?
A. mentioning that the walls are made of cinderblock
B. describing the odor of sweat and urine that fills the halls
Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
C. mentioning the drone of the television in the recreation room
D. describing the weak taste of the coffee you are served
29. You are writing a narrative story about a local organic farmer, and you want to tap into your memories
and emotions related to your visit to the farm. Which of the following senses is most closely aligned with
those factors?
A. sight
B. hearing
C. touch
D. smell
30. Which of the following best describes traditional journalistic writing prior to the Internet?
A. linear
B. nonlinear
C. disorganized
D. circular
31. The overarching goal of inverted-pyramid stories and other traditional approaches to news writing is to
create ______ for readers.
A. order
B. choice
C. confusion
D. excitement
32. Which of the following has most contributed to the emergence of nonlinear storytelling?
A. declining interest in news writing
B. changing definitions of newsworthiness
C. increased choice in information sources
D. shorter attention spans
33. Which approach to news writing gives the most control to readers?
A. narrative
B. inverted pyramid
C. abstract
D. nonlinear
34. Which of the following story types is most likely to include elements such as lists, video clips, or
interactive graphics?
A. inverted pyramid
B. narrative
C. nonlinear
D. pamphlet
35. In contrast to linear inverted-pyramid stories, where information is organized in a straight line from
beginning to end, the information in a nonlinear story is arranged in a ______.
A. circle
B. web
C. zig-zag
D. spiral
36. Which approach to news writing is organized with a core idea at the center and several related and
interlinked ideas growing outward from the core?
A. nonlinear
B. narrative
C. inverted pyramid
D. press release
37. The small chunks of information offered in nonlinear stories most resemble ______.
A. miniature inverted-pyramid stories
B. scribbles in a reporter’s notebook
C. descriptive narrative openings
D. a table of contents in a reference book
38. Which of the following best describes nonlinear news stories?
A. a singular, straightforward presentation of facts in descending order of importance
B. a long, descriptive story that puts readers in the middle of a scene
C. a web of short, simple segments of related information using several different types of media
D. a disorganized jumble of notes on a subject
39. What should determine the style of news writing you use to structure and present your information?
A. your personal preferences
B. your audience’s preferences
C. the word count required by your editor
D. the story itself
1. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. In what ways are the inverted pyramid and narrative writing styles similar?
A. Both depend on enticing readers with one or more interest elements.
B. Both require the writer to present information in descending order of importance.
C. The core values of journalism apply to both styles.
D. Both styles open with a lengthy description of a person or setting to draw readers into the scene.
2. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following should be accomplished by a scene setter
opening?
Instructor Resource
Filak, Dynamics of News Reporting and Writing, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
A. Communicate why the story matters.
B. Explain what is happening.
C. Describe the environment.
D. Establish a mood.
3. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following are required to create vivid word pictures for your
readers?
A. a strong mental image of people and places
B. a broad vocabulary
C. a desire to advocate for a cause or issue
D. a subject that readers are already familiar with
4. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following descriptors are most in need of a point of
reference?
A. yellow
B. heavy
C. woven
D. fast
5. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following are benefits of subheads?
A. They can be used to make a short story seem longer.
B. They help the writer transition between topics.
C. They give the reader a sense of completion.
D. They can cover up for a poorly organized story.
6. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following senses does a reporter typically use in standard
news writing?
A. sight
B. smell
C. hearing
D. touch
7. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. Which of the following are considered secondary senses?
A. sight
B. smell
C. hearing
D. touch
8. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY: Which assumptions common to linear news writing must be abandoned
for nonlinear stories?
A. Readers will always start at the same place.
B. Every reader will follow the same path through the story.
C. Readers will consume every piece of information associated with a story.
D. Readers expect the writer to focus on how the news affects them as individuals.
9. SELECT ALL THAT APPLY: Which aspects of linear writing also apply to nonlinear writing?
A. Audiences will start reading at the same place.
B. Each chunk of information requires a beginning, middle, and end.
C. Every reader consumes the exact same content.
D. Writing is organized around a central idea.
1. The more background information you can add to an inverted-pyramid story, the better.
2. Narrative writing is as difficult, if not more difficult, than inverted-pyramid writing.
3. The first few paragraphs of a narrative story should be used to place readers in the middle of a scene
with as much detail as possible.
4. A narrative news story will be successful if it tells a good story in an engaging manner.
5. Nut graphs are used to bring narrative news stories to a satisfying conclusion.
6. In most cases, narrative stories will require subheads or other breaks in the text.
7. The sense that has been linked to memory is the sense of smell.
8. You should go out of your way to touch or smell a subject so that you can include sensory information
in your story.
9. Extra elements in nonlinear stories, such as charts or videos, should repeat the same information that
is written in the story.
10. Nonlinear writing is essentially a web of miniature linear stories.
11. Complicated concepts should be explained thoroughly in narrative stories using as much detail as
possible.
12. In most cases, longer news stories are better news stories.
1. Differentiate among the three most common types of bridges. What are they called, and where are they
most useful?
2. How does background information benefit an inverted-pyramid story? When, if at all, can it detract from
the story?
3. What should be accomplished in the opening paragraphs of a narrative news story?
4. What are the challenges of narrative writing, and how does narrative writing compare to inverted-
pyramid writing?
5. Identify two major differences between linear and nonlinear news stories.
1. Explain why the metaphor of a diamond ring can be used to describe the relationship between direct
quotes and indirect quotes in an inverted-pyramid story.
2. You are writing a narrative story that features a single mother struggling to support herself and her two
children on a minimum-wage job. Explain the importance of the nut graph in this piece and describe the
types of information that might appear in it.
3. With the help of an example, explain the role that secondary senses can play in improving a narrative
news story.
4. Describe the structure of a nonlinear new story. Choose a topic that interests you, and explain how a
nonlinear story about the subject might be organized.
5. How has the Internet helped to introduce the nonlinear news story, and how has it affected the way in
which readers interact with the story?
