CHAPTER 12
The Media
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The liberal Daily Kos and the conservative Power Line are examples of
a.
blogs.
b.
newspapers.
c.
magazines.
d.
cable news stations.
e.
old media.
2. The Watergate scandal during the Nixon administration was first exposed by
a.
opposition research by the Democratic Party.
b.
the FBI.
c.
a private detective.
d.
the Washington Post.
e.
donors who were unhappy with Nixon.
3. In 2008, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama stated at a private fundraiser that voters in
economic distress “cling to guns or religion,” and a freelance writer for _________ published
the remarks.
a.
the Washington Post
b.
the New York Times
c.
Daily Kos
d.
The Huffington Post
e.
CNN
4. Only _________ of adults under 30 read a newspaper.
a.
15 percent
b.
13 percent
c.
30 percent
d.
40 percent
e.
5 percent
5. Most Americans rely on _________ as their source for news.
a.
the Internet
b.
radio
c.
television
d.
Facebook
e.
Twitter
6. Young persons are more likely to rely on _________ as their source for news.
a.
the Internet
b.
radio
c.
television
d.
Facebook
e.
Twitter
7. In this country, the libel laws make it almost impossible to prevent press criticisms of
a.
public figures.
b.
the military.
c.
the education system.
d.
dead persons.
e.
persons with jobs in the private sector.
8. Which statement is correct about libel laws?
a.
Laws governing libel are much stricter in Great Britain than in the United States making it
easier for British politicians to sue newspapers for publishing articles that defame or
ridicule them.
b.
Laws governing libel are much stricter in the United States than in Great Britain making it
easier for American politicians to sue newspapers for publishing articles that defame or
ridicule them.
c.
The Official Secrets Act in the United States makes it difficult for reporters to publish
stories dealing with national security.
d.
The Freedom of Information Act in Great Britain makes it easy for reporters to get access
to many public documents.
e.
None of the above is true.
9. Although newspapers are rapidly losing their audience, they remain vitally important because
a.
they have an ability to sell the news to advertise buyers.
b.
they influence many abroad.
c.
much of what is on the Internet comes from newspapers.
d.
newspapers employ the best reporters.
e.
the White House works first with newspapers.
10. America has a long tradition of media that are
a.
objective.
b.
centralized.
c.
government-friendly.
d.
primarily concerned with governmental policy.
e.
privately owned.
11. In the early years of the republic, newspapers were financially supported by
a.
advertising.
b.
payments from the Associated Press.
c.
subsidies from political parties and politicians.
d.
mass circulation.
e.
religious clubs and organizations.
12. Which of the following statements about newspapers during the early years of the republic is true?
a.
They were cheaper than today.
b.
They made little or no attempt to appear objective.
c.
They were supported by paid advertising.
d.
They were read avidly by both the elite and the masses.
e.
They were generally objective.
13. News coverage by the Associated Press had to be nonpartisan because
a.
its funding came from the federal government.
b.
its reporters’ standards were highly professional.
c.
government regulations required it.
d.
it served papers of various political hues.
e.
its managers held the parties in contempt.
14. To attract large readership to their papers, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst had their
newspapers focus on
a.
objectivity in their coverage.
b.
sensationalism in their coverage.
c.
partisanship in their coverage.
d.
presenting objective facts.
e.
only international stories.
15. For all their excesses, the sensationalist mass newspapers of the late nineteenth century effected
several important changes in the press, including
a.
freeing the press from government control.
b.
encouraging cultural diversity in U.S. society.
c.
limiting the role of technology in journalism.
d.
giving greater power to a social elite.
e.
giving greater power to a political elite.
16. The Nation, the Atlantic Monthly, and Harper’s were
a.
mass-circulation magazines founded during the early 1900s.
b.
magazines specializing in yellow journalism during the mid-1800s.
c.
newspapers sponsored by the political parties of the early 1800s.
d.
the first magazines to present public policy issues during the mid-1800s.
e.
newspapers specializing in party news and election reports founded during the
early 1900s.
17. The medium that first allowed public officials to reach the public in a relatively unfiltered manner was
a.
the national magazine.
b.
the national newspaper.
c.
radio.
d.
the New York Times.
e.
the wire service.
18. The term yellow journalism was coined to describe media sensationalism in what era?
a.
The early days of the republic
b.
The time of the Civil War
c.
The turn of the century
d.
Post-World War II
e.
The Great Depression
19. A study of “sound bites” on the broadcasts of the evening news in 2000, found the average length of
bites to be about _________.
a.
7 seconds
b.
32 seconds
c.
45 seconds
d.
63 seconds
e.
100 seconds
20. During the 2010 midterm elections, more than half of all Americans used __________ to get political
news about the elections.
a.
the Internet
b.
newspapers
c.
radio
d.
NPR
e.
the BBC
21. Most of the national news that local papers publish comes from
a.
local affiliates.
b.
their own news staffs.
c.
television networks.
d.
wire services.
e.
investigative reporting.
22. The television weekly “60 Minutes” runs a segment on the role of local politicians in the drug trade.
The issue soon becomes the subject of national debate. In these circumstances, “60 Minutes” is acting
as a(n) ___________.
a.
gatekeeper
b.
scorekeeper
c.
watchdog
d.
investigator
e.
ombudsman
23. When Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein wrote the stories that broke the Watergate scandal, the
reporters were acting as ___________.
a.
gatekeepers.
b.
scorekeepers.
c.
watchdogs.
d.
ombudsmen
e.
whistle blowers
24. The media typically report presidential elections as horse races because of the media’s role
as __________.
a.
arbiter
b.
watchdog
c.
scorekeeper
d.
mirror of reality
e.
mediator
25. Jimmy Carter courting the major newspapers during the 1976 Democratic primary is an example of a
candidate understanding the role of the media as a(n) __________.
a.
arbiter
b.
watchdog
c.
scorekeeper
d.
mediator
e.
regulator
26. The text states that the media typically report presidential elections as horse races. This means
that they
a.
have an instinctive desire to expose scandals.
b.
play the roles of gatekeeper, scorekeeper, and watchdog in a presidential campaign.
c.
seek opportunities to write background or interpretive stories about issues in the campaign.
d.
focus more on the contest itself than on the issues of the campaign.
e.
have an instinctive desire to investigate personalities.
27. When it comes to the freedom of the press, the First Amendment has been interpreted as meaning that
no government, federal or state, can
a.
place “prior restraints” on the press except under very narrowly defined circumstances.
b.
regulate the types of words used on broadcast television.
c.
regulate advertisements on network television.
d.
place conditions on cable providers.
e.
None of the above is true.
28. The federal government sued the New York Times to prevent it from publishing
a.
accounts of Japanese Americans detained in U.S. concentration camps during World
War II.
b.
the Pentagon Papers.
c.
secret grand jury findings on the Watergate scandal.
d.
reports of Reagan’s arms-for-hostages dealings.
e.
videotapes of G. Gordon Liddy orchestrating a break-in.
29. For a newspaper to be found guilty of libeling a public official, the accused party must
a.
prove beyond reasonable doubt that what was printed was damaging, even if it was
printed accidentally.
b.
sue the reporter who wrote the story and not the newspaper that published it.
c.
sue the newspaper that published the story and not the reporter who wrote it.
d.
provide clear and convincing evidence that what was printed was malicious.
e.
establish that what was printed could have been interpreted in more than one manner.
30. When the Israeli general Ariel Sharon sued Time magazine for libel, the jury decided that
a.
Time’s stories on Sharon were accurate.
b.
Time had libeled Sharon and must pay damages.
c.
Time had libeled Sharon but not maliciously.
d.
Sharon lacked standing to sue in a U.S. court.
e.
Sharon had shown no true case and controversy.
31. Which best describes individual privacy protections in newspaper articles.
a.
Newspapers can print libelous stories due to the freedom of the press.
b.
Newspapers can print an individual’s name and picture without consent if they are part of
a news story of some conceivable public interest.
c.
Newspapers can print false statements about people.
d.
Newspapers can print information without it being part of a story of some conceivable
public interest.
e.
All of the above are true.
32. In general, what position has the Supreme Court taken on the government’s right to compel reporters
to divulge information concerning the commission of a crime?
a.
It has ruled against it.
b.
It has upheld it.
c.
It has avoided ruling on it.
d.
It has yet to rule on it.
e.
It has ruled in a contradictory manner.
33. In New York v. Farber, a reporter for The New York Times was asked to produce notes that he had
taken in regard to the behavior of a __________.
a.
schoolteacher
b.
police officer
c.
physician
d.
fellow reporter
e.
senator
34. In 2005, the reporter Judith Miller of The New York Times spent 85 days in jail because she would not
reveal the name of the individual who told her the name of a CIA employee. Why was the government
able to hold her for so long?
a.
There is no federal shield law that will protect journalist refusing to identify sources.
b.
The state that she was in did not have a state shield law.
c.
The issue was a matter of national security.
d.
The reporter had written a libelous article.
e.
The reporter leaked confidential information.
35. When the Supreme Court upheld the right of the police to search newspaper offices, Congress
responded by passing legislation that
a.
encouraged such searches.
b.
made it easier for the police to lawfully conduct future searches.
c.
forbade such searches, except in special cases.
d.
completely banned the police from securing records of newspaper offices.
e.
police could still search the offices, but they must obtain a search warrant first.
36. Compared with the print media, the electronic media are
a.
less competitive but more strictly regulated.
b.
more competitive but less strictly regulated.
c.
more competitive and more strictly regulated.
d.
less competitive and less strictly regulated.
e.
less competitive and completely free of regulation.
37. The Carter-Reagan debate in 1980 was sponsored by the League of Women Voters (LWV) because
a.
the LWV had an exclusive license for that purpose.
b.
the LWV threatened to sue the networks.
c.
both candidates wanted an impartial forum.
d.
the fairness doctrine did not apply.
e.
that arrangement allowed circumvention of the equal access rule.
38. The __________ is responsible for regulating radio and television broadcasting.
a.
National Public Radio
b.
American Broadcast Organization
c.
Federal Communications Commission
d.
Federal Exchange Commission
e.
Office of Television in the Department of Commerce
39. The Federal Communication Commission could use its powers of renewal to influence what stations
put on the air by
a.
inducing stations to reduce the amount of violence shown.
b.
increasing the proportion of “public service” programs on the air.
c.
altering the way it portrays various ethnic groups.
d.
Options A, B, C, and Dare true.
e.
None of the above is true.
40. Since the 1980s, broadcasting licenses are automatically renewed unless
a.
the station has been found guilty of broadcasting obscenity.
b.
some community group formally objects.
c.
the station has been found to criticize the government unfairly.
d.
the station’s ownership has changed.
e.
the station’s ownership has not changed for a considerable period of time.
41. The FCC rarely enforces the rule that
a.
certain words cannot be used on air.
b.
each hour on TV can only contain 16 minutes of commercials.
c.
nudity cannot be on TV.
d.
cable companies cannot have graphic violence.
e.
None of the above is true.
42. In __________, the Court ruled that public officials may not win a libel suit unless they can prove that
the statement was made knowing it to be false or with reckless disregard of its truth.
a.
Near v. Minnesota
b.
New York Times v. Sullivan
c.
Miami Herald v. Tornillo
d.
McCulloch v. Maryland
e.
New York Times v. United States
43. In __________, the Court ruled that freedom of the press applies to state governments, so that they
cannot impose prior restraints on newspapers.
a.
Near v. Minnesota
b.
New York Times v. Sullivan
c.
Miami Herald v. Tornillo
d.
McCulloch v. Maryland
e.
New York Times v. United States
44. The abandonment of the fairness doctrine permitted
a.
liberals to have more access to mainstream media.
b.
small-business owners to restrict access.
c.
the rise of controversial talk radio.
d.
politicians to regulate media more directly.
e.
interest groups to have greater influence on elections.
45. The equal time rule obliges stations
a.
that sell advertising to one political candidate to sell equal time to that person’s opponent.
b.
to allow all candidates the opportunity to participate in debates.
c.
to provide all candidates the chance to appear in news stories.
d.
to provide equal news coverage of the campaigns of all candidates.
e.
to allow candidates equal time to respond to the airing of any of their
opponents’ criticisms.
46. Horse-race journalism concerns the critics because they feel such coverage
a.
cannot adequately predict who will win or lose a race.
b.
ignores the importance of issues.
c.
places too much emphasis on personalities and public personas.
d.
relies almost entirely on second- and third- hand reporting.
e.
rarely has an impact on the flow of campaign contributions.
47. In comparison with the general public, the great majority of the members of the national news
media are
a.
without any particular ideological leaning.
b.
politically moderate.
c.
liberal.
d.
conservative.
e.
very conservative.
48. Which types of news stories cover events that a reporter seeks out because they are not covered by
the press?
a.
Blockbuster
b.
Insider
c.
Feature
d.
Routine
e.
Trade
49. Which types of news stories cover things that are often secret?
a.
Blockbuster
b.
Insider
c.
Feature
d.
Routine
e.
Trade
50. Insider stories are often the product of
a.
intense television coverage.
b.
leaks by someone in government.
c.
public opinion polling processes.
d.
judicial rulings.
e.
congressional investigations and reports.
51. The dearth of popular liberal talk-radio hosts is primarily the result of the fact that
a.
such hosts have not landed big corporate sponsors.
b.
radio stations refuse to allow liberals opportunities to compete.
c.
station owners are quite conservative.
d.
such hosts have not gotten good ratings.
e.
liberals have taken no interest in radio.
52. Mayer’s analysis of the dominance of conservative talk radio emphasizes all of the following
EXCEPT that
a.
there are more self-described conservatives in America than liberals.
b.
conservatives see radio as an alternative to other forms of media that do not reflect
their viewpoints.
c.
much of the liberal audience is broken up into distinct racial and ethnic minorities.
d.
few members of racial and ethnic minorities listen to radio.
e.
liberals think their views are encouraged by newspapers and television stations.
53. In France and Great Britain, newspapers are often
a.
owned by private individuals.
b.
free of restriction.
c.
entirely objective in their analysis.
d.
clearly identified with one party or another.
e.
All of the above are true.
54. The text suggests three things to look for when trying to read a newspaper intelligently. They are the
a.
degree of objectivity, the choice of coverage, and the source of information.
b.
type of coverage, the number of sources, and the flexibility of the language.
c.
source of information, the degree of objectivity, and the use of language.
d.
choice of coverage, the degree of objectivity, and the use of language.
e.
choice of coverage, the source of information, and the use of language.
55. When Time and Newsweek ran stories about nuclear power, reporters tended to avoid quoting scientists
and engineers in that field because such persons
a.
were in favor of nuclear power plants.
b.
were against nuclear power plants.
c.
rarely talked to media.
d.
were required by law to give general, uninformative answers.
e.
were outspoken in their criticism of media.
56. A study of 10 newspapers and the Associated Press found that news regarding government reports
about sales, unemployment, and economic growth was more likely to be presented in a positive
fashion if
a.
a Democrat was president.
b.
a Republican was president.
c.
the data were clearly mixed.
d.
the data were reported on a weekend.
e.
the report was favorable to the interests of both political parties.
57. A study of the political slant of 400 daily newspapers found that coverage was generally a reflection of
the views of ____________.
a.
owners
b.
reporters
c.
editors
d.
columnists
e.
readers
58. Public distrust of the media
a.
appears to be growing.
b.
has remained about the same for three decades.
c.
appears to be decreasing.
d.
has never been studied in any rigorous manner.
e.
has decreased for persons who read magazines of opinion.
59. According to the text, the first president to raise cultivation of the media to an art form was
a.
Theodore Roosevelt.
b.
Woodrow Wilson.
c.
Herbert Hoover.
d.
Franklin Roosevelt.
e.
William McKinley.
60. The press secretary heads a large staff that __________.
a.
meets with reporters.
b.
briefs the president on questions he is likely to be asked
c.
attempts to control the flow of news from cabinet departments to the press
d.
Options A, B, C, and D are true.
e.
None of the above is true.
TRUE/FALSE
1. Vastly more people watch American Idol than read newspaper editorials.
2. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post played a key role in the downfall of the
administration of Richard Nixon.
3. When it comes to politics, Old Media is not being threatened by New Media.
4. In 2004, “60 Minutes,” ran a story that President Bush had performed poorly during his time in the Air
National Guard based on documents that were shown by bloggers to be forgeries.
5. In the early years of the republic, newspapers were commonly sponsored by the political parties.
6. The effect of the appearance of the Associated Press in 1848 was to increase further the partisan and
biased nature of reporting.
7. The average news sound bite for a presidential contender drooped from 42 seconds in 1968 to 7.3
seconds in 2000.
8. There has been a decline in the numbers of daily newspapers that serve large communities.
9. When it comes to news, the Internet is dominated by a few sites and should not be considered a free
market of news coverage.
10. Research has found that very few Americans actually got their political news from the Internet during
the 2010 midterm elections.
11. The Internet has made it more difficult to raise money from small donors.
12. Automobile safety and water pollution were not major political issues until the national press began
giving substantial attention to these matters.
13. Writers for the national press tend to be more conservative than their local counterparts.
14. The government cannot employ prior restraint (or censorship) on the press in any circumstance.
15. The text suggests that the abandonment of the fairness doctrine gave rise to controversial talk–
radio hosts.
16. Horse-race journalism places excessive emphasis on the issues and positions that candidates take.
17. Early in American history, almost everything that was printed was an expression of opinion.
18. In recent years, public trust in the news media has increased.
19. The presidential press secretary is a relatively new White House position, dating from the
Hoover administration.
20. In the 1930s, newspaper reporters broke the story that President Franklin Roosevelt was having
an affair.
200 Chapter 12: The Media
ESSAY
1. Discuss some of the changes in society and technology that transformed the partisan press of the
early 1800s.
2. Discuss six effects, discussed in your text, that the Internet has made politics easier.
3. Discuss how the degree of competition in the media has changed.
4. Explain why some newspapers are said to have “national influence.”
5. Identify and explain the three roles that the media play.
6. Discuss the cases of Myron Farber and Judith Miller to illustrate how the courts have ruled on
confidentiality of sources.
7. What ideology and party do most journalists identify with?
8. What explanations does William G. Mayer provide for why conservative radio talk shows are
so common?
9. Discuss how news stories differ in the opportunity for bias.
10. What are the four ways that reporters and public officials communicate?