Quiz 6: The Media

In the United States today,the mass media A)are manipulated by the elite for their own purposes. B)channel information from the government to the people. C)provide a two-way channel of communication between the people and the government. D)channel information from the people to the government. E)play favorites.

The traditional division of mass media into _________ has been made problematic by the Internet. A)print and broadcast B)audio and visual C)linkage and reception D)radio and television E)words and pictures

A poll of Americans who had seen or heard of Michael Moore's 2007 documentary Sicko found that _________ changed their mind and said health-care reform was more necessary. A)relatively few B)about one-quarter C)nearly half D)over three-quarters E)almost all

A recent example of popular music conveying a political message is "Born This Way," by Lady Gaga,which focuses on A)​same-sex marriage. B)​obesity. C)​bullying. D)​racial prejudice. E)subjugation of women.

The first newspapers in the United States were A)farmers' almanacs. B)literary gazettes. C)financed by political parties that advocated party causes. D)official government publications. E)published by British tabloids.

Newspapers did not move toward independent ownership and large circulation until A)the 1780s. B)the 1830s. C)the 1870s. D)about 1900. E)the 1930s

_________ occurs when a media outlet such as a magazine informs a relatively small number of group leaders who follow news in a specific area,and those leaders in turn mobilize their followers to put pressure on public officials. A)Indirect democracy B)Majoritarian democracy C)The two-step flow of communication D)Elite dominance of American politics E)Multimedia convergence

​Journalistic norms of objectivity and accuracy grew,some say,because of  A)​government regulation resulting from journalistic excesses. B)​lack of competition, allowing focus on quality rather than sensationalism. C)​growing realization among journalists of their responsibility to the public welfare. D)​a reaction to paying damages from lawsuits based on faulty reporting. E)​public criticism of pandering journalists.

Counting both print and online users,news readership of newspapers​ A)​has virtually disappeared. B)​has declined slightly. C)​has moved to weekly magazines. D)​is up overall. E)​is the same as it was 50 years ago.

​To stay in business in the digital age,many newspapers have __________ their online content,with varying degrees of success. A)​strictly limited B)become more objective and even-handed in C)​relinquished control of D)​begun including only local interest content in E)​instituted paywalls for

___________ are group leaders who follow news in specific areas.​ A)​Attentive policy elites B)​Demagogues C)​Newshounds D)​Elected officials E)​Policymakers

The first media technology to make broadcast journalists into household names was A)the newspaper. B)the telegraph. C)radio. D)television. E)cable.

Despite new technological options,and despite criticism that in its current form it polarizes politics in an unhealthy way,_____ of Americans listen to traditional AM/FM radio weekly. A)​15% B)​35% C)​50% D)​75% E)​90%

The Internet was started A)in 1989, by Bill Gates for Microsoft's Windows products. B)in 1972, by a group of thirty-seven universities. C)in 1983, by IBM for use on its mainframes. D)in 1920, after the Great Depression. E)in 1969, with support from the U.S. Department of Defense.

__________ percent of surveyed adults indicated that they learned about the 2008 political campaign from comedy shows like The Daily Show,The Colbert Report,or Saturday Night Live. A)Five percent B)Thirty percent C)Forty-five percent D)Sixty percent E)None of these choices is true.

More and more,cable news seems analogous to A)weekly news magazines. B)broadcast networks. C)radio. D)early partisan newspapers. E)YouTube.

​Early TV network news programs focused their evening news programs on A)an "anchorman." B)​foreign reporting. C)"sex and death." D)​infotainment. E)​soft news.

Some research indicates that people who watch partisan news become​ A)​better informed on various sides of contentious issues. B)​more extreme in their politics. C)​better critical thinkers. D)more apt to become or be sympathetic with terrorists.  E)​motivated to change their political views.

Reaction to a film posted on YouTube made by an Egyptian-American that mocked the Muslim prophet Muhammad is an example of the influence of new media platforms; that they A)impact the types of stories that get picked up by the "mainstream media." B)impact one-third of Americans who say they read political blogs. C)have resulted in a renewed focus on investigative journalism of party platforms. D)bring Americans with different ideologies into greater contact with each other. E)impact one-third of Americans who say they read political blogs and bring Americans with different ideologies into greater contact with each other.

The amount of information online is so vast that most people rely on _________ to help them determine which news is real and important.​ A)​Google B)​guidance from the government C)​the mainstream media D)​prominent political commentators E)the "blog index"

​Chinese political activists have used inflatable ducks and Legos to A)​explain the history of their country to children. B)​reach out to illiterate citizens with political messages. C)​make fun of their political leadership. D)​recreate the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in a way that will avoid censors. E)​communicate with American activists while avoiding the difficulty of the language barrier.

A country where the government heavily censors Internet news and search engines is A)Germany. B)China. C)South Africa. D)Argentina. E)Italy.

Private ownership of the media in the United States makes the American news industry A)dependent on government subsidies. B)dependent on advertising revenues. C)less free to cover stories that are of interest to the audience. D)less concerned about ratings than media in other countries. E)a product of popular trends.

A 2011 news analysis found that cable TV was particularly devoted to __________ whereas online news sites and newspapers provided more coverage of __________. A)local news; election coverage B)economic news; foreign affairs C)foreign affairs; local news D)election coverage; foreign affairs E)local news; economic news

A story that contains no policy content and is not related to the day's events but that commonly discusses popular personalities and is designed to draw greater viewer interest is A)market-driven journalism. B)the Fox effect. C)attentive policy elitism. D)biased media coverage. E)infotainment.

​Newspapers owned by publicly-traded chains are more likely to A)​remain neutral in the tone of their reporting. B)​resort to negative or positive spin on the news. C)disregard the bottom line, in service of better reporting. D)​​promote journalistic integrity. E)​be independent.

​In response to financial stress,some have suggested that newspapers operate as ___________,allowing them to be funded through endowments,donations,and perhaps government support. A)​for-profit enterprises B)​members of chains C)​nonprofits D)​online-only venues E)​ideological think tanks

Regarding the Internet,the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) A)has issued an increasing number of fines for indecent material posted online. B)has cracked down since 1999 on reposted copyrighted material. C)has focused most of its energy monitoring the activities of hate groups. D)does not have jurisdiction to regulate Internet content. E)has issued contradictory opinions over recent years.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 A)attempted to tighten national control over media ownership and product content. B)attempted to deregulate all privately owned media. C)encouraged restrictions on web pages. D)relaxed the rules governing media ownership. E)led to an increase in government-owned media outlets.

The text suggests that in the early days of radio,owners​ sought government regulation of the airwaves to A)​promote a socialist agenda. B)​ensure a patriotic message was at the center of broadcasting. C)​guarantee that stations could use the frequencies they wished, without interference from owners of other stations. D)​restrict others' freedom to enter broadcasting and compete. E)​maintain their first amendment rights.

The current debate about "net neutrality" concerns whether A)Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should be allowed to censor web content for indecency. B)Internet content disproportionately favors liberals or conservatives. C)the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should be allowed to regulate web content for indecency. D)ISPs should be allowed to charge people more if they consume a large amount of bandwidth. E)limits should be placed on the number of Internet websites any media corporation can own.

The _________ Amendment prohibits Congress from abridging freedom of the press. A)First B)Second C)Fourth D)Fifth E)Ninth

The reasonable access rule required A)broadcasters to make facilities available to all responsible parties in a community wishing to express conflicting views on issues. B)the press to refrain from publishing strategic information during wartime. C)broadcast stations to provide fair coverage of all views on public issues. D)broadcast stations to provide free air time to all candidates running for public office. E)all Internet service providers to use similar equipment.

The now-abolished __________ obligated broadcasters to discuss public issues and to provide equal coverage of all opinions on those issues. A)fairness doctrine B)reasonable access rule C)equal opportunities rule D)free exercise rule E)equal time rule

The fairness doctrine,the equal opportunities rule,and the reasonable access rule are all rules under which the FCC has A)regulated Internet content. B)​controlled access to ownership of media outlets. C)​​regulated print media content. D)​regulated the manner in which media cover the U.S. Congress. E)​regulate broadcast media content.

Which president first provided space in the White House for reporters? A)Abraham Lincoln B)John F. Kennedy C)John Quincy Adams D)Theodore Roosevelt E)Ronald Reagan

Advocates of dropping all FCC content regulations believe that​ A)all regulations violate the First Amendment. B)this would result in reduced media-generated polarization of the population. C)​broadcast media should be treated the same as other media. D)​existing regulations on internet political content are unconstitutional. E)​print media have been disadvantaged relative to other types of media outlets.

​Which of the following is not an important function of the news media in our political system? A)​Reporting the news B)​Setting the agenda C)​Socializing citizens D)​Interpreting the news E)​All of the above are important functions of the news media in our political system.

The phrase "on background" means that media are permitted to A)override FCC rules for ownership. B)engage in liberal, biased reporting methods. C)correct an incorrectly-identified source. D)issue a correction and apology for inaccurate reporting. E)anonymously quote material without identifying the source.

Most news printed about Congress comes from A)congressional press releases and prepared reports. B)independent investigations researched by congressional reporters. C)information provided by congressional staff and executive officials who regularly deal with Congress. D)nightly news briefings from congressional party leaders. E)Internet sources.

Officials send out __________ when they intentionally leak news to gauge the reaction of the public or other political leaders. A)trial balloons B)air memos C)opinion hounds D)ghost polls E)lead balloons

The phrase "off the record" means that media A)are not allowed to identify the source of information. B)are banned from attending an event. C)are not allowed to compare a source's present and past statements in their reporting. D)are only allowed to take photographs with short captions. E)are not allowed to print the information.

The media executives,news editors,and prominent reporters who decide which events to report and how to report them are known as A)horse race journalists. B)pack journalists. C)news sophisticates. D)gatekeepers. E)journalistic recorders.

Content analysis of network news suggests that most coverage focuses on A)the president. B)the Supreme Court. C)the House of Representatives. D)the Senate. E)the House of Representatives and the Senate.

During a presidential election,the tendency of journalists to limit coverage of campaigns to coverage of which candidate is leading or behind in the polls at the time,rather than chiefly covering the issues,is known as A)pack journalism. B)pool coverage. C)horse race journalism. D)gatekeeping. E)media sophistication.

Until the early 1960s,most Americans cited __________ as the source from which they got most of their news. A)news magazines B)local tabloids C)television D)radio E)newspapers

​After the 2012 election,which of the following received the lowest rating from Americans? A)​Candidates B)​the Media C)​Campaign consultants D)​Political parties E)​Pollsters

Currently,_________ is (are)most Americans' primary news source. A)​television B)​newspapers C)the Internet D)​news magazines E)​radio

The "television hypothesis" is the belief that television A)should educate the public by aggressively investigating candidates' personal lives. B)now routinely suppresses potentially harmful news about large corporations that own TV stations. C)should be fair and equal in covering all candidates. D)is to blame for the low level of citizens' knowledge about public affairs. E)causes political apathy among viewers.

General entertainment programming that often includes discussions of political affairs,such as The Daily Show,The Today Show,and The View is called A)news lite. B)soft news. C)micro journalism. D)new news. E)New Wave journalism.

Research on the impact of soft news finds it A)can improve people's levels of political knowledge. B)helps citizens identify which politician best matches their own political preferences. C)can lead people to be more cynical about politicians. D)can benefit attitudes and engagements when candidates appear for interviews. E)All of these choices are true.

When the media regularly focus public attention on violent crime,political corruption,or economic woes,they are engaged in A)biased reporting. B)political socialization. C)agenda setting. D)changing public opinion. E)apathy management.

Most politicians and many scholars believe that the media's greatest influence on politics is its ability to A)report the news. B)socialize children. C)set the political agenda. D)ruin political careers. E)investigate.

Crime rates fell in every major category (rape,burglary,robbery,assault,and murder)from the 1980s until very recently,but as one journalist said,"Crime coverage is not editorially driven; it's_________." A)ideologically driven B)politically driven C)racially driven D)economically driven E)ideologically driven and racially driven.

How do the mass media influence the socialization process? A)They reflect the government's position on most important issues. B)They undermine popular support for the political system. C)They play contradictory roles, sometimes promoting popular support for government and sometimes eroding public confidence in it. D)They promote popular support for the political system. E)They cause confusion about political positions of officeholders.

Available evidence seems to indicate that there are _________ among journalists and reporters. A)liberal leanings B)conservative leanings C)biases in favor of politicians D)no biases at all E)negative leanings

Available evidence seems to indicate that there are __________ among editors and owners of the major news media. A)liberal leanings B)conservative leanings C)biases in favor of politicians D)no biases at all E)negative leanings

It is quite possible that campaign coverage is affected by a(n)__________ among journalists. A)anti-incumbent bias B)gender gap C)age gap D)income disparity E)pro-interest group bias

When excluding horserace stories,media coverage of Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential campaign,compared to coverage of Barack Obama,was​ A)​much more negative. B)​more negative. C)​about the same. D)​more positive. E)​much more positive.

By improving the quality of information transmitted to the people about their government,the mass media A)at various times serve both the majoritarian and the pluralist models of American politics. B)fit most comfortably into the pluralist model of American politics. C)fit most comfortably into the majoritarian model of American politics. D)tend to guarantee government responsiveness to popular demands. E)raise expectations of voters.

Which of the following statements is most accurate? A)The mass media are not important to the majoritarian model of democracy. B)The mass media are not important to the pluralist model of democracy. C)The media in the United States have greatly enhanced the government's efforts to maintain  order. D)The media in the United States have played an important role in advancing equality. E)The media represent an unofficial branch of government.

Representatives of the mass media frequently defend the importance of freedom of the press,even if it comes at the expense of A)order. B)equality. C)profits. D)democracy. E)rights.

A 2006 survey found that if the government feels information threatens national security,_______ Americans favor government censorship.​ A)​almost no B)​about 10 percent of C)​about a third of D)​about half of E)​about two-thirds of

Describe the history and current influence of radio on American politics.​

How are political blogs influencing news reporting and politics?

Explain the consequences of the large degree of private ownership of media that exists in the United States.

In what way are some of our modern media outlets a return to the earliest forms of news media in America?

Describe the government's history of regulation of media content,including rules historically used​ to regulate content and how different media outlets are treated.

Describe how Washington correspondents rely on the president's staff and on Congress.

Explain what is meant by the media playing the role of gatekeeper.

Explain how the media,in setting the agenda,play contradictory roles in the process of political socialization.

What does research show with respect to the political leanings of major news media reporters?

Describe some of the ways ​the media have had an impact on American values of freedom,order and equality,including the conflicts between these values.