Question 1

Which of the following best describes the current state of media in the United States?

Accepted Answer

A)  The media is expansive and primarily objective in nature. 
B)  The media is expansive and primarily ideological in nature. 
C)  The media is a mix of objective and ideological sources of all types. 
D)  The political parties have primary control of media in the United States. 
E)  Media is locally owned and controlled, with little national focus. 
A)  The media is expansive and primarily objective in nature. 
B)  The media is expansive and primarily ideological in nature. 
C)  The media is a mix of objective and ideological sources of all types. 
D)  The political parties have primary control of media in the United States. 
E)  Media is locally owned and controlled, with little national focus. C

Question 2

A news organization that supports an incumbent president would exhibit ________ bias by failing to report any news about the economy during a recession.

Accepted Answer

A)  statement 
B)  elite 
C)  ideological 
D)  coverage 
E)  gatekeeping 
A)  statement 
B)  elite 
C)  ideological 
D)  coverage 
E)  gatekeeping E

Question 3

Why does the First Amendment permit the federal government to regulate the content of broadcast media in ways that would be impermissible if applied to print media? What are some ways that the federal government regulates or has regulated the content of broadcast media? What are the goals of these regulations? Have the regulations had their intended effects?

Accepted Answer

A thorough answer may include:
•Under U.S. law, the airwaves for TV and radio are public property, which gives the government the right to sell off and regulate their use.
•The Fairness Doctrine, in place through 1987, required that TV and radio stations had to present at least two sides to each controversial news program; after deregulation, this doctrine no longer stands, and today there are few restrictions on content for mass media.
•Likewise, many other regulatory laws relating to media ownership have been abandoned, one of the most influential being the now-concentrated ownership of major media outlets, which means competition is low.
•Some believe this lack of competition has led to a decline in high-quality political information.
•Overall, regulations are scarce today compared to what they once were.

Question 4

In which country is the majority of major broadcast media privately owned by a prominent national politician?

Accepted Answer

A)  Iran 
B)  China 
C)  Italy 
D)  the United States 
E)  the United Kingdom 
A)  Iran 
B)  China 
C)  Italy 
D)  the United States 
E)  the United Kingdom

Question 5

The ________ hypothesis predicts that people will choose to consume news from media outlets based on their personal interests and the issue areas that various outlets emphasize.

Accepted Answer

A)  agenda 
B)  convergence 
C)  partisan 
D)  efficacy 
E)  engagement 
A)  agenda 
B)  convergence 
C)  partisan 
D)  efficacy 
E)  engagement

Question 6

Shows like The Daily Show focus primarily on offering a satirical presentation of real world news. What term best identifies the type of programming in which these shows engage?

Accepted Answer

A)  infotainment 
B)  sensationalism 
C)  information 
D)  podcasting 
E)  political entertainment 
A)  infotainment 
B)  sensationalism 
C)  information 
D)  podcasting 
E)  political entertainment

Question 7

Identify and describe three hypotheses that explain why people choose particular outlets for political news. What assumptions about people's interest in politics or cognitive processes motivate these theories? What evidence supports or contradicts the predictions of these theories?

Accepted Answer

A thorough answer may include:
•Partisan

Question 8

Which of the following best describes attitudes in the United States toward government regulation of private media?

Accepted Answer

A)  In the United States, the federal government cannot monitor private media due to the Assange Act of 2011. 
B)  The United States is generally more open to monitoring of private media than other democratic countries. 
C)  The United States is generally less open to monitoring of private media than other democratic countries. 
D)  In the United States, private media is regulated just as much as public media. 
E)  The United States does not have the technological capacity to monitor private media. 
A)  In the United States, the federal government cannot monitor private media due to the Assange Act of 2011. 
B)  The United States is generally more open to monitoring of private media than other democratic countries. 
C)  The United States is generally less open to monitoring of private media than other democratic countries. 
D)  In the United States, private media is regulated just as much as public media. 
E)  The United States does not have the technological capacity to monitor private media.

Question 9

Some new forms of media can encourage people to vote, but the most effective tool for increasing turnout is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  face-to-face canvassing 
B)  direct mail 
C)  phone calls from volunteers 
D)  phone calls from celebrities 
E)  TV advertisements 
A)  face-to-face canvassing 
B)  direct mail 
C)  phone calls from volunteers 
D)  phone calls from celebrities 
E)  TV advertisements

Question 10

Which is most consistent with the engagement hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  A generally conservative individual watches a liberal cable news outlet to see "what the other side is up to." 
B)  An investor who is only mildly interested in political news that does not influence his or her business interests primarily visits financial news Web sites that principally cover economic and business news. 
C)  A liberal individual watches a liberal cable news outlet to see stories that match his or her ideological predispositions. 
D)  A generally conservative person with little interest in politics happens to be exposed to some political news stories while he or she watches a local news broadcast to hear the scores of local sporting events and the weather report. 
E)  A person intentionally chooses to avoid political news coverage on television in general because he or she finds the style of modern broadcast journalism distasteful. 
A)  A generally conservative individual watches a liberal cable news outlet to see "what the other side is up to." 
B)  An investor who is only mildly interested in political news that does not influence his or her business interests primarily visits financial news Web sites that principally cover economic and business news. 
C)  A liberal individual watches a liberal cable news outlet to see stories that match his or her ideological predispositions. 
D)  A generally conservative person with little interest in politics happens to be exposed to some political news stories while he or she watches a local news broadcast to hear the scores of local sporting events and the weather report. 
E)  A person intentionally chooses to avoid political news coverage on television in general because he or she finds the style of modern broadcast journalism distasteful.

Question 11

Gladys is a food blogger for Good Housekeeping, who writes primarily about making healthy dinners that also happen to look like cakes and other desserts. In what type of media is Gladys engaged?

Accepted Answer

A)  public 
B)  biased 
C)  analog 
D)  private 
E)  mass 
A)  public 
B)  biased 
C)  analog 
D)  private 
E)  mass

Question 12

A news report explaining changes to the latest federal budget would fall under which of the media's roles in a free society?

Accepted Answer

A)  evaluation of government officials 
B)  presenter of infotainment 
C)  solver of collective-action problems 
D)  interpretation of information 
E)  crafter of bias 
A)  evaluation of government officials 
B)  presenter of infotainment 
C)  solver of collective-action problems 
D)  interpretation of information 
E)  crafter of bias

Question 13

Compared to the general public, journalists' ideological positions are ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  farther to the left 
B)  farther to the right 
C)  about the same 
D)  much farther to the right 
E)  almost exactly the same 
A)  farther to the left 
B)  farther to the right 
C)  about the same 
D)  much farther to the right 
E)  almost exactly the same

Question 14

Which of the following best describes how the Internet and the increased availability of information have changed individual knowledge of the news?

Accepted Answer

A)  Individuals are generally more knowledgeable about politics than they were in the past. 
B)  The type of knowledge individuals knows is the same regardless of what news sources they use. 
C)  Individuals who are interested in politics know more, but those who are not interested know about as much as they did before the Internet. 
D)  The large amount of information overwhelms most people, leaving even the most interested knowing less than they did before. 
E)  Individuals who are interested in politics know more, but those who are not interested know less than they used to. 
A)  Individuals are generally more knowledgeable about politics than they were in the past. 
B)  The type of knowledge individuals knows is the same regardless of what news sources they use. 
C)  Individuals who are interested in politics know more, but those who are not interested know about as much as they did before the Internet. 
D)  The large amount of information overwhelms most people, leaving even the most interested knowing less than they did before. 
E)  Individuals who are interested in politics know more, but those who are not interested know less than they used to.

Question 15

Evidence that media has educational value, and that people retain factual information well, is ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  mixed 
B)  confirmed by most quality research 
C)  not supported by the literature 
D)  overstated 
E)  not available because little research exists on the topic 
A)  mixed 
B)  confirmed by most quality research 
C)  not supported by the literature 
D)  overstated 
E)  not available because little research exists on the topic

Question 16

In 2008, about ________ percent of Americans reported using the Internet for political news, more than ten times the number who did in 1996.

Accepted Answer

A)  45 
B)  60 
C)  85 
D)  30 
E)  55 
A)  45 
B)  60 
C)  85 
D)  30 
E)  55

Question 17

The decision of news directors to focus on sports and gossip news rather than international news speaks to what guiding factor of the media?

Accepted Answer

A)  the profit motive 
B)  the unbiased motive 
C)  the reporting motive 
D)  the violence motive 
E)  the news motive 
A)  the profit motive 
B)  the unbiased motive 
C)  the reporting motive 
D)  the violence motive 
E)  the news motive

Question 18

Which is most consistent with the agenda hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

A)  An investor who is only mildly interested in political news that does not influence his or her business interests primarily visits financial news Web sites that principally cover economic and business news. 
B)  A generally conservative individual watches a liberal cable news outlet to see "what the other side is up to." 
C)  A liberal individual watches a liberal cable news outlet to see stories that match his or her ideological predispositions. 
D)  A generally conservative person with little interest in politics happens to be exposed to some political news stories while he or she watches a local news broadcast to hear the scores of local sporting events and the weather report. 
E)  A person intentionally chooses to avoid political news coverage on television in general because he or she finds the style of modern broadcast journalism distasteful. 
A)  An investor who is only mildly interested in political news that does not influence his or her business interests primarily visits financial news Web sites that principally cover economic and business news. 
B)  A generally conservative individual watches a liberal cable news outlet to see "what the other side is up to." 
C)  A liberal individual watches a liberal cable news outlet to see stories that match his or her ideological predispositions. 
D)  A generally conservative person with little interest in politics happens to be exposed to some political news stories while he or she watches a local news broadcast to hear the scores of local sporting events and the weather report. 
E)  A person intentionally chooses to avoid political news coverage on television in general because he or she finds the style of modern broadcast journalism distasteful.

Question 19

A news organization that regularly includes criticisms of a president's policies in news coverage of the economy exhibits ________ bias.

Accepted Answer

A)  gatekeeping 
B)  elite 
C)  ideological 
D)  coverage 
E)  statement 
A)  gatekeeping 
B)  elite 
C)  ideological 
D)  coverage 
E)  statement

Question 20

Which is a federal law, passed in 1996, that substantially lowers barriers to new firms entering the media marketplace?

Accepted Answer

A)  Fairness Doctrine 
B)  Equal Time Rule 
C)  Telecommunications Act 
D)  Electronic Media Act 
E)  Free Press Principle 
A)  Fairness Doctrine 
B)  Equal Time Rule 
C)  Telecommunications Act 
D)  Electronic Media Act 
E)  Free Press Principle

Which of the following best describes the current state of media in the United States?

A news organization that supports an incumbent president would exhibit ________ bias by failing to report any news about the economy during a recession.

In which country is the majority of major broadcast media privately owned by a prominent national politician?

The ________ hypothesis predicts that people will choose to consume news from media outlets based on their personal interests and the issue areas that various outlets emphasize.

Shows like The Daily Show focus primarily on offering a satirical presentation of real world news. What term best identifies the type of programming in which these shows engage?

Identify and describe three hypotheses that explain why people choose particular outlets for political news. What assumptions about people's interest in politics or cognitive processes motivate these theories? What evidence supports or contradicts the predictions of these theories?

Which of the following best describes attitudes in the United States toward government regulation of private media?

Some new forms of media can encourage people to vote, but the most effective tool for increasing turnout is ________.

Which is most consistent with the engagement hypothesis?

Gladys is a food blogger for Good Housekeeping, who writes primarily about making healthy dinners that also happen to look like cakes and other desserts. In what type of media is Gladys engaged?

A news report explaining changes to the latest federal budget would fall under which of the media's roles in a free society?

Compared to the general public, journalists' ideological positions are ________.

Which of the following best describes how the Internet and the increased availability of information have changed individual knowledge of the news?

Evidence that media has educational value, and that people retain factual information well, is ________.

In 2008, about ________ percent of Americans reported using the Internet for political news, more than ten times the number who did in 1996.

The decision of news directors to focus on sports and gossip news rather than international news speaks to what guiding factor of the media?

Which is most consistent with the agenda hypothesis?

A news organization that regularly includes criticisms of a president's policies in news coverage of the economy exhibits ________ bias.

Which is a federal law, passed in 1996, that substantially lowers barriers to new firms entering the media marketplace?

Introduction

The Constitution

Federalism

Civil Rights and Liberties

Congress

The Presidency

The Bureaucracy

The Judiciary

Public Opinion

Political Participation

Interest Groups and Social Movements

Political Parties

Elections and Campaigns

Economic Policy

Social Policy

Foreign Policy

Filters

Exam 14: Mass Media and the Press

Which of the following best describes the current state of media in the United States?

A news organization that supports an incumbent president would exhibit ________ bias by failing to report any news about the economy during a recession.

In which country is the majority of major broadcast media privately owned by a prominent national politician?

The ________ hypothesis predicts that people will choose to consume news from media outlets based on their personal interests and the issue areas that various outlets emphasize.

Shows like The Daily Show focus primarily on offering a satirical presentation of real world news. What term best identifies the type of programming in which these shows engage?

Identify and describe three hypotheses that explain why people choose particular outlets for political news. What assumptions about people's interest in politics or cognitive processes motivate these theories? What evidence supports or contradicts the predictions of these theories?

Which of the following best describes attitudes in the United States toward government regulation of private media?

Some new forms of media can encourage people to vote, but the most effective tool for increasing turnout is ________.

Which is most consistent with the engagement hypothesis?

Gladys is a food blogger for Good Housekeeping, who writes primarily about making healthy dinners that also happen to look like cakes and other desserts. In what type of media is Gladys engaged?

A news report explaining changes to the latest federal budget would fall under which of the media's roles in a free society?

Compared to the general public, journalists' ideological positions are ________.

Which of the following best describes how the Internet and the increased availability of information have changed individual knowledge of the news?

Evidence that media has educational value, and that people retain factual information well, is ________.

In 2008, about ________ percent of Americans reported using the Internet for political news, more than ten times the number who did in 1996.

The decision of news directors to focus on sports and gossip news rather than international news speaks to what guiding factor of the media?

Which is most consistent with the agenda hypothesis?

A news organization that regularly includes criticisms of a president's policies in news coverage of the economy exhibits ________ bias.

Which is a federal law, passed in 1996, that substantially lowers barriers to new firms entering the media marketplace?

Introduction

The Constitution

Federalism

Civil Rights and Liberties

Congress

The Presidency

The Bureaucracy

The Judiciary

Public Opinion

Political Participation

Interest Groups and Social Movements

Political Parties

Elections and Campaigns

Economic Policy

Social Policy

Foreign Policy

Filters