Exam 7: The Mass Media and the Political Agenda

The average length of time that a presidential candidate was given to talk uninterrupted on the TV news in 1968 was __________; in 2008,it was __________.

Trial balloons are used for which of the following?

The media's emphasis on the slowly improving American economic situation in 2012 rather than the record number of long-term unemployed Americans is an example of __________.

Should we be concerned by Americans' habits regarding consumption of the news? Should we be troubled by the fact that more Americans do not take fuller advantage of the Internet to gather information about political issues or campaigns and elections? Why or why not?

Investigative journalism may contribute to __________.

Television,radio,newspapers,magazines,the Internet,and other forms of communication are collectively referred to as the __________.

Up until the early 1960s,the relationship between politicians and the press was relatively cozy and many reporters accepted most of what government officials told them.

An example of a newsweekly is __________.

While there is little evidence that the media directly affect how citizens vote,there is considerable evidence that the media shape what citizens think about.

The increased number of news and infotainment options has resulted in __________ in which media outlets focus on a particular interest and aim at a particular audience.

Some viewers gain political information by watching comedy television shows.

The use of in-depth reporting to unearth scandals,scams,and schemes,at times putting reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders,is referred to as __________ journalism.

The United States is in an era of high-tech politics.

Which of these would a major TV network be least likely to show for very long?

Newspaper circulation rates in the United States have been steadily declining.

What do network executives blame for the superficiality in media reporting?

After the 2004 Iowa caucuses,the press repeatedly showed an unusually awkward clip of Howard Dean screaming rather than any substantive portions of the event.What does this illustrate?

How has the Internet changed news reporting? How has it changed political campaigns and elections? What effect does the Internet have on other news media?

Describe how the media shape public opinion.What are the consequences of the media's influence on public opinion?

Increasing public attention to specific problems is a core feature of the media's __________ power.