Question 1

In terms of number of people that drug use kills each year in the United States, ________.

Accepted Answer

A)   illegal drugs kill many times more people than legal drugs
B)   legal drugs kill many times more people than illegal drugs
C)   illegal and legal drugs kill about the same number of people
D)   the number of people that legal and illegal drugs kill remains unknown
E)   none of the above. B

Question 2

The harm that the media attributed marijuana with causing during the 1930s was that use of the drug would cause the user to:

Accepted Answer

A)   develop the "amotivational syndrome."
B)   progress to more dangerous drugs.
C)   become insane and violent and commit rape and murder.
D)   drop dead of a drug overdose.
E)   pass on birth defects to his or her offspring. C

Question 3

Knowing what we know about drug use and harm-specifically that legal drugs kill vastly more users than illegal drugs-explain the disjunction between the volume of media attention paid to the latter versus the former. Try to discuss this matter objectively rather than moralistically. What makes death as a result of use of an illicit drug more newsworthy than death as a result of an illegal drug?

Accepted Answer

The disjunction between the volume of media attention paid to illegal drugs versus legal drugs can be attributed to a variety of factors. Firstly, the illegal nature of certain drugs adds an element of sensationalism and intrigue to news stories, which can make them more newsworthy. The idea of criminal activity and law enforcement efforts to combat it can capture the public's attention in a way that legal drug use may not.

Additionally, there may be a societal stigma attached to illegal drug use that makes it more newsworthy. The idea of someone engaging in illicit and potentially dangerous behavior can be more shocking and attention-grabbing than someone using a legal substance in a way that leads to harm. There may also be a perception that those who use illegal drugs are more "reckless" or "irresponsible" than those who use legal drugs, which can make their stories more compelling to the media and the public.

Furthermore, the illegal drug trade and the associated violence and criminal activity can also contribute to the newsworthiness of illegal drug use. Stories about drug cartels, smuggling operations, and law enforcement efforts to combat these activities can be more dramatic and captivating than stories about the regulation and distribution of legal drugs.

It's important to note that these factors are not necessarily reflective of the actual harm caused by different types of drugs. As the question points out, legal drugs actually kill vastly more users than illegal drugs. However, the way in which these stories are framed and presented in the media can create a perception that illegal drug use is more newsworthy and deserving of attention. This is not a moral judgment, but rather an observation of the way in which certain narratives are prioritized and sensationalized in the media.

Question 4

What factors make the sudden emergence of the widespread use of a particular drug newsworthy? Use examples from specific drugs during specific eras.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What factors make the sudden emergence of...

Question 5

Media stories on the use of PCP in the 1970s tended to emphasize that the use of the drug would cause the user to:

Accepted Answer

A)   die of a drug overdose.
B)   progress to more dangerous drugs.
C)   engage in multiple drug use and harm himself or herself as a result.
D)   have psychotic episodes and engage in self-destructive behavior.
E)   none of the above.

Question 6

In your opinion, which of the four theories of media bias best explains the enormous attention paid to crack in the 1980s? Be specific and detailed.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In your opinion, which of the four...

Question 7

Sensationalistic stories of drug harm erupted for different drugs at different times. For these stories, match up the decade with the drug during which these stories most typically erupted.

Accepted Answer

A)   marijuana in the 1960s
B)   crack cocaine in the 1950s
C)   PCP in the 1990s
D)   methamphetamine from the late 1980s to the 2000s
E)   none of the above.

Question 8

Discuss some common themes that can be found during all the eras of drug stories, from marijuana use in the 1930s to methamphetamine use in the late 1990s to the early twenty-first century.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss some common themes that can be...

Question 9

The period during which media attention was most strongly focused on drug use and abuse was the:

Accepted Answer

A)   1950s.
B)   1960s.
C)   1970s.
D)   1980s.
E)   1990s.

Question 10

The year that drug use was most frequently in the news was:

Accepted Answer

A)   1956.
B)   1966.
C)   1976.
D)   1986.
E)   1996.

Question 11

The author emphasizes that charges of media bias are commonly lodged by observers with particular approaches or perspectives. Which of the following is the author regarding as bias with respect to the media reporting the drug story? The extent to which these stories:

Accepted Answer

A)   subvert the Marxist agenda and delay the proletariat revolution.
B)   undermine the readers' faith in God.
C)   do not accurately reflect the evidence gathered and the conclusions reached by scientists.
D)   fail to contribute to patriotic fervor.
E)   stimulate an interest among the young in trying and using illicit psychoactive drugs.

Question 12

The year the American public most strongly believed that drug abuse was the nation's number one problem was:

Accepted Answer

A)   1959.
B)   1969.
C)   1979.
D)   1989.
E)   1999.

Question 13

The news stories that reported that LSD causes chromosome damage and result in the user passing on birth defects to his or her offspring was:

Accepted Answer

A)   verified by research conducted in the 1960s.
B)   a complete media invention-no article published in the scientific literature reported such a finding.
C)   an urban legend that was circulated during the 1960s.
D)   disconfirmed by later scientific research.

Question 14

Discuss the various claims that the media made regarding the effects of specific drugs between the 1930s and the 2000s that were factually incorrect. Why were these claims made, how were they corrected, and have they died down now that the factual record has been set straight regarding these drugs?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Discuss the various claims that the media...

Question 15

News stories in the 1960s about the harm caused by the use of LSD:

Accepted Answer

A)   reported consistently throughout the decade about only one harm the use of the drug caused-insanity and self-destruction.
B)   reported consistently throughout the decade about only one harm the use of the drug caused-chromosome damage.
C)   began by focusing its reporting mainly on one harm the use of the drug caused (insanity and self-destruction) , but switched its attention to a second harm (chromosome damage) .
D)   was unfocused and all over the map with regard to the harm the use of the drug caused-from addiction to overdoses to progression to more dangerous drugs.
E)   none of the above.

Question 16

Why is the distinction between factual bias and selection bias in the reporting of news stories about drugs and drug use? Be specific, be detailed, and use examples.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why is the distinction between factual bias...

Question 17

Which of the following assertions about methamphetamine, as reported by the media in the late 1980s, turned out to be true? The use of meth:

Accepted Answer

A)   had moved up the socioeconomic ladder to the point where abuse was as common among the rich as among the poor.
B)   had marched across the country to the point where abuse was as common on the East Coast as on the West Coast.
C)   had become the drug of choice among young people to the point where it had become the most popular and widely used drug in the country.
D)   was "instant addiction"-one puff and you're hooked for life.
E)   none of the above.

Question 18

The effect caused by smoking crack cocaine in the 1980s that the media most emphasized was:

Accepted Answer

A)   dying of an overdose of the drug.
B)   progressing to the use of other, more dangerous drugs.
C)   becoming addicted or dependent on the drug.
D)   becoming insane and violent.
E)   using crack in conjunction with alcohol and becoming an alcoholic.

Question 19

In several cases, media attention to a drug's supposed harms and dangers was followed by legislation criminalizing the possession and sale of that drug. Cite these cases, explaining for what drug this took place and in what era.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In several cases, media attention to a...

Question 20

How does the media hierarchy of prestige influence media sensationalism with respect to drug use? Do media organizations higher on the ladder of prestige present a drug story in a different way than media organizations lower down on the ladder of prestige? Explain.

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does the media hierarchy of prestige...

Exam 5: Drugs in the Media