American Government Chapter 14
29. Today, approximately what percentage television households subscribe to cable or to satellite services? a. 90 b. 75 c. 50 d. 25
a. 90
26. By the end of the 1960s, households with televisions outnumbered those with a. indoor plumbing. b. glass windows. c. radios. d. electricity.
a. indoor plumbing.
41. Sensationalization involves a. making sure that the audience gets what it wants so it will tune in and come back. b. making sure that the audience gets what it needs so it will return to a trusted brand. c. making sure that headlines accurately convey the gist of the story. d. making things up about public figures since the media is protected from libel.
a. making sure that the audience gets what it wants so it will tune in and come back.
1. The lessons of the Sago mine disaster for the mass media are that a. reporters may be tempted to rely on one another's judgments about what is happening as informational shortcuts. b. reporters can no longer trust political actors to deliver accurate information. c. with modern technology, the news media can confirm stories more quickly and offer them to the public. d. reporters see what they want to see regardless of the facts.
a. reporters may be tempted to rely on one another's judgments about what is happening as informational shortcuts.
12. Within a few decades of ratification of the First Amendment, the notion that the free press would guard the citizenry's liberties against the designs of ambitious politicians a. had proven to be precisely the way the free press developed. b. had been replaced by the press as dedicated partisan boosters. c. had been replaced with pamphleteering as the only available way for publishers to express their opinions. d. was undermined by the Supreme Court when it struck the words "press" from the Bill of Rights
b. had been replaced by the press as dedicated partisan boosters.
35. Each technological change in mass communication has a. obscured the actions of politicians more. b. made the news more widely available to consumers. c. come at the expense of the depth of information available. d. occurred as a direct result of government regulation.
b. made the news more widely available to consumers.
51. When politicians strategically give important information to the news media on the condition that its source not be identified by name, this is referred to as a. a plumber. b. a trial balloon. c. a leak. d. a stopper.
c. a leak.
54. Which of the following criteria is not typically employed when the media decide whether or not to include a story in the newspaper or broadcast? a. the level of controversy b. negativity—bad news is preferred to good news c. foreign or domestic policy d. authority and status of a source
c. foreign or domestic policy
56. The franking privilege a. gives members of Congress free unlimited broadcast time on C-SPAN. b. refers to confidential information given to reporters under the condition that they not reveal their sources. c. refers to the weekly free lunches members of Congress provide reporters. d. allows members of Congress free access to the postal system for official correspondence
d. allows members of Congress free access to the postal system for official correspondence
42. The role of infotainment in the current media environment a. has declined and has been replaced by news produced through the craft of reporting. b. is largely confined to cable networks while the broadcast networks focus on hard news. c. means that it is harder to mix argument and assertion in with fact and verification. d. can prove highly informative for people who are not that interested in public affairs or current events.
d. can prove highly informative for people who are not that interested in public affairs or current events.
28. By the 1960s, what was the chief source of news for many Americans? a. newspapers b. radio c. magazines d. nightly evening network news
d. nightly evening network news
34. Innovation in mass communication has resulted in a. the resurgence of the daily newspaper as the only credible source for news. b. a dramatic expansion of news as a consumer product. c. a dramatic compression of freedom of speech. d. less substance in news reports
b. a dramatic expansion of news as a consumer product.
18. The transformation of newspapers into instruments of mass communication meant that a. newspapers became much more expensive than ever before. b. politicians no longer needed to be concerned with what was printed in any given newspaper's opinion columns because there were so many competing newspapers. c. politicians frequently found themselves bowing to powerful editors and publishers. d. the public no longer got its political news from the newspapers.
c. politicians frequently found themselves bowing to powerful editors and publishers.
31. The Federal Communication Commission's "fairness doctrine" required that stations a. provide free advertising at least once a day to presidential candidates. b. refrain from the broadcast, during a campaign, of movies of actors who had become political candidates. c. use roughly equal numbers of men and women reporters. d. devote a share of their programming to public affairs programming in a balanced and equitable manner.
d. devote a share of their programming to public affairs programming in a balanced and equitable manner.
25. How did the spread of television in its first decade compare with the spread of radio during its first decade? a. Radios spread into 40% of all households, while televisions spread to almost 90% of all households. b. Radios spread into 40% of all households, while televisions only spread into about 25% of all households. c. Radios spread into 90% of all households, while television only spread to about 40% of all households. d. The pattern was about the same for each medium as penetration was nearly 40% during the first decade.
a. Radios spread into 40% of all households, while televisions spread to almost 90% of all households.
50. The relationship between politicians and reporters can best be described as a. built on a tension between reciprocity and competition. b. a principal-agent relationship in which the politicians are principals and the reporters are agents. c. a principal-agent relationship in which the reporters are principals and the politicians are agents. d. built on a complementary interaction between a monopoly and the regulators.
a. built on a tension between reciprocity and competition.
47. How have the courts played a vital role in protecting the media under the First Amendment? a. by limiting government efforts to exercise prior restraint and limiting the press's exposure to libel and slander laws b. by ruling that the press is a constitutionally protected fourth branch of the government that may write anything it wishes c. by limiting the subsidies provided to news organizations to ensure their independence d. by requiring politicians to answer questions from the press and expanding the availability of government documents
a. by limiting government efforts to exercise prior restraint and limiting the press's exposure to libel and slander laws
8. During colonial times, it was quite common for a. commentaries or reporting that first appeared in a weekly paper to be republished in pamphlet form for wider circulation. b. original reporting to be plagiarized by other newspapers to boost their own circulation figures. c. commentaries or reporting that first appeared in pamphlets to be republished in weekly newspapers for wider circulation. d. books to be serialized in order to attract more readers.
a. commentaries or reporting that first appeared in a weekly paper to be republished in pamphlet form for wider circulation.
58. Sen. Joseph McCarthy always appeared before television cameras with loose sheets of paper, which he could wave at the camera and claim contained the names of known a. communists in the State Department b. KKK members in the Justice Department c. undercover reporters in the Federal Bureau of Investigation d. felons who contributed to the President's reelection campaign
a. communists in the State Department
37. The role of blogs in today's mass media environment is a. continuing to influence politics and journalism in important ways and providing entrepreneurs and media outlets with space to develop digital-only content. b. decreasing in importance because blogs have not moved past the personal musings of authors. c. rather small since many Americans do not read blogs on a frequent basis. d. hurtful to the conduct of modern politics because most of the political stories attack political actors and paint them in an unfavorable light.
a. continuing to influence politics and journalism in important ways and providing entrepreneurs and media outlets with space to develop digital-only content.
4. To characterize the news media as businesses a. does not discredit their integrity as suppliers of vital civic information. b. discredits their integrity as suppliers of vital civic information. c. demonstrates that the media simply report news as presented to them by politicians. d. suggests that media elites, pollsters, and politicians form a classic iron triangle that is still vibrant today.
a. does not discredit their integrity as suppliers of vital civic information.
49. When politicians participate in news making, they usually have one or both of two audiences in mind—the public and a. fellow politicians. b. soft money donors. c. newspaper editors and reporters. d. political scientists
a. fellow politicians.
24. One study in 2004 of talk radio programs found a. national and state conservative talk programs totaled forty thousand broadcast hours each week compared with three thousand for liberal programs. b. the implementation of the fairness doctrine reduced the advantage of conservative talk programs significantly. c. national and state liberal talk programs totaled forty thousand broadcast hours each week compared with three thousand for conservative programs. d. a significant decline in listenership for all programs because Americans rarely listen to the radio anymore.
a. national and state conservative talk programs totaled forty thousand broadcast hours each week compared with three thousand for liberal programs.
13. The two technological innovations of the adaptation of steam power to printing and the development of faster and more reliable cylinder presses meant that publishers could sell their papers more cheaply a. so publishers could increase their reading audience, and thus break away from party sponsorship. b. and publishers could become more closely aligned with the political parties. c. although they actually raised their prices to pay for the new technologies. d. and publishers could aggressively pursue overseas markets, especially in Europe and South America.
a. so publishers could increase their reading audience, and thus break away from party sponsorship.
52. The Watergate scandal broke and Richard Nixon was forced to resign largely due to which of the following? a. the Senate investigation spurred by the "leaks" of "Deep Throat," later claimed to be Federal Bureau of Investigation bureaucrat Mark Felt b. the House investigation into impropriety in the savings and loan industry c. the House banking scandal d. a casual conversation between President Nixon and Henry Kissinger, which was overheard by a reporter at a state dinner
a. the Senate investigation spurred by the "leaks" of "Deep Throat," later claimed to be Federal Bureau of Investigation bureaucrat Mark Felt
20. The period between 1883 and 1925 was in many ways the golden age of newspapers, in part because a. they essentially held a monopoly over mass communication and were the only outlet for national political news. b. they covered the newly emerging movie industry to the exclusion of national political news. c. it was the only time in history during which there was only one publisher. d. they could virtually choose the President based on the sway of their op-ed pieces.
a. they essentially held a monopoly over mass communication and were the only outlet for national political news.
22. Formidable publishing barons such as Hearst and Pulitzer disappeared after which of the following occurrences? a. Congress passed antitrust laws that broke up the publishing chains. b. Commercial radio took away their monopoly on the news. c. They merged and then were regulated by Congress. d. The Supreme Court ruled that they were liable for anything published that proved to be untruthful.
b. Commercial radio took away their monopoly on the news.
43. What is the consequence of sensationalization, speed, and the growth of infotainment? a. There is a wider diversity of sources for people to obtain the news in a format most engaging for them. b. It has hurt the believability, objectivity, and accuracy of news outlets according to survey data. c. It provides politicians with new ways to connect with voters and this has increased trust in the political system. d. It has stimulated increased political participation because people are engaged in current affairs in relevant ways.
b. It has hurt the believability, objectivity, and accuracy of news outlets according to survey data.
40. How has the importance of making profits affected the news media? a. It means that media must work harder than ever to remain a trusted brand. b. News outlets do everything they can to attract and keep an audience. c. Most news outlets have gotten smaller and more specialized. d. They have been forced to raise their prices so fewer Americans are able to get information.
b. News outlets do everything they can to attract and keep an audience.
46. What role does the press play in helping citizens monitor their elected leaders? a. They help by evaluating the claims of politicians and determining whether they are telling the truth. b. The press ferrets out incompetence and malfeasance when challengers fail to perform due diligence. c. They help create informational shortcuts so voters can digest news more easily. d. They adopt a hostile tone toward the government so citizens are not easily fooled by promises.
b. The press ferrets out incompetence and malfeasance when challengers fail to perform due diligence.
9. During the early days of the republic, newspapers a. were primarily full of objective news reporting. b. advocated party platforms, promoted candidates, and attacked the political opposition. c. rarely reported on politics or government at all. d. were almost always nonpartisan.
b. advocated party platforms, promoted candidates, and attacked the political opposition.
15. The rivalry between Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst led to a. the establishment of the annual competition for the America's Cup. b. innovations in publishing that created the modern mass circulation newspaper. c. parties co-opting newspaper publishers all across the country. d. the first movie studio and theater chain owned by a newspaper chain.
b. innovations in publishing that created the modern mass circulation newspaper.
53. "Pack journalism" refers to a. journalists traveling abroad to find a story. b. journalists repeating the same story because they talk to one another and validate each other's reporting. c. journalists hovering around one person to ask questions. d. journalists crowding outside the hall of a congressional hearing to try to cover the story all at the same time.
b. journalists repeating the same story because they talk to one another and validate each other's reporting.
36. In March 2011, Senator Rand Paul responded to President Barack Obama's nationally televised address on military action in Libya by a. a televised rebuttal. b. posting his own video on YouTube. c. writing an op-ed for the New York Times. d. speaking from the Senate in a televised speech.
b. posting his own video on YouTube.
39. Walter Lippman's view of the press was a. holding politicians accountable for all of their actions. b. providing the information a good citizen needed to know to function in a democracy. c. engaging in muckraking so that the endemic corruption would be exposed and citizens should be cynical of their government. d. working closely with politicians to gently lead the public in the right direction on the most important matters of public policy.
b. providing the information a good citizen needed to know to function in a democracy.
6. What was the main source of high unit costs for delivering the news in colonial times? a. distributing newspapers over large geographic areas with poor infrastructure b. the time-consuming, labor-intensive printing process c. maintaining a large staff both locally and globally to provide full coverage d. submitting to the censorship of the British government
b. the time-consuming, labor-intensive printing process
30. During the 1920s, when hundreds of radio stations overcrowded desirable spots on the radio dial, the FCC was created in part to solve this classic a. monopoly. b. tragedy of the commons. c. yellow journalism. d. inappropriate use of the Second Amendment.
b. tragedy of the commons.
48. What does the example of the Pentagon Papers illustrates about the doctrine of prior restraint? a. The government can easily make a case that the press should not be allowed to publish national security documents while the nation is at war. b. The courts have been skeptical of the claims of the press, and the government can operate under a presumption of secrecy. c. Exercising prior restraint requires the government to demonstrate that the publication of documents would damage national security. d. The Supreme Court prefers to avoid these issues so the legislative and executive branches can resolve the problems.
c. Exercising prior restraint requires the government to demonstrate that the publication of documents would damage national security.
14. What allowed the penny press to thrive in the 19th century? a. Constant and aggressive coverage of politics was the most attractive strategy. b. Maintaining low prices to ensure that newspapers were widely available. c. Expanding the news to include human interest stories and coverage of crime, business, and social events. d. Embracing long-form stories for the Sunday editions combined with extensive advertising of new products.
c. Expanding the news to include human interest stories and coverage of crime, business, and social events.
21. What did the Spanish-American War in 1898 reveal about American newspapers? a. Readership increased because of the stories from embedded reporters. b. Their opposition played an important role in preventing the government from expanding the war. c. It was the most vivid demonstration of the medium's willingness to use its power. d. War stories repelled readers who preferred comics, true crime reports, and social affairs.
c. It was the most vivid demonstration of the medium's willingness to use its power.
10. How was the union of press and party politics fully realized during Andrew Jackson's administration? a. His administration aggressively used prior restraint to limit any content critical of his administration from appearing in newspapers. b. He was the first president who consented to regular interviews with the press, and he often provided critical insights on background. c. Many of his closest advisers were seasoned journalists, and he appointed numerous editors to patronage positions, such as postmasters or customs agents. d. The federal government created its own newspaper to ensure that its voice was being heard by readers.
c. Many of his closest advisers were seasoned journalists, and he appointed numerous editors to patronage positions, such as postmasters or customs agents.
44. Which of the following statements about trust and the press is accurate? a. Americans trust the press more than they did a decade ago. b. The broadcast networks are more likely to get things right than any other media source. c. People say that the news sources they use, as opposed to the news in general, are more likely than not to get things right. d. The fact that news outlets are more open about their media bias has given Americans renewed confidence in the stories the media reports.
c. People say that the news sources they use, as opposed to the news in general, are more likely than not to get things right.
45. What has been the influence of mobile platforms on news consumption? a. As more Americans use mobile devices to read news, they are consuming it from a wider variety of sources than ever before. b. The availability of mobile devices has resulted in it displacing television as the primary source of news for most Americans. c. The experiences of most Americans are widening and deepening, but they are remaining loyal to their trusted brands for news. d. Facebook and Twitter have displaced legacy news outlets like CNN and the New York Times.
c. The experiences of most Americans are widening and deepening, but they are remaining loyal to their trusted brands for news.
32. What have technological changes done to the "fairness doctrine"? a. The rapid growth of broadband Internet highlighted the need to reinstitute the rule to ensure that no groups can dominate political discussions. b. The huge advantage that conservatives enjoy on talk radio resulted in the FCC reimposing the fairness doctrine so that liberals could regain some ground. c. The rapid spread of broadband Internet as an alternative, wide-open source of political expression has made the fairness doctrine moot. d. The growth of the Internet has created new challenges for the FCC and the fairness doctrine still applies, but the agency reevaluates the policy every 5 years.
c. The rapid spread of broadband Internet as an alternative, wide-open source of political expression has made the fairness doctrine moot.
3. The news media a. can publish anything without fear of criminal or civil penalties because of freedom of the press. b. have unfettered access to the U.S. military, even during times of war. c. are the organizations that gather, package, and transmit the news. d. operate, because of freedom of the press, without the federal government imposing taxes on the sale of newspapers or on the revenue generated through television or online advertising.
c. are the organizations that gather, package, and transmit the news.
57. What have presidents found that generates positive news coverage? a. staying inside the White House and acting too busy to speak with the press b. public arguments with their spouses and making jokes about their spouses c. foreign travel and visits to disaster sites d. refusing to salute foreign flags when abroad or shake hands with dignitaries of lower rank than president
c. foreign travel and visits to disaster sites
59. The medium of Internet communication a. is well suited for the cultivation of cozy politician-press relations. b. makes it unlikely the public is well informed on many political issues. c. is conducive to the flourishing of a prisoner's dilemma between reporters and government officials. d. makes it likely the public is well informed on many political issues
c. is conducive to the flourishing of a prisoner's dilemma between reporters and government officials.
23. Shortly after his inauguration, when Franklin Roosevelt went on air nationwide to announce a brief "bank holiday" or bank closing a. it marked the first time a president had addressed the nation simultaneously on all three television networks. b. it started a bank run that led to the Great Depression. c. it marked the first of over thirty "fireside chats." d. it marked the first time he introduced the country to his Vice President, Harry Truman.
c. it marked the first of over thirty "fireside chats."
33. Modern newspapers are financially in decline because of a. advertising monopolies. b. the rapid decline in people who read English in the United States. c. the loss of ad revenue caused by the Internet. d. escalating costs of paper and petroleum-based inks.
c. the loss of ad revenue caused by the Internet.
7. In the mid-1770s, the era's most significant medium of political communication was a. the daily newspaper. b. the weekly newspaper. c. the pamphlet. d. the town crier.
c. the pamphlet.
27. What played an important role contributing to the growth of television? a. the fact that televisions were cheap and provided constant entertainment b. the use of satellite technology that enabled Americans to see programs from all across the globe c. the rapid development of a broadcast infrastructure d. the easy availability of live sporting events
c. the rapid development of a broadcast infrastructure
16. "Yellow journalism" was a term first used at the end of the 19th century that referred to a. reliance by journalists on services to provide most of their stories, so-called because the journalists were afraid to personally go to the location in which the story was developing. b. all of the penny press papers, so-called because the paper was so cheap it yellowed within a matter of days. c. the use of outrageous and inflammatory headlines as well as sensational stories to attract readers to newspapers, so-called because of the color of ink used in the New York World's comic strips. d. those papers published south of the Mason-Dixon line, so-called because the editors had surrendered to General Grant at the first sight of Union troops.
c. the use of outrageous and inflammatory headlines as well as sensational stories to attract readers to newspapers, so-called because of the color of ink used in the New York World's comic strips.
38. The proliferation of alternative media gives viewers the opportunity a. to choose news sources that create the most dissonance with their views. b. to see even more contextualized news because websites provide more data. c. to opt out of consuming political information all together. d. to become well-informed voters and participants.
c. to opt out of consuming political information all together.
2. All of the innovations in mass communication technology have a. overwhelmed consumers with so many choices that they no longer appreciate good news coverage. b. emphasized visual images at the expense of solidly reported long-form stories. c. reduced newspapers to bit players because only television has the resources to cover major news events. d. made the news more widely available to consumers.
d. made the news more widely available to consumers.
19. In the presidential election of 1872, both Horace Greeley, the Democratic presidential candidate, and Henry Wilson, running mate for incumbent Republican president Ulysses S. Grant, were a. reporters who had covered the Civil War. b. cousins of William Randolph Hearst. c. sued by newspapers for making allegations about the lack of journalistic truthfulness. d. newspaper publishers.
d. newspaper publishers.
55. What is the term for when the news media affects the criteria with which we evaluate candidates or elected leaders? a. agenda setting b. coordination c. low information rationality d. priming
d. priming
11. Who were the real principals of newspaper publishers? a. their readers who demanded exacting coverage of government and politics b. their reporters who would provide content in exchange for protection against legal action c. their advertisers who paid the bills through classified ads and other forms of advertisings d. the politicians who recruited and financed them
d. the politicians who recruited and financed them
17. Once newspaper publishers and editors freed themselves from party control a. most of them quickly went out of business without the economic support of the parties. b. they were frozen out of having any say in national politics. c. the readership of the papers dropped sharply. d. they discovered that they were able to influence public opinion and, in turn, national politics.
d. they discovered that they were able to influence public opinion and, in turn, national politics.
5. The cost of transmitting a news product to each consumer is known as a. shot cost. b. head count cost. c. delivery cost. d. unit cost.
d. unit cost.
