US GOV Chapter 6 The Media

infotainment

A mix of information and diver-sion oriented to personalities or celebrities, not linked to the day's events, and usually unre-lated to public affairs or policy; often called "soft news."

media event

A situation that is so "newswor-thy" that the mass media are compelled to cover it. Candi-dates in elections often create such situations to garner media attention.

going public

A strategy whereby a president seeks to influence policy elites and media coverage by appeal-ing directly to the American people.

Federal Communications Com-mission (FCC)

An independent federal agency that regulates interstate and international communication by radio, television, telephone, telegraph, cable, and satellite

horse race journalism

Election coverage by the mass media that focuses on which candidate is ahead rather than on national issues.

newsworthiness

The degree to which a news story is important enough to be covered in the mass media.

mass media

The means employed in mass communication; traditionally divided into print media and broadcast media.

Most Americans rely on which of the following as their chief news source? a. television b. newspapers c. magazines d. radio e. the Internet

a

The mass media's coverage of the civil rights movement tended to advance which of the following? a. equality b. order c. majoritarian democracy d. freedom e. pluralism

a

When is a democracy best served by the media? a. When it allows for a two-way flow of information. b. When it allows for a one-way flow of information. c. When it emphasizes the entertainment value of news. d. When it does not publicize citizen grievances. e. When it does not attempt to reflect popular views.

a

Americans are most concerned about what is happening a. in the world. b. in their own community. c. in their state. d. to the president. e. in Congress.

b

As our population has increased, ABC, CBS, and NBC have experienced which of the following? a. An almost 50% increase in their viewing audience. b. An almost 50% decrease in their viewing audience. c. Almost no change in numbers in their viewing audience. d. An almost 25% increase in their viewing audience. e. An almost 25% decrease in their viewing audience.

b

Most people do not realize how quickly most news stories are shown. How long does an average televised news story last? a. thirty seconds b. about one minute c. about two minutes d. about three minutes e. less than thirty seconds

b

What term do we use to describe the mixing of news and theater to re-create or simulate an event? a. pack journalism b. infotainment c. horse race journalism d. the two-step flow of communication e. yellow journalism

b

What term do we use to describe the tendency of many journalists to view their job as a search for inaccuracies in fact and weakness of arguments from politicians? a. focused journalism b. watchdog journalism c. sentinels d. gatekeeper journalism e. guardhouse journalism

b

When a person gives information that reporters may not quote or use, the informant is said to be a. speaking "for the record." b. "floating a trial balloon." c. speaking "off the record." d. speaking "on background." e. interpreting new news.

c

Which value is most likely to be held as absolute by the media? a. liberalism b. equality of access c. social order d. freedom of expression e. political equality

d

political agenda

A list of issues that need gov-ernment attention.

watchdog journalism

Journalism that scrutinizes public and business institu-tions and publicizes perceived misconduct.

Which of the following can the media have the greatest influence with? a. setting the political agenda b. influencing the outcome of elections c. keeping an accurate historical record d. blending of news and information e. creating and maintaining TV personalities

a

soft news

General entertainment pro-gramming that often includes discussions of political affairs. A

m attentive policy elites

Leaders who follow news in specific policy areas

gatekeepers

Media executives, news editors, and prominent reporters who direct the flow of news.

television hypothesis

The belief that television is to blame for the low level of citi-zens' knowledge about public affairs.

Follow the evolution of government regulation of the media and identify the challenges that new media technologies present to existing regulations

The broadcast media operate under technical, ownership, and content regulations imposed by the government. The regulation of me-dia content is minimal and has largely been confined to broadcast media. Comprehensive policy regarding regulation of Internet news has yet to be developed, resulting in clashes between the FCC, Congress, and media corporations

Analyze the role of the media in political socialization and the acquisition of political knowledge.

The main function of the mass media is entertainment, but the media also perform the political functions of reporting news, interpreting news, setting the political agenda, and socializing citizens about politics. Today, gatekeepers (publishers and editors) have less control over what counts as news. Americans get more news from television than from newspapers, and an increasing number of citizens turn to the Internet. ● Despite heavy exposure to news, the ability of most people to retain much political information is low. The media's most important effect on public opinion is in setting the country's political agenda. The media play more subtle, contradictory roles in political socialization

valuate the effect of privately owned mass media on the quality of political communication in the United States.

The mass media in the United States are privately owned and in business to make money, which they do mainly by selling space or airtime to advertisers. The concern with profit leads both print and electronic media to determine which events are newsworthy on the basis of audience appeal.

Trace the evolution of the mass media in the United States and evaluate the impact of new technologies on journalism

The mass media transmit information to large, heterogeneous, and widely dispersed audiences through print, broadcasts, and the Internet. The mass media have traditionally been divided into print and broadcast formats, but the rise of digital communications has created a more complicated landscape, rendering this traditional distinction problematic

two-step flow of communication

The process in which a few policy elites gather informa-tion and then inform their more numerous followers, mobiliz-ing them to apply pressure to government.

Broadcast media first came under regulation as a response to which of the following? a. To ensure political candidates equal treatment under the fairness doctrine. b. As part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's attempt to impose socialism. c. As a response to broadcasters' need for order on the airwaves. d. As an attempt to limit media concentration. e. During the Vietnam War.

c

The two-step flow of communication relies on what actors to influence public attitudes and opinions? a. reporters b. editors c. attentive elites d. the political parties e. interest groups

c

What term do we use to describe news stories which focus on who's ahead in the polls and not on the candidate's position on the issues? a. gatekeeping b. placement doctrine c. horse race journalism d. wolf pack journalism e. competition journalism

c

Which of the following best describes those people who rely on the television as their major source of political news and information? a. More informed about politics than everyone else. b. No more and no less informed than anyone else. c. Less informed about politics than everyone else. d. More independent voters who rely on facts to make decisions. e. A new breed of young, informed Americans.

c

Which of the following groups is politically influenced by the content of the magazines they read? a. Europeans b. advocates for the poor c. attentive policy elites d. continental communicators e. congressional special interests

c

What does the television hypothesis postulate? a. Those who watch more television are more informed and involved than everyone else. b. Those who watch more television are more liberal than those who do not. c. Those who watch more television are more conservative than those who do not. d. Those who watch more television are less informed and involved than everyone else. e. None of these

d

What term do we use to describe the people who decide which events to report and how to report them? a. horse race journalists b. fairness doctrinaires c. policy specialists d. gatekeepers e. top dogs

d

Which of the following is true about the first American newspapers? a. They mainly featured comics, sensational journalism, photographs, and sports sections. b. They were primarily intended to advertise products. c. They featured nationwide news services. d. They were mainly political organs. e. They had very large circulations.

d

Market-driven journalism describes a. the pressures that lead to concentrated ownership of media. b. favorable coverage of capitalism by the broadcast media. c. the fact that reporters must pay for their stories. d. the effects of production costs on news quality. e. the way that news and commercials are targeted to specific demographic groups.

e

What is the primary criterion of a story's newsworthiness? a. timeliness b. degree of sensationalism c. close-to-home character d. treatment of familiar people or events e. audience appeal

e

What term do we use to describe the use of sophisticated data collection and analysis techniques to report the news? a. gatekeeper journalism b. analytical journalism c. focused journalism d. statistical journalism e. precision journalism

e

Which independent regulatory agency of our government set the social, economic and technical goals for the communication industry up through 1996? a. United States Postal Service b. Federal Aviation Commission c. Federal Telecommunications Panel d. United States Communications Agency e. Federal Communication Commission

e

Which of the following FCC regulation has been imposed on the print media? a. equal opportunities rule b. reasonable access rule c. fairness doctrine d. legibility criteria e. none of the above

e

Which of the following is not a consequence of private ownership of the broadcast media? a. Media dependence on advertising. b. Increasing amounts of airtime devoted to news on the major networks. c. Media attention to ratings. d. Media selection of stories based primarily on political significance. e. Media emphasis on entertainment value in the presentation of news.

e

Assess the impact of the media on democratic values and politics in the United States.

● Reporters from the national media tend to be more liberal than the public while editors and publishers tend to be more conservative. ● From the standpoint of majoritarian democracy, one of the most important roles of the media is to facilitate communication from the people to the government through the reporting of public opinion polls. The media can promote equality, drawing national attention to disadvantaged groups that lack other political resources. They can also disrupt order, spreading information about events that challenge the status quo or that provoke violent reactions.