Chapter 10 - News Media and the Internet (1)
In the 1970s, the average reader devoted more than 30 minutes to reading the printed newspaper. That average is now ______ minutes. A) 20 B) 12 C) 5 D) 16
D) 16
_____ is a service that alerts local newsrooms to topics that are trending on social media. A) Politico B) Upworthy C) Buzzfeed D) CrowdTangle
D) CrowdTangle
During the Trump impeachment hearings in the House of Representatives, how did MSNBC approach the story? A) MSNBC barely mentioned the story. B) MSNBC presented Republican and Democratic statements in an evenhanded way. C) MSNBC emphasized the statements of Trump's defenders. D) MSNBC emphasized the statements of the Democrats on the House committee.
D) MSNBC emphasized the statements of the Democrats on the House committee.
The audience for Huffington Post's website is overwhelmingly ______. A) nonpartisan B) Republican C) Democratic D) far-right
C) Democratic
Which of the following media channels is most preferred by Republicans because of its conservative slant? A) ESPN B) MSNBC C) Fox News D) CNN
C) Fox News
During the Trump impeachment hearings in the House of Representatives, how did Fox approach the story? A) Fox emphasized the statements of Trump's defenders. B) Fox barely mentioned the story. C) Fox presented Republican and Democratic statements in an evenhanded way. D) Fox emphasized the statements of the Democrats on the House committee.
A) Fox emphasized the statements of Trump's defenders.
What is the effect of "information overload," as noted by Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon? A) It reduces people's ability to concentrate on any particular message. B) It makes people more informed about current events. C) It replaces face-to-face conversations with family members and friends. D) It improves the ability of government officials to communicate with constituents.
A) It reduces people's ability to concentrate on any particular message.
Which statement best describes the "softening" of American news in the 1980s and 1990s? A) Most news outlets incorporated celebrity gossip, sensational crimes, and human-interest stories to attract a broader audience. B) All outlets incorporated some form of soft news, such as celebrity gossip, even The New York Times. C) Sensationalism and other forms of soft news only really caught on in electronic-only media as it became more popular. D) Newspapers and magazines stuck to hard news, but all other outlets embraced soft news.
A) Most news outlets incorporated celebrity gossip, sensational crimes, and human-interest stories to attract a broader audience.
Which of the following correctly describes members of the "inattentive audience"? (Select all that apply) A) They pay attention to news when a major event occurs, such as COVID-19. B) They are more unbiased in their views than other news consumers. C) They pay only sporadic attention to the news. D) They are less susceptible to disinformation.
A) They pay attention to news when a major event occurs, such as COVID-19. C) They pay only sporadic attention to the news.
Much like political parties and interest groups, the news media, or press, ______. A) are a key intermediary between Americans and their leaders B) are generally an objective and nonpartisan source of information C) seek influence in order to promote specific political parties D) are designed to convince citizens to pass certain ballot measures
A) are a key intermediary between Americans and their leaders
Which of the following media were subject to the FCC's Fairness Doctrine? (Select all that apply) A) broadcast television B) satellite radio C) broadcast radio D) broadband Internet
A) broadcast television C) broadcast radio
In the early decades of the twentieth century, some publishers responded to "yellow journalism" by ______. A) committing to objective journalism B) printing sensational, largely made-up stories C) stopping the decline in newspaper readership D) refusing to print advertisements
A) committing to objective journalism
Which of the following are tactics widely used by conservative and liberal partisan talk shows? (Select all that apply) A) imagined catastrophe B) humor C) name calling D) character assassination E) sober commentary
A) imagined catastrophe C) name calling D) character assassination
Adults under 30 years of age are ______ those over 50 to follow the news. A) less likely than B) more likely than C) as likely as
A) less likely than
Most partisan Internet sites also take the "______" approach described in the Tufts University study. A) outrage B) fake news C) bloviating D) ranting
A) outrage
What new technology led to the chaos that spurred the establishment of the Federal Communications Commission? A) radio B) the telegraph C) television D) the Internet
A) radio
Which of the following are traditional functions of the news media (press)? (Select all that apply) A) signaling B) common-carrier C) political support D) entertainment E) watchdog
A) signaling B) common-carrier E) watchdog
Which of the following media typically have a signaling function? (Select all that apply) A) television networks B) wire services C) monthly magazines D) daily newspapers
A) television networks B) wire services D) daily newspapers
Unlike CNN, Fox News was launched with the purpose of ______. A) presenting the news from a liberal viewpoint B) remaining unbiased in its news reporting C) adopting a partisan approach to the news D) complying with the Fairness Doctrine
C) adopting a partisan approach to the news
Which of the following are reasons why the amount of traditional news the typical American watches has declined since the 1970s? (Select all that apply) A) Television media companies stopped broadcasting the news. B) Cable television and other high-choice media became available. C) Younger people stopped watching the dinner-time news. D) Television news started to include advertising.
B) Cable television and other high-choice media became available. C) Younger people stopped watching the dinner-time news.
What is a potential problem with the media's watchdog function, according to critics? A) Journalists do not have the tools for uncovering wrongdoing that law enforcement does. B) Overzealous coverage of minor scandals heightens the public's distrust of government officials. C) Most reporters shy away from doing the hard work involved in investigative journalism. D) The media is reluctant to cover possible scandals of liberal officials.
B) Overzealous coverage of minor scandals heightens the public's distrust of government officials.
Which of the following are effects of exposure to partisan media outlets? (Select all that apply) A) People get tired of the hostility expressed by the commentators and turn away from politics. B) People become more hostile to the party that opposes their party. C) People gain a greater understanding of their party's positions and philosophy. D) People learn more about the views of members of the opposing party. E) People become more politically engaged.
B) People become more hostile to the party that opposes their party. C) People gain a greater understanding of their party's positions and philosophy. E) People become more politically engaged.
One of the first humor programs to focus on current affairs was ______. A) Extra B) The Daily Show C) Full Frontal with Samantha Bee D) The Colbert Report
B) The Daily Show
What best describes partisan media outlets in the era of the information commons? A) They had no influence on policymakers. B) They were very rare. C) They were far more prolific than they are today. D) They were nonexistent.
B) They were very rare.
The onset of ______ increased the entertainment content in traditional news outlets as audiences for those outlets began to shrink. A) the Internet B) cable television C) yellow journalism D) radio
B) cable television
The news media operate as gatekeepers, which means that they ______. A) ensure all viewpoints are presented equally and fairly B) determine which events will be covered and which will not C) make sure to expose wrongdoing by politicians D) avoid doing any stories that cast the government in an unfavorable light
B) determine which events will be covered and which will not
Although the American press originally had a political orientation, it eventually shifted to a journalistic orientation, which emphasizes ______. A) presenting particular ideas and interests B) newsworthy information and events C) political values and ideas D) sensationalism
B) newsworthy information and events
Tufts University's Sarah Sobieraj and Jeffrey Berry's study described the basis for partisan talk show programming as paritsan "______." A) bloviating B) outrage C) fake news D) ranting
B) outrage
On social media, most people are likely to encounter ______. A) a refreshing lack of political content B) people who agree with their political ideology C) a more diverse set of opinions than they likely do in "real life" D) significant challenges to their political beliefs, through friends of friends
B) people who agree with their political ideology
When the journalists use framing, they are ______. A) engaging in yellow journalism B) presenting a selective version of reality C) presenting a story complete with all available details D) staying as objective as possible
B) presenting a selective version of reality
What is the largest news outlet that began on the Internet? A) BuzzFeed B) the Huffington Post C) Breitbart D) AlterNet
B) the Huffington Post
Which one of the following forms of media has had the biggest role in making politics more participative? A) newspapers B) the Internet C) television news D) talk radio
B) the Internet
Much like political parties and interest groups, the news media, or press, ______. A) are designed to convince citizens to pass certain ballot measures B) are generally an objective and nonpartisan source of information C) are a key intermediary between Americans and their leaders D) seek influence in order to promote specific political parties
C) are a key intermediary between Americans and their leaders
Stories on the Internet that maintained the coronavirus pandemic was a hoax perpetuated by Democrats in order to damage President Trump are an example of ______. A) the watchdog function B) framing C) fake news D) agenda setting
C) fake news
A few decades ago, the media system centered on broadcast news networks, but Americans now have a ______ media system, where they can pick from a wide variety of outlets. A) low-choice B) high-priced C) high-choice D) low-priced
C) high-choice
When the Fairness Doctrine was eliminated in 1987, most radio stations dropped their ______. A) political content B) frequencies C) newscasts D) opinion programs
C) newscasts
American newspapers were originally ______. A) objective B) bipartisan C) partisan D) devoid of opinion
C) partisan
Which term refers to the irresponsible and sensationalist approach to news reporting that characterized journalism in the early 1900s? A) conservative reporting B) liberal reporting C) yellow journalism D) muckraking
C) yellow journalism
The media carry out a(n) _______-_________ function when they disseminate information from political leaders to the public.
Common-Carrier
Why is the news shaped by news organizations need to attract and keep viewers? A) Most news organizations receive government funding based on their share of viewers. B) Most news organizations are directly funded by viewers. C) Most news organizations face a yearly contract renewal that depends on viewer numbers. D) Most news organizations choose coverage that will draw an audience for advertisers.
D) Most news organizations choose coverage that will draw an audience for advertisers.
Why is it important that the media perform the common-carrier function? A) It exposes politicians who have lied, cheated, or have otherwise been dishonest in their roles as leaders. B) Reality is too complex to convey accurately, so limiting the details of a story makes it easier to understand. C) It allows people to choose from a wide variety of news sources. D) People cannot support or oppose a leader's plans if they do not know about them.
D) People cannot support or oppose a leader's plans if they do not know about them.
What is fake news? A) news stories that cite no sources B) a nickname for far-right Internet media C) a nickname for far-left Internet media D) entirely fictional stories that originate on the Internet
D) entirely fictional stories that originate on the Internet
When journalists highlight certain aspects of a situation and downplay other aspects, they are engaged in ______. A) logrolling B) balancing C) watchdogging D) framing
D) framing
Most of the humor programs that focus on current affairs, like The Daily Show, are carried on ______. A) MSNBC B) Fox C) CNBC D) nontraditional news channels
D) nontraditional news channels
Which of the following describes a high-choice media system? A) one in which people have a limited number of places to go for high-quality information B) one in which people have a large number of places to go for high-quality, unbiased information C) one in which people have a limited number of places to go for information D) one in which people have a large number of places to go for information
D) one in which people have a large number of places to go for information
American newspapers were originally ______. A) bipartisan B) devoid of opinion C) objective D) partisan
D) partisan
Yellow journalism featured ______ stories. A) well-researched B) objective C) purely factual D) sensationalized
D) sensationalized
The elimination of the _________ ____________meant that radio stations no longer had to air a conservative talk show if they aired a liberal one.
Fairness Doctrine
The elimination of the ____________ ___________meant that radio stations no longer had to air a conservative talk show if they aired a liberal one.
Fairness Doctrine
CNN has continued to emphasize hard news rather than sensationalism. True or False
False
Thanks to the Internet, the typical American watches more news today than in the 1970s. True or False
False
_________ journalism refers to news reporting that is based on "fact" rather than opinion and that presents both sides of a partisan debate.
Objective
The media's _____________ function serves to alert the public to important events in a timely fashion.
Signaling
The instant gratification people receive from cell phones and other message sources conditions them to seek more of messages. True or False
True
True or false: All media outlets, including those on the Internet, are part of the news media. True or False
True
The media's __________ function serves to alert the public to important events in a timely fashion.
signaling
The media serves a(n) ____________ function when it alerts the public to unethical or illegal activities by the government.
watchdog