050 - Chapter 50 - Mass Media and Politics

Which of these would usually not be considered media?

an unpublished private diary

Which type of media is owned, dictated, and managed by a government?

state-controlled

Which of the following is an example of bias by labeling?

A congressman attends the Muslim wedding of a close friend. A newspaper reports on his attendance, calling the congressman an 'Iraqi sympathizer.' {Explanation - This is an example of bias by labeling. Bias by labeling occurs when a news outlet uses critical labels to identify politicians or groups. It can also occur when a news outlet fails to label biased points of view.}

Which of the following is the best example of the media acting as a platform?

A live, televised version of a presidential debate where candidates had the opportunity to discuss and debate policy. {Explanation - In this role, the media provide an outlet for political parties and candidates to communicate their messages to the public.}

Which of the following is associated with bias by selection of sources?

A news outlet produces a story about a divisive issue, quoting only people who support one side of the issue. {Explanation - Bias by selection of sources occurs when a media outlet leaves out sources that support an opposing point of view.}

Which of these is an example of private media?

A young reporter saving enough money to produce his own newspaper

Several reporters approach the governor as he exits a meeting. They shout questions, asking about his plan to deal with prison overcrowding. He replies, 'I don't have time for this.' One reporter prints that the governor isn't concerned about prison overcrowding and won't make the time to correct the issue. Why is this an example of bias by spin?

Because the reporter interpreted an objective fact in a subjective manner {Explanation - This is an example of bias by spin. Bias by spin occurs when a media outlet interprets a story in one way to the exclusion of other interpretations.}

Your favorite presidential candidate is appearing on a television talk show. You learn that your least favorite candidate will be on the same show the next day. The television station is likely honoring the _____.

Equal Time Rule {Explanation - The FCC uses its Equal Time Rule to ensure that broadcasters provide an opportunity for equal broadcast time to all official candidates running for a particular office. This is why the television station invited both candidates to appear on the same talk show.}

The Governor of Illinois decides he'd like to raise the minimum wage in his state. Before releasing any other information, his press secretary tweets: 'Governor to help millions by supporting wage increase.' This is an example of _____.

Immediate connection {Explanation - This is an example of immediate connection since the followers on Twitter were able to immediately access the information without waiting for other forms of media to publish or broadcast the information.}

Brian watched a television news report about conflicts in Iraq. Before this, he didn't know much about this issue. This is an example of which media role?

Informing {Explanation - This is a role where the media report news and information to the general public.}

Mary decides she'd like to run for mayor. She posts the information on Facebook along with an offer for a free newsletter subscription to anyone who clicks the thumbs up button. Within a few hours, she sees that her approach has been widely successful. Mary is attempting to bring positive attention to her run for office through _____.

Liking {Explanation - Mary is attempting to bring positive attention to her run for office through liking, which allows voters to simply click a thumbs up in order to publicize their support of a candidate or issue.}

Which of the following is an example of the watchdog role of the media?

Linking President Richard Nixon to the Watergate burglary scandal. {Explanation - In this role, the media function to protect the public from incompetent or corrupt political officials by exposing illegal or unethical practices to the public.}

The host of a popular daytime radio show ignores his guest's use of profanity during their lively on-air conversation. This violates the FCC's _____.

Public Decency Standards {Explanation - The FCC has the authority to fine broadcasters, or even revoke broadcasting licenses, for violating the FCC's Public Decency Standards. It's a violation of federal law to broadcast profane language during certain hours.}

Sally knows the presidential election is this Tuesday, but she's not sure where to go to vote. She checks an article in her local newspaper and then finds directions using the Internet. This is an example of which media role?

Public educator {Explanation - In this role, the media inform and educate citizens on how to best exercise their democratic rights.}

Connor used to work in the law office of one of the presidential candidates. Connor thinks the candidate is unethical and doesn't want them to be elected. Connor writes a letter expressing his opinion and posts it to his Facebook page and his Twitter feed. This is an example of which media role?

Public voice {Explanation - The public can communicate opinions and concerns with one another and even with the candidates and the government. In this way, the media provide an interactive experience for the voters, called the public voice.}

Callie is browsing her Facebook feed. She notices that several of her friends are sharing articles from an organization called The Society for the Rehumanization of American Music. She goes to the organization's website and realizes she agrees with what they have to say about bringing imagination and soul back to modern music. Callie starts supporting and promoting their efforts. Callie's political attitude has been shaped through _____.

Sharing {Explanation - Callie's political attitude has been shaped through sharing, which allows voters to distribute news themselves, as through 'retweeting' or reposting.}

Which of the following is the BEST explanation for the largely unrestricted violence and adult content found on the Internet?

The FCC does not regulate the Internet or paid cable programming {Explanation - The internet and paid cable aren't broadcast over airwaves, so the FCC doesn't specifically regulate these areas.}

If a news organization wants to do a story on the allocation of federal grant money, which of the following would be most helpful?

The Freedom of Information Act {Explanation - There are laws in place to guarantee openness of information and media freedom, such as the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA. The FOIA is a federal law that gives news organizations the right to access information from the federal government.}

How was the political system impacted when candidates began presenting themselves on television in the 70's?

Voters began placing a higher value on a candidate's personality {Explanation - By the 1970s, candidates commonly presented issues, and themselves, directly to the voters through the increasing use of television in politics. As a result, voters began placing a higher value on the personality and character of candidates.}

Many media outlets have reported extensively on the long wait times for veterans seeking medical attention through VA hospitals. Several of those outlets neglected to cover the federal corruption and bureaucratic difficulties that led to the poor care of veterans. This is an example of _____.

bias by omission {Explanation - This is an example of bias by omission. Bias by omission occurs when a media outlet leaves out one side of a story or one aspect of a story.}

Conservatives and liberals have very different views on healthcare reform. A news station places a story featuring the conservative point of view at the top of its newscast, while placing a short story on the liberal point of view at the end. This is an example of _____.

bias by placement {Explanation - This is an example of bias by placement. Bias by placement occurs when a news outlet prominently places news stories that coincide with a specific agenda.}

Marge is running for public office. Her opponent suggests (falsely) on the evening news that Marge used state money to fund her personal vacation. Her opponent's accusation is an example of _____.

libel {Explanation - Libel is defamation of character in print, audio, or video publications. Marge's opponent's accusation is an example of libel because he falsely suggested she used state money for a personal vacation, implying she is not worthy of trust.} Defamation includes both libel and slander. Libel - is defamation of character in print, audio, or video publications. Slander - is defamation of character through unrecorded gestures or oral remarks. When someone is defamed through libel or slander, that person can sue the media outlet directly for damages.

Any choice that deals with government affairs, structure or politics is known as a _____.

political decision {Explanation - A Political Attitude describes the way you think or feel about our government and related social and economic issues. A Political Decision is any choice dealing with government affairs, structure or politics. We make our political decisions based on our political attitudes.}

What type of media is solely owned or financed by individuals or private groups?

private

What is broadly defined as information, which is usually biased or misleading, used to promote a political cause or point of view?

propaganda