Chapter 7
A 2002 survey of 1,149 journalists found that, compared to the general public, journalists were twice as likely to consider themselves A) Democrats. B) radicals. C) Republicans. D) conservatives. E) policy entrepreneurs.
a
A ________ is staged by a campaign primarily for the purpose of being covered on television and in the press. A) media event B) TV commercial C) political incident D) ʺGet Out the Voteʺ effort E) political play
a
A study by the Los Angeles Times in the mid-1980s found that reporters were ________ as likely to call themselves liberal as the general public. A) twice B) half C) one-third D) just E) not
a
According to the text, Ronald Reaganʹs presidency was characterized by A) more concern and energy devoted to the presidentʹs media appearances than in any other administration. B) a number of spontaneous media appearances by the president designed to take advantage of his Hollywood experience. C) considerable animosity between the media and the administration. D) Reaganʹs frequent false statements which were later documented by reporters to be either errors or deliberate lies. E) attempts to avoid media appearances by the president.
a
At the turn of the century, newspaper magnates Joseph and William Randolph Hearst ushered in the era of A) yellow journalism. B) nickel tabloids. C) newspaper chains. D) penny press. E) political advertising.
a
Four out of five newspaper readers in America read papers owned by A) large corporate chains located out of town. B) fearless local editors. C) the Associated Press. D) television stations. E) their employees.
a
High-tech politics refers to A) a politics in which the behavior of citizens and policymakers is shaped by technology. B) a proposal for direct democracy through the use of telephone voting. C) a futuristic society in which politics is controlled by computers, freeing people for more honorable pursuits. D) the use of cable television to broadcast the workings of the government. E) the ability of government to observe the behavior of citizens through electronic means.
a
In 2004, the average sound bite of a presidential candidate shown talking on the nightly news averaged A) less than ten seconds. B) about thirty seconds. C) about two minutes. D) about ninety seconds. E) about a minute.
a
In a 2002 survey of 1,149 journalists, A) more were found to identify themselves as Democrats than as Republicans. B) a majority expressed no party preference whatsoever. C) they were about evenly split in their party preferences between Republicans and Democrats. D) more were found to identify themselves as Republicans than as Democrats. E) a large majority were found to be both ideologically neutral and have no preference for one party over the other.
a
Most news coverage is perhaps best described as A) superficial. B) thorough. C) complex. D) superlative. E) metacognitive.
a
Most news organizations assign their best reporters to particular ________, which are specific locations where news frequently emanates. A) beats B) digs C) ʺtheatersʺ D) ʺlighthousesʺ E) chains
a
Newspaper magnates Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst tried to outdo one another in sensational reporting of wars, violence, corruption, and gossip around the turn of the twentieth century in what is now remembered as the era of A) yellow journalism. B) investigative journalism. C) tabloid journalism. D) scandalism. E) hyperjournalism.
a
One survey of journalists in 2002 found that ________ were Democrats. A) 37 percent B) 29 percent C) 60 percent D) 45 percent E) 85 percent
a
One survey of journalists in 2002 found that ________ were Republican. A) 19 percent B) 60 percent C) 54 percent D) 30 percent E) 44 percent
a
Public officials often leak ________ to reporters to see what the political reaction will be. A) trial balloons B) sound bites C) beats D) ʺoiled newsʺ E) talking heads
a
Serious magazines of political news and opinion are A) basically reserved for the educated elite in America. B) almost nonexistent in the United States. C) a principle source of news and information for most Americans. D) rapidly dying out in the United States, but remain very healthy in Europe and Latin America. E) a more common source for national and international news than newspapers.
a
Since Kennedy, A) news coverage of presidential candidates has become increasingly less favorable. B) the news media have reduced their coverage of presidential candidates. C) the amount of news coverage of presidential candidates has increased dramatically. D) coverage of issues in presidential campaigns has increased dramatically. E) emphasis of campaign reporting has changed dramatically from ʺwhyʺ to a simpler, descriptive ʺwhatʺ format.
a
Sound bites are A) short clips of a political speech lasting fifteen seconds or less. B) leaks by official sources used to test the political waters. C) negative news coverage received by a public figure. They hurt! D) a form of censorship widely used in Great Britain. E) negative political advertisements that offer quick attacks on oneʹs opponent.
a
Television became especially important in bringing the reality of ________ home to America as its first heavily televised war. A) the Vietnam War B) the Korean War C) World War I D) the war in Iraq E) World War II
a
The cozy relationship between politicians and the press ended when A) the Vietnam War and Watergate soured the press on government. B) the press discovered John F. Kennedy in a compromising situation with a woman other than his wife. C) Franklin Roosevelt chastised the news reports he deemed inaccurate. D) Ronald Reagan began to manipulate the press to his advantage. E) Abraham Lincoln nationalized major Union newspapers during the Civil War.
a
The media seem to have the least effect in terms of A) how people vote. B) how people evaluate political leaders. C) what Americans think about. D) the importance people attach to problems. E) who votes.
a
The media usually report on Americaʹs social problems in a manner that A) encourages government to take on more and more tasks. B) suggests government can really not be trusted to take on more tasks. C) is neither critical nor positive. D) displays a lack of real sensitivity. E) has often been described as benign neglect.
a
The watchdog orientation of the press can be characterized as A) reformist. B) liberal. C) libertarian. D) conservative. E) partisan.
a
Which of the following are NOT normally policy entrepreneurs? A) mass media B) appointed government officials C) interest groups D) elected government officials E) political parties
a
Who is the most likely to visit a candidateʹs web site? A) the candidateʹs supporters B) the candidateʹs detracters C) undecided voters D) unregistered citizens E) retired Americans
a
More than any other development in the twentieth century, the rise of television broadcasting has reinforced ________ in the American political process. A) interest B) individualism C) behavioralism D) participation E) democratization
b
A catchy line is what is most important for a A) beat. B) sound bite. C) leak. D) trial balloon. E) presidential press conference.
b
A new approach to reporting introduced during the 2003 Iraq war was to A) use more satellite coverage. B) embed reporters with troops. C) distribute detailed military plans to journalists in advance. D) allow reporters to move around on their own. E) all of the above
b
A shot of a personʹs face speaking directly into the television camera is known as a A) superficial. B) talking head. C) head shot. D) sound bite. E) mug shot.
b
A talking head is a A) nickname for a political journalist. B) shot of a person speaking directly into the television camera. C) secret source for news leaks. D) public relations expert. E) member of the seminal punk band of the 1980s that had a major political influence on youth.
b
A talking head is a reference to A) a television talk show host. B) a shot of a personʹs face talking directly to the camera. C) a news leak that is discretely passed to a reporter in a public washroom. D) a television news anchor. E) a television talk show.
b
Agenda setting effects are especially strong for the A) younger generation who distrust the media. B) politically knowledgeable who trust the media. C) politically ignorant who trust the media. D) television audience who trusts the media. E) older, more politically experienced individuals.
b
As technology has enabled the media to pass along information with greater speed, news coverage has become A) less biased. B) less complete. C) randomized. D) more biased. E) more complete.
b
During the 1992 election campaign, CBS News promised to ________, but then changed its policy when it proved to be unworkable. A) follow campaign ads with factual analysis B) reform the sound bite process C) ban coverage of polls D) float no trial balloons E) give equal time to each candidate on each news broadcast
b
In a famous, televised speech in 1952 to save his vice-presidential candidacy, ________ denied having received illegal gifts and payments, and declared that the family dog, Checkers, though a gift, would not be returned. A) John Sparkman B) Richard Nixon C) Lyndon Johnson D) Spiro Agnew E) Dwight Eisenhower
b
Prior to the 1930s, A) press conferences were held twice a week. B) the president was rarely directly questioned by the media. C) the media was dominated by a few influential newspapers. D) image-building was essentially built around radio broadcasting. E) the president catered to the local, rather than the national, press.
b
Purposely staged activities held in front of the media are called A) trial balloons. B) media events. C) political dramas. D) press conferences. E) news.
b
Since 1960, newspaper circulation has declined from one newspaper for every two adults to slightly more than one newspaper for every ________ adults. A) twenty B) four C) fifteen D) ten
b
Television news coverage characteristically A) has little impact on shaping political opinions. B) lacks in-depth analysis. C) emphasizes policy issues. D) focuses on Congressional politics more than presidential politics. E) focuses on what elites think is important.
b
Television news programs are tailored to A) a highly educated audience. B) a fairly low level of audience sophistication. C) male audiences in their twenties and thirties with high disposable incomes. D) white middle-class America. E) an urban population.
b
The first president to manipulate media politics with many press conferences and fireside chats successfully was A) Ronald Reagan. B) Franklin Roosevelt. C) Lyndon Johnson. D) Abraham Lincoln. E) John F. Kennedy.
b
The first televised ________ occurred during the 1960 presidential campaign. A) election returns B) presidential debate C) national political convention D) political commercial E) presidential press conference
b
The impact of TV news is that it A) familiarizes the public with issues through its emphasis on headline reading. B) alters the priorities Americans attach to a circumscribed set of problems. C) influences the governmental agenda because policymakers and policy entrepreneurs depend on it. D) has little influence on the public agenda because most viewers are less educated. E) all of the above
b
The watchdog orientation of the press helps to A) increase confidence in government. B) restrict politicians. C) de-emphasize individualism. D) educate the mass public. E) assist politicians in leading the mass public.
b
Thomas Patterson found that media coverage of presidential candidates changed from a descriptive framework to a(n) A) evaluative framework. B) analytical framework. C) empirical framework. D) uniform framework. E) normative framework
b
Todayʹs news people work in an environment of ________ toward government. A) friendship B) cynicism C) hostility D) trust E) acceptance
b
When the First Amendment was written guaranteeing freedom of the press, A) the penny press was prevalent. B) there was virtually no daily press in this country. C) only the largest cities had a daily press. D) the press was owned by the government. E) the telegraph was revolutionizing the newspaper industry and stimulating the rapid spread of daily newspapers throughout the country.
b
Which of the following is true about cable newscasts? A) ʺHardʺ news stories comprise about 22 hours of a typical dayʹs cable newscast. B) Only about 11% of the time was used for written and edited news stories. C) Cable news is heavily subsidized by the the federal government. D) There are more regulations for cable news than their are for broadcast news. E) Cable newscasts are more concerned with increasing the reputation of the news organization than with making profit.
b
Why did President Roosevelt become silent during the last minute of a radio address during a reelection campaign? A) Political pranksters from the Republican party disabled the power supply to the radio station. B) He wanted to reduce the size of his opponentʹs audience. C) The radio station director disliked the positions Roosevelt was taking and cut him off. D) He talked for so long that he lost his voice. E) The radio station cut him off because he had exceeded his time limit.
b
With over 2,700 reporters, photographers and editors, ________ has more news gathering ability than any other news organization. A) Gannett B) the Associated Press C) The New York Times D) Columbia Broadcasting System E) King Features Syndicate
b
A policy entrepreneur is A) an elected or appointed public official. B) a candidate seeking a career in elective office. C) someone who works to get ideas on the governmentʹs policy agenda. D) a knowledge specialist in a policy area. E) someone who uses politics for self-gain.
c
A study by Shanto Iyengar and Donald Kinder suggested that television news can A) conceal problems that actually exist. B) make something out of nothing. C) influence the criteria by which the public evaluates political leaders. D) affect how people vote. E) produce a hypnotic effect that makes viewers vulnerable to subtle, subconscious messages.
c
After the Persian Gulf War, fifteen major news organizations sent a letter A) condemning President Bush for killing tens of thousands of retreating Iraqi troops. B) citing a dozen instances of blatant, false propaganda that had been given them by Iraqi officials during the war. C) complaining that the Pentagonʹs rules for reporting the war were designed to control the news. D) congratulating the Pentagon for its brilliant war effort. E) complaining that they had been barred by the Pentagon from filming United States planes killing tens of thousands of retreating Iraqi troops waving white flags of surrender.
c
Agenda-setting effects on public opinion are an example of how A) the media influence individualʹs vote choices. B) the media have a bias in favor of the status quo. C) the media cue individuals about what political issues are important to think about. D) the media have a liberal bias. E) the media have no bias.
c
Approximately ________ of presidential campaign spending is for TV ads. A) 40 percent B) 20 percent C) 60 percent D) 80 percent E) 90 percent
c
Cable News Network (CNN) A) has taken the place of the three major networks as Americansʹ primary source for news. B) specializes in after-the-fact news summaries and in-depth analysis. C) has brought television into a new era of bringing the news to people and political leaders as it happens. D) is a government-owned news agency that specializes in international news. E) has had more effect on the mass public than it has had on political elites.
c
Critics of the ʺminimal effects hypothesisʺ about the mediaʹs effect on public opinion point to the mediaʹs role in A) how voters cast their ballots. B) concealing problems that exist by ignoring them. C) shaping what priority Americans attach to problems. D) whether people choose to vote. E) mobilizing voter turnout.
c
During the first Persian Gulf War, reporters A) had very free movement but only limited access to accurate military information on a timely basis. B) were barred from covering the war or speculating about it from the time the air strikes began until the entire war was over. C) were denied freedom of movement and had only limited access to accurate military information on a timely basis. D) were frequently captured by Iraqi troops and sentenced to long jail sentences for reporting information unfavorable to the Iraqi government. E) had very free movement, and access to accurate military information almost immediately.
c
In general, magazines are A) politically conservative. B) basically reserved for the educated elite. C) not a major source of news in the United States. D) not read very widely in the United States. E) a major source of news in the United States.
c
Media events are A) spontaneous occurrences such as train wrecks or assassinations that we normally think of as news. B) monopolized by political elites. C) purposely staged events held in front of the media. D) spontaneous events used to enhance image. E) ineffective when used by political radicals.
c
Narrowcasting refers to A) media programming focused entirely on media events. B) the technical ability to block access to broadcast signals. C) media programming aimed at a particular (narrow) audience. D) media programming delivered in brief program segments. E) political advertising being developed for homogeneous audiences.
c
News is what A) the public believes are the most important political issues facing the country. B) government officials want it to be. C) is timely and different. D) has the greatest impact on the most people. E) journalism professors say it is.
c
News management in the Reagan White House operated on each of the following principles EXCEPT A) talk about the issues you want to talk about. B) control the flow of information. C) expand reportersʹ access to the president. D) revving helicopter engines so the president would not be able to hear reportersʹ questions and not have to answer them. E) stay on the offense.
c
People who invest their political ʺcapitalʺ in a particular issue are often called A) talking heads. B) policy wonks. C) policy entrepreneurs. D) political investors. E) policy specialists.
c
Rather than cover entire speeches by political figures, television news typically provides ________ of fifteen seconds or less. A) trial balloons B) beats C) sound bites D) leaks E) news snacks
c
Television coverage of the war in Vietnam had the effect of A) generating popular support for the president and the war. B) hiding the true horrors of the war and the number of casualties from the American people. C) exposing governmental naivete´ and lies about the progress of the war. D) duping the public into believing the war would soon end. E) simultaneously undermining support for the war in North Vietnam while boosting public morale in South Vietnam.
c
The average amount of air time that a presidential candidate has been given to talk uninterrupted on the TV news A) has increased dramatically since 1960. B) has increased dramatically since 1980. C) has declined dramatically since the 1960s. D) has been remarkably consistent over the years. E) has increased slightly since 1970.
c
The first daily newspaper in America was A) the Associated Press established in 1841. B) The New York Times established in 1800. C) printed in Philadelphia in 1783. D) the Colonial Gazette printed in 1607. E) Common Sense printed in 1776.
c
The nationʹs most influential newspaper and its unofficial ʺnewspaper of recordʺ is A) Congressional Quarterly. B) USA Today. C) The New York Times. D) the Wall Street Journal. E) the Washington Post.
c
The news does not mirror reality because A) journalists are more liberal than most people. B) the number of potential news stories is limited. C) journalists must select stories that will draw the largest audience. D) journalists are more conservative than most people. E) the news media are biased toward the coverage of political events.
c
The policy agenda is A) a set of issues or problems that the public considers important. B) a schedule of bills before Congress. C) a list of priorities to which government officials address their time and energies. D) a linkage institution between people and government. E) all of the above
c
To a large extent, television networks define news as what is ________ to viewers. A) informative B) vital information C) entertaining D) thought-provoking E) yet unknown
c
When journalists select stories to cover, the overriding bias is toward A) stories about the personality quirks of political celebrities. B) international and foreign policy stories. C) stories that will draw the largest audience. D) stories involving the most important policy issues of the day. E) stories that target specific audiences.
c
A media event is A) a news event deemed of such importance to break into regular programming on television and radio. B) a gathering of people working in the media industry, often an awards ceremony. C) some newsworthy occurrence covered by reporters of the various media. D) staged primarily for the purpose of being covered by the press. E) a setup by the media to ambush or embarrass a prominent person.
d
During the military campaign in Afghanistan, President Bush and the White House frequently watched ________ to see events as they happened. A) Nightline B) Good Morning America C) closed circuit, top-secret Pentagon video relays D) CNN E) The MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour
d
For most newspapers in medium-sized cities and small towns, their principal source for reporting national and world news is A) USA Today. B) The New York Times. C) Cable News Network. D) The Associated Press. E) The Washington Post.
d
Individuals aged 29 and under are A) more likely than older individuals to spend time getting news. B) less likely than older individuals to use the Internet for news. C) more likely to rely on newspapers than on television as a news source. D) less likely than older individuals to learn about the presidential campaign from a daily newspaper. E) more likely than older individuals to use newsmagazines as a news source.
d
Most television news analysis reports A) run over ten minutes. B) run about five minutes. C) run about seven minutes. D) last less than a minute. E) run about two minutes.
d
Television became extremely important in political campaigns beginning in A) 1948. B) 1952. C) 1972. D) 1960. E) 1984.
d
The Associated Press is an example of a A) high-technology medium. B) newspaper chain. C) massive media conglomerate. D) wire service. E) trade association acting as an interest group for newspapers.
d
The bottom line that shapes how journalists define the news, where they get the news, and how they present it is A) their personal ideology. B) the First Amendment right to freedom of the press. C) government regulations. D) profits. E) their professional values.
d
The earliest survey studies of the effect of the media on public opinion, which evaluated its impact on voting behavior, offered A) much evidence that media action influenced political campaign outcomes. B) a policy agenda interpretation. C) the observation that Democratic control of Congress was partly due to media bias in news coverage. D) the minimal effects hypothesis. E) the hypodermic needle model.
d
The overriding bias in the news is toward stories that A) include talking heads. B) are triangular. C) are liberal. D) draw large audiences. E) target-specific audiences.
d
The use of detective-like reporting methods to unearth scandals is known as A) yellow journalism. B) trial balloons. C) scientific journalism. D) investigative journalism. E) print journalism.
d
Todayʹs massive media conglomerates control newspapers with over ________ of the nationʹs daily circulation. A) 53 percent B) 30 percent C) 50 percent D) 80 percent E) 33 percent
d
Trial balloons refer to A) marketing surveys conducted to determine audience preferences in media coverage and programming. B) media experiments with different types of news coverage to see what the public reaction will be. C) impromptu presidential news conferences. D) information leaked to the media to see what the political reaction will be. E) the mediaʹs tendency to define news as information that is entertaining to the average viewer.
d
Up until the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, A) reporters did not ask presidents questions, they simply reported what presidents did. B) presidents held daily press conferences. C) presidents held private chats with reporters in a very informal setting rather than hold public press conferences. D) reporters submitted their questions to presidents in writing. E) reporters had fireside chats with presidents in the White House.
d
Which of the following is LEAST likely to fascinate television news viewers? A) violence B) scandal C) disaster D) a talking head E) a breaking crime story
d
Which of the following is NOT true about the media in America? A) The media argue that if their news is superficial, it is because that is what people want. B) The media do a better job covering the ʺhorse raceʺ aspect of politics than of covering substantive issues. C) Reporters often see themselves in a reformism role, crusading against foul play and unfairness. D) Their skepticism about governmental honesty and efficiency leads them to oppose giving government greater responsibilities. E) none of the above
d
Which of the following statements about Franklin Roosevelt and the news media is FALSE? A) Roosevelt used presidential wrath to warn reporters off material he did not want covered. B) The press revered Roosevelt. C) Roosevelt knew how to feed the right story to the right reporter. D) The press often reported on Rooseveltʹs health and confinement to a wheelchair. E) none of the above
d
Which of the following statements about policy agendas is FALSE? A) Interest groups, political parties, and the president are all examples of those who push for their priorities to take precedence. B) Scores of issues compete for attention from the government. C) The policy agenda receives some serious attention at any given time. D) Only government officials develop policy priorities. E) none of the above
d
Which of the following statements about television news is FALSE? A) The only highly regarded in-depth news shows on television are watched by very few viewers. B) Studies have shown that television gives only skimpy attention to the issues during a presidential campaign. C) The complex issues of today are difficult to treat in a short news clip. D) Television analysis of news events has been rapidly increasing. E) Television news is less detailed than that presented in newspapers.
d
Which president held one thousand press conferences, far more than any other? A) John F. Kennedy B) Richard Nixon C) Ronald Reagan D) Franklin Roosevelt E) Bill Clinton
d
A trial balloon is a A) method used by the media to force a politician or public official to admit to lying to a reporter. B) piece of information leaked to politicians from a reporter in order to confirm another source. C) sensational criminal trial that attracts inflated media coverage. D) directive by judges to deny access to reporters in certain sensitive cases. E) method used by public figures of leaking certain stories to reporters to see what the political reaction will be.
e
Following the first Nixon-Kennedy presidential debate of 1960, opinion polls showed that A) those who watched on television thought Nixon had won, while those who listened over the radio thought Kennedy won. B) those who watched on television and listened over the radio both thought Kennedy had won. C) those who listened over radio thought it was a draw, while those who watched television thought Kennedy did better. D) those who watched on television and listened over the radio both thought Nixon had won. E) those who watched on television thought Kennedy had won, while those who listened over the radio thought Nixon won.
e
In what was a very different era, the press chose not to point out to readers or to photograph the fact that President ________ was confined to a wheelchair. A) Warren Harding B) Harry Truman C) Dwight Eisenhower D) Lyndon Johnson E) Franklin Roosevelt
e
News coverage by the print and broadcast media is generally A) very ideologically biased. B) comprehensive. C) detailed. D) controversial. E) superficial.
e
Reporters and their official sources usually have a(n) ________ relationship. A) hostile B) disinterested C) adversarial D) conspiratorial E) symbiotic
e
Richard Nixon believed he lost the 1960 presidential election because A) news coverage of his campaign was consistently biased against him. B) the Cuban Missile Crisis stole media attention from his campaign. C) of voter fraud in New York City. D) of Kennedyʹs dramatic pledge not to raise taxes. E) he was sweating and had an ugly beard stubble during a debate with Kennedy.
e
The 1960 presidential debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy illustrates the A) propagandistic nature of American presidential campaigns. B) role of radio broadcasting in the United States. C) importance of experience in presidential politics. D) importance of issues in presidential debates. E) power of television in American politics.
e
The ________ is the list of subjects or problems to which government officials, and people outside of government closely associated with those officials, are paying some serious attention to at any given time. A) A-List B) plum book C) prioritization schedule D) catalog of current issues E) policy agenda
e
The cozy relationship between politicians and the press in the twentieth century lasted until A) the Iranian Hostage Crisis. B) World War II. C) the commercialization of television. D) the beginning of Franklin Rooseveltʹs presidency. E) the Vietnam War and Watergate.
e
The first president to successfully utilize media politics was A) Ronald Reagan. B) Richard Nixon. C) George Washington. D) Abraham Lincoln. E) Franklin Roosevelt.
e
The media inevitably encourage the growth of government when they A) focus on policy issues. B) reapply for their broadcast licenses. C) uncover government waste. D) act as a watchdog. E) focus on injustice in society.
e
The principal source of news and information for most Americans today is A) newspapers. B) radio talk shows. C) magazines. D) print media. E) the broadcast media.
e
The principle source of news and information in the United States is A) the print media. B) magazines and radio. C) newspapers. D) radio talk shows. E) the broadcast media.
e