chapter 7

selective perception

Process whereby partisans interpret the same information differently.

news media

also called the press : Subset of the mass media that provides the news of the day, gathered and reported by journalists.

minimal effects model

model that predicts that media will have little influence on behavior

Colonial Era (1620-1750)

newspapers weren't widely available and there were few printing presses.

Framing

the power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted

Changes in today's news media have led to an increase in the number of professional journalists who are covering politics. True False

False The many changes in the news media have led to a decline in the number of professional journalists who are covering politics.

The popularity of Americans who listen to the radio has remained unchanged in the past decade as a medium of communication. a. True b. False

True

The press concealed the health of which president, thereby preserving his public image? a. George Washington b. Theodore Roosevelt c. Thomas Jefferson d. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

d. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

The mass media help ensure government accountability and responsiveness by performing three important tasks: informing, investigating, and modifying the news. a. True b. False

false

The print media is more heavily regulated by government than the electronic media. True False

false

The polar opposite of the propaganda model of media influence is the ________, in which people believe the public ignores the media or only believes what they witness themselves. minimal effects model selective model naïve model monopoly model

naïve model Few people believe that the media have no influence on citizens. The naïve model postulates that people think the public ignores the media or that citizens learn about politics by observing the events themselves.

Selective exposure is the process whereby people secure information from sources that agree with them, reinforcing their beliefs. a. True b. False

a. True

A landmark case in the early 1700s in colonial America advanced the idea that a free press was more important than a law against ________, which punished people who spoke out against the government. yellow journalism partisan debate actual malice seditious libel

seditious libel

The tendency for people to only watch the cable news stations that report news they agree with and support their ideology is a process described as ________. soft news yellow journalism selective exposure ideological disposition

selective exposure According to the minimal effects model, in a process described as selective exposure, people secured information from sources that agreed with them, leading to the reinforcement of beliefs, not to a change of beliefs.

Even before the invention of television, presidential candidates were using short catchy statements called ________ to convey a favorable image of themselves and their campaigns. soft news Congressional hearings slogans fireside chats

slogans

Mculloch v. Maryland

(1819) case that said federal law trumps state law

________ is a standard that must be met in defamation cases involving public figures. Controversial claim Gross negligence Actual malice Libel conviction

Actual malice

Fireside Chats

The informal radio conversations Roosevelt had with the people to keep spirits up. It was a means of communicating with the people on how he would take on the depression.

Journalists are obligated to report only favorable news about candidates running for office. True False

false

Loving v. Virginia

1867 court case that declared all laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional

Prior to 1976, there were no women news anchors on TV. ________ became the first woman co-anchor of a network evening news program. Diane Sawyer Barbara Walters Jane Pauley Katie Couric

Barbara Walters In 1976, Barbara Walters became the first woman to co-anchor the evening news (ABC).

In a democracy, who is the ultimate source of power? The Supreme Court Congress Citizens The president

Citizens In a democracy such as the United States, citizens are supposed to be the ultimate source of power.

________ is the ability of the media to alter the public's view on an issue by presenting it in a particular way. Agenda setting Framing Political modeling Priming

Framing

propaganda model

Extreme view of the media's role in society, arguing that the press serves the interest of the government only, driving what the public thinks about important issues.

Fake News

Fake news refers to fabricated news. It has no basis in fact, but is presented by the "mainstream" news media as being factually accurate.

Federal Communications Commission

Federal agency that regulates the radio, television, wire, satellite and cable communications.

New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)

If a newspaper prints an article that turns out to be false but that the newspaper thought was true at the time of publication, the newspaper has not committed libel.

Yellow Journalism

Journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers

Priming

Process whereby the media influence the criteria the public uses to make decisions.

Libel

Publishing false and damaging statements about another person is called libel.

Libel

Publishing false and damaging statements about another person.

watchdog

Role of the press in monitoring government actions.

By framing or "spinning" matters in a certain way, the news media can change a voter's mind about a political issue or figure. True False

True

Which three major networks aired evening news broadcasts in the early 1960s? a. ABC, NBC, CBS b. Fox, CBS, NBC c. PBS, Fox, ABC d. Fox, ABC, NBC

a. ABC, NBC, CBS

Which factor poses the biggest threat to the television evening news? a. An aging audience b. A lack of hard news c. A lack of qualified journalists d. The prominence of "technical difficulties"

a. An aging audience An aging audience is the biggest threat to the television evening news since younger people are less likely to tune in.

Which assessment of the 1960 debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy is considered correct? a. Most television watchers thought Kennedy won, and most radio listeners thought Nixon won. b. Most people watching on television or listening on the radio thought Nixon won. c. Most people watching on television or listening on the radio thought Kennedy won. d. Most television watchers thought Nixon won, and most radio listeners thought Kennedy won.

a. Most television watchers thought Kennedy won, and most radio listeners thought Nixon won.

In the mid-1990s, virtually every form of media—TV news, magazines, newspapers, radio—covered O.J. Simpson's murder trial, a criminal court case involving the former football player and the suspicious deaths of his ex-wife and her friend. The O.J. trial captivated the nation for years. What is this effect called when the news covers an item so frequently that the audience begins to see the issue as immensely important? a. Soft news b. Framing c. Agenda setting d. Muckraking

c. Agenda setting

Which federal agency oversees the regulation of electronic media? a. Consumer Financial Protections Bureau b. Federal Bureau of Investigations c. Federal Communications Commission d. Department of the Interior

c. Federal Communications Commission

Since the 1990s, what has happened to newspaper readership? a. It has risen for older age groups, but it has declined for younger age groups. b. It has declined for younger age groups, but it has remained stable for older age groups. c. It has declined for both younger and older age groups. d. It has remained stable for both younger and older age groups.

c. It has declined for both younger and older age groups.

Today's media environment offers the public many ________ for political information or, if they prefer, no political information at all. databases devices consequences choices

choices

Rush Limbaugh is the top politically ________ talk radio commentator on the air today, reaching over 13 million listeners. moderate libertarian liberal conservative

conservative Rush Limbaugh is by far the best-known conservative talk radio host on the air today. No liberal shows come close to the popularity of the top-rated conservative commentators.

Millennials appear to be less interested in politics at this point in their lives than their parents' and grandparents' generations. True False

false, Millennials appear to be more interested in politics at this point in their lives than were previous generations. This interest is not gauged by whether they watch the evening news or read newspapers, but by the ways they use new media to share information and express their interest in politics.

Which amendment to the Constitution assures a free press in the United States? Eleventh Twenty-first First Fifth

first

freedom of the press is a basic tenet of democracy. Which part of the Constitution protects the freedom of the press to report news? The Fifth Amendment The Articles The First Amendment The Preamble

first

When the George W. Bush administration waged war in Afghanistan, the media emphasized the issue of fighting terrorism and presented war in a favorable light. This is an example of a. agenda setting. b. priming. c. hard news. d. framing

framing

Publishing a false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation is called ________. censorship libel malice slander

libel Publishing false and damaging statements about another person is called libel.

When it comes to news about government and politics, people with a consistently ________ ideology tend to rely on more sources such as CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and the New York Times for their news. moderate liberal libertarian conservative

liberal Liberals and conservatives differ in the number and sources of news they consume. Liberals tend to rely on multiple sources for news about politics, whereas conservatives often go to Fox News as their primary sourc

As the public's confidence in the press continues to decline, the two reasons most cited for their concern are ________. cable news and the Internet polarization and media bias hard news and soft news media bias and quality of information

media bias and quality of information Worries about the news media often center on two general concerns. One is that the media are biased and do not present objective information. The second focuses on the general quality of information available to the public.

The audience for TV news is declining as the trend for Americans getting their news from ________ sources is increasing. audio online multimedia print

online

Public Occurrences

First newspaper in the American colonies (1690)

Muckraking

Journalistic practice of investigative reporting that seeks to uncover corruption and wrongdoing.

Which of the following is necessary to hold government leaders accountable for their actions? Lobbyists Social media Court actions A free press

A free press A government that limits freedom of the press decreases the chance for the public to hold government leaders accountable.

The fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States is ________, prompting rapid changes in the media environment. Norwegians Native Americans African Americans Latinos

Latinos Latinos are the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, prompting the growth of two major Spanish-language television networks reaching over 5 million Spanish-speaking viewers in more than 40 markets.

Which model for interpreting public opinion asserts that the news media does not have a lot of influence on the public's thinking about politics? a. Agenda setting b. Propaganda c. Not-so-minimal effects d. Minimal effects

Minimal effects

actual malice

Supreme Court test for libel of a public figure, in which the plaintiff must prove that the publisher knew the material was false or acted with reckless disregard of whether it was true or false.

President Trump's unconventional approach to campaigning in the 2016 election included making controversial remarks that resulted in millions of dollars in free media coverage. True False

True Trump was able to get unprecedented coverage from the news media at no cost through his use of Twitter, the caustic tone of his campaign speeches, and by calling in to morning news shows.

When may the government limit the publishing power of the media? In times of war (or threat of war) When the president travels abroad When foreign leaders are in the United States During natural disasters

In times of war (or threat of war)

Popular "infotainment" shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonand The Late Show with Stephen Colbert offer __________ news, which emphasizes less serious stories that appeal to viewers' emotions. soft fake old hard

soft

The ________ role of the press allows journalists the freedom to be critical of the government and to do their job free from governmental interference. democratic informational subversive watchdog

watchdog The watchdog role of the press lies at the heart of democracy. The First Amendment to the Constitution protects freedom of the press.

Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein served as government ________ by investigating and reporting a news story that ultimately resulted in the resignation of President Nixon in 1974. legislators economists spies watchdogs

watchdogs Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein played the ultimate role of watchdog, creating a news story that gripped the country for more than a year. The episode ended with Nixon's resignation in 1974, the only time a U.S. president has resigned.

agenda setting

Ability of the media to affect the way people view issues, people, or events by controlling which stories are shown and which are not.

The number of daily newspapers published in the United States has been increasing since 1990. True False

False Traditional printed newspapers are in decline. The number of daily papers has been dropping since 1990, and newspaper readership is also declining.

The ________ is the agency that regulates radio, broadcast television, cable television, cell phones, and wireless networks. Supreme Court Department of Defense Federal Communications Commission Federal Trade Commission

Federal Communications Commission

A famous series of essays published in New York newspapers in 1787, known as the ________, provided a vital form of partisan debate over the ratification of the Constitution. Common Sense pamphlets Republican Papers Federalist Papers Declaration of Independence

Federalist Papers written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay arguing for the ratification of the Constitution and are considered today a leading source for understanding the Constitution.

Which amendment governs freedom of press? a. Eighth b. Tenth c. First d. Fourth

First

Who was the first president to use radio to communicate directly communicate with the public? Abraham Lincoln Ronald Reagan Franklin D. Roosevelt John F. Kennedy

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to use radio to communicate directly with the people, broadcasting what he called "fireside chats" from the White House in which he explained what he was doing to end the Great Depression.

"Fireside chats" were most associated with which president? a. Franklin Roosevelt b. Abraham Lincoln c. John Kennedy d. Ronald Reagan

Franklin Roosevelt

Pentagon Papers

Government documents that showed the public had been lied to about the status of the war in Vietnam

The first televised public debate between presidential candidates ________ in 1960 was a demonstration of how television's visuals redefined political events and influenced public opinion based on how the candidates looked. Lyndon B. Johnson and Barry Goldwater Richard M. Nixon and Hubert Humphrey John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai Stevenson

John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon The 1960 presidential campaign between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon is a well-known example of the new emphasis on the visual side of politics. Politicians aimed to look good on television because viewers could detect nervousness and judge body language.

________ is a style of investigative reporting that rose to popularity in the early 1900s that seeks to expose corruption and encourage reform. Muckraking Blogging Objective reporting Yellow journalism

Muckraking Muckraking is a journalistic practice of investigative reporting that seeks to uncover corruption and wrongdoing.

In which Supreme Court case did the court require proof of actual malice in order to convict of libel? a. Near v. Minnesota b. Loving v. Virginia c. New York Times v. Sullivan d. Gibbons v. Ogden

New York Times v. Sullivan

How does the news media differ from mass media? Mass media and the news media are two names for the same thing. News media is a subset of mass media. The news media refers to print communication; mass media refers to all online communication. Mass media is a subset of the news media.

News media is a subset of mass media.

mass media

News sources, including newspapers, television, radio, and the Internet, whose purpose is to provide a large audience with information about the nation and the world.news media

soft news

News stories focused less on facts and policies than on sensationalizing secondary issues or on less serious subjects of the entertainment world.

Penny Press

Newspapers sold for a penny, initiating an era in which the press began to rely on circulation and advertising for income and not on political parties.

hard news

Political news coverage, traditionally found in the printed press, that is more fact-based, opposed to more interpretive narratives and commentary.

Federalist Papers

Series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay arguing for the ratification of the Constitution;

The ________ model describes the tendency for only a few voters to change their minds about who they are voting for when new information about a campaign is offered by the media. naïve minimal effects propaganda selective exposure

The minimal effects model is a view of the media's impact as marginal because most people seek news reports to reinforce beliefs already held rather than to develop new ones.

naive model

The naïve model postulates that people think the public ignores the media or that citizens learn about politics by observing the events themselves.

selective exposure

The process through which people consciously choose to get the news from information sources that have viewpoints compatible with their own.

Gibbons v. Ogden

This case involved New York trying to grant a monopoly on waterborne trade between New York and New Jersey. Judge Marshal, of the Supreme Court, sternly reminded the state of New York that the Constitution gives Congress alone the control of interstate commerce. Marshal's decision, in 1824, was a major blow on states' rights.

Bloggers who write stories published on the Internet enjoy First Amendment protections the same way print journalists are protected. True False

True Bloggers are afforded the same protections as journalists working for established news outlets.

The media doesn't just report the news; it can also make the news. True False

True The media can also make news by researching and revealing information about events.

In the United States, media sources control programming, and the flow of information is free from government control. True False

True, A model where the government holds a monopoly on information is dangerous and is inconsistent with how the press works in open societies such as the United States.

Pulitzer

United States newspaper publisher who established the Pulitzer prizes (1847-1911), the owner of the New York World who used yellow journalism during the Spanish-American War

not-so-minimal effects model

View of the media's impact as substantial, occurring by agenda setting, framing, and priming.

During the heyday of television news broadcasting in the 1960s and 1970s, Americans labeled ABC anchorman ________ as "the most trusted man in America." Walter Cronkite Chet Huntley Peter Jennings Lester Holt

Walter Cronkite epresented both the height of objective journalism and the dominance of TV network news. Most Americans assumed that Cronkite provided the facts and did not let partisanship shape his reporting.

Boing Boing, Techcrunch, Talking Points Memo, and Engadget: what do we call these forms of media that provide forums for commentary, video postings, and general conversation, and allow average citizens to express their opinions to a wider audience? a. Blogs b. Television c. Radio d. Newspapers

a. Blogs

Which Supreme Court case limited the government's ability to suppress a news story? a. Near v. Minnesota b. Loving v. Virginia c. Gibbons v. Ogden d. McCulloch v. Maryland

a. Near v. Minnesota

Which was a result of the Pentagon Papers Supreme Court decision? a. The government had not met and would have needed to meet an extraordinary burden of proof for prior restraint. b. The government can prevent news stories by claiming publication would be detrimental to national security. c. The media must submit controversial news stories to the courts prior to publication. d. No federal agencies can regulate electronic media, but they can regulate print media.

a. The government had not met and would have needed to meet an extraordinary burden of proof for prior restraint.

The biggest barrier to the public's access to news and information about politics is ________. access to the Internet watchdog interference media bias ownership of a smart phone

access to the Internet There is evidence that the Internet and social media have not changed the overall amount of information the public possesses, but new media are not equally available to all Americans.

If a supermarket tabloid writes a story that portrays a popular actor, performer, or other public figure negatively, the individual harmed in the article has to prove ________ to win the suit for libel. critical acclaim seditious libel actual malice gross negligence

actual malice Actual malice is the Supreme Court test for libel of a public figure. The individual must prove that the publisher knew the story was false or acted with reckless disregard of whether it was true or false.

By emphasizing certain issues or headlines, the media influence what citizens care about or what they perceive to be the most pressing issues of the day. This type of media effect is called ________. framing lobbying agenda setting priming

agenda setting

Who uncovered the Watergate scandal? a. Abbie Hoffman b. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein c. Chet Huntley and David Brinkley d. Walter Cronkite

b. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein

Which newspaper, headed by Benjamin Franklin and often considered the foundation for modern American news coverage, included sensationalist stories? a. New York Sun b. Philadelphia Gazette c. New York Weekly Journal d. Public Occurrences

b. Philadelphia Gazette

According to journalist David Broder, what is the main factor that contributes to bias in the media? a. The inability of journalists to recognize their own bias b. The speed with which journalists must act c. The influence of large corporations d. Pressure from the government

b. The speed with which journalists must act

The series of articles written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay to support the ratification of the Constitution are known as a. Public Occurrences. b. the Federalist Papers. c. the Sentiments of Democracy. d. the Articles of Confederation.

b. the Federalist Papers.

seditious libel

communication meant to incite people to change the government; criticism of the government

Which president started his own newspaper to get his message out regarding issues of the day? a. George Washington b. Thomas Jefferson c. Theodore Roosevelt d. James K. Polk

d. James K. Polk

Jake, a freshman in college, gets most of his news online from sources such as the Huffington Post and Daily Kos while his grandfather Joe reads a print version of the Wall Street Journal from cover to cover. Some would argue that because he's reading a traditional printed newspaper, Joe is exposed to more a. yellow journalism. b. classified listings. c. soft news. d. hard news.

d. hard news.

Newspapers print more fact-based stories about politics, also known as ________, than the more interpretive commentary reported on TV. political narrative editorial columns hard news soft news

hard news Hard news coverage of politics, traditionally found in the printed press, is more fact-based than the more interpretive commentary reported on TV.

Because there are so many news outlets to choose from, people can follow the outlets that match their existing ________ preferences, which can increase polarization. intellectual complex ideological campaign

ideological People follow news outlets that conform to their existing ideological preferences. This self-selection can fuel further polarization, because many people are not getting information from the other side.

The three primary functions of news reporting are to ________, ________, and ________ to help ensure government remains accountable and responsible to its citizens. write, copy, edit inform, investigate, interpret develop, design, present print, publish, post

inform, investigate, interpret The mass media help ensure government accountability and responsiveness by performing three important tasks: informing, investigating, and interpreting the news.

To provide a broader understanding for a story, a politician may share information with a journalist ________, with an understanding that the statements be kept in confidence. under the table after hours off the record in secret

off the record Politicians may make certain statements "off the record" with the understanding that journalists will not use them in a story except as background or to provide context.

Following the events of 9/11, the news headlines focusing on terrorism powerfully influenced the criteria that citizens used to decide how much they liked President Bush. This process is called ________. priming sourcing idolizing framing

priming An extension of agenda setting is priming. Emphasis by the media can alter the criteria that citizens use when evaluating or making decisions about political leaders.

The Nazi dictatorship in Germany exemplified the ________ model of media influence by controlling the programming and information German citizens. propaganda model monopoly model public model naïve model

propaganda model The propaganda model is an extreme view of the media's role in society, arguing that the press serves the interest of the government only, driving what the public thinks about important issues.

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are examples of ________ that many Americans, including politicians, use to share information with the public. blog posts social communication social media platforms mainstream media

social media platforms

Facebook is an example of a(n) a. infotainment program. b. blog. c. hard news aggregator. d. social networking site.

social networking site.

Near v. Minnesota

the 1931 Supreme Court decision holding that the first amendment protects newspapers from prior restraint.

Although there have been many changes in the mass media in the last 30 years, evidence suggests that Americans have as much information about politics as they did before ________. campaign rallies radio talk shows cable news the Internet

the Internet Despite recent changes in the mass media, evidence suggests that Americans have as much information about politics as they did before the arrival of the Internet and the 24-7 news cycle.

Newspaper publishers in the early 1800s began selling their newspapers and accepting advertising to make a profit. This time in the history of the press is known as the era of ________. yellow journalism professional journalism the penny press the free press

the penny press In the early 1800s, newspapers sold for a penny, initiating an era in which the press began to rely on circulation and advertising for income and not on political parties.

During the last 60 years, the news media has taken a more active role in interpreting campaign stories by focusing more on ________ something happened and delivering more commentary. why when where how

why In the decades following 1960, journalists started to interpret events more frequently and assessing why something happened. Some news outlets, such as cable news, deliver more commentary than hard news.

The practice of distorting news and writing sensational headlines to sell newspapers, popularized by Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst in the late 1800s, is known as ________. getting the scoop federalist opposition muckraking yellow journalism

yellow journalism