AP Government in America Chapter 7 Test Review

Which of the following factors best account(s) for what is considered newsworthy?

A story's high entertainment value

A journalist who regularly reports on predictions about interest rates would probably be on which of the following beats?

Federal Reserve Board

Television's emphasis on the individual has the effect of encouraging

Greater news coverage of the presidency

T/F: The Internet appears to be increasing public interest in political news.

False

T/F: Those who watch the news on television tend to be more engaged in politics than those who read the news.

False

Which of the following statements are true about the media's agenda-setting effect? I. The agenda-setting effect influences the criteria by which citizens evaluate political leaders. II. The agenda-setting effect is particularly strong among uninformed citizens. III. The agenda-setting effect is the media's direct impact on how Americans vote. IV. The agenda-setting effect rewards investigative journalism.

I, II, and III only

Which of the following is a consequence of investigative journalism?

Increased news coverage of scandals

The emergence of media events has contributed to each of the following trends EXCEPT

Increasing negativity in American political campaigns

Which of the following statements about journalists is accurate?

Journalists consider themselves more liberal than does the general public.

What is the primary objective of the American media?

Making a profit

Each of the following characterizes how media affect public opinion EXCEPT

Media affect public opinion to a marginal extent

If a political candidate wanted to deliver his or her message to the most politically informed Americans in the electorate, through which medium would he or she be most likely to reach them?

Newspapers

Which of the following statements about sound bites is accurate?

Politicians avoid using sound bites because it makes them sound trite.

Who is most likely to receive media coverage?

The President

The trend toward more negative and cynical news coverage began during

The Vietnam War

What is one foreseeable political consequence of narrowcasting?

The gap between the political elite and the politically uninformed majority will increase.

T/F: In recent years, most presidential election campaign television advertisements have been negative.

True

T/F: News coverage of political campaigns pays relatively little attention to policy issues.

True

T/F: Political activists use media coverage to push their ideas high onto the policy agenda.

True