Journalism Exam study guide
What does it mean to go to the primary source of information for an interview?
To go to the primary source means to go to the best person and the most reliable person on that topic.
A newspaper that prints false, malicious, and seditious information is guilty of what offense?
libel (which is written defamation; damaging false statements against another person)
There are 8 functions of a journalist: the political function, the economic function, the sentry function, the record keeping function, the entertainment function, the social function, the marketplace function, and the agenda-setting function. What does it mean for a journalist to perform the agenda setting function?
media has the power to determine what we talk about as individuals and address as a nation
In colonial America, with what offense were newspapers charged when they criticized the government, even if the criticisms were true?
sedition
What does it mean to go off the record while conducting and interview?
"Off the Record" means the subject is telling you something they don't want written in the story. Something is only "off the record" if the journalist says it is, and stays true to that. If a journalist isn't true it could ruin their reputation and career.
Why do journalists try not to as -EST questions?
-Est questions often receive run of the mill answers, that may not be 100% true. (ex: a parents proudest moment= wedding day, or children being born)
How many people would have to be interviewed or polled to understand the thoughts of 10 million people?
1,000
How many people are routinely polled and surveyed to understand the thoughts of the entire United States?
1,600
How do journalists use a filter question when conducting a poll or survey?
A filter question is the first question asked in a survey that relates to your topic. Based on the person's answer that's being interviewed you will either stop or continue the survey
Why might a journalist become nervous during or before an interview?
A journalist may be nervous if they are interviewing someone famous, and idol, or public figure. They may also be nervous if they are an introvert and don't like talking to people.
There are several defenses against libel: truth, privilege, fair comment, admission of error, and public officials. How would admission of error be used to defend a journalist against libel?
A prompt correction of a published article that has been proven false can be a defense against libel if it was not malicious; it was an accident
What does it mean to say that a poll or survey was conducted using a representative sample?
A representative sample consists of 50 people or 10% of your universe
What is an open-ended question? Is it good or bad for interviewing?
An open-ended question is a question that does not have a simple yes or no answer. These are very good for interviews.
Why would a wise journalist attempt to avoid a libel lawsuit even if he or she felt that they would easily win the case?
Avoiding suits and being ethical are better than counting on legal technicalities. Also, get the other side in the initial story. People who see their side in print seldom sue.
Why was Dianne Sawyer wrong when she stated on ABC's Prime Time Live that 90% of a group interviewed said that the US was going downhill?
Diane Sawyer was wrong because she didn't have enough people or a fair sample. Meaning the group she polled was not a representative of all Americans, and 31 is not enough people to represent millions of people
What is meant by in loco parentis in relation to the Tinker Case from 1969?
It was a part of the tinker case because the u.s supreme court shut down in loco parentis when the tinker case went to court
Give a brief description of what occurred in the Hazelwood School District v Cathy Kuhlmeier, 1988 case
Hazelwood school ordered to delete pages from the school newspaper. The first amendment applies to all students so the school can't take away freedom of speech but, the principle is the published/editor of the paper and has the right to control what goes in the paper. The school won. (pages were about student pregnancy and divorce impact)
Give a brief description of what occurred in the 1735 case involving John Peter Zenger.
He wrote a few articles about the government, but was then proven guilty, because he only printed facts.
What should a reporter do if he or she is nervous during an interview?
If a reporter is nervous during an interview they should try to hide it the best they can.
Why is it critical for a reporter to prepare for an interview?
It is critical to prepare for an interview because you have to know what your talking about, in order to have a good interview and gain the respect of the interviewee.
Explain how journalists use the Who cares? method to decide which stories to produce.
Journalist may ask themselves, "who cares?" to decide if a story is news or not. If somebody cares it's news, if no one cares it's not news. They do this while keeping good taste in mind.
Can a journalist be successful if he or she is not good at the interview process?
No, a bad interviewer= bad reporter (mostly)
If a reporter uses a recording device should he or she stop taking notes?
No, even if you use a recording device you should still take notes. You never know what could happen to your recording device and it assures your subject your paying attention.
Is prepublication checking the same as prior review? Explain.
No, prepublication is checking for accuracy and prior review is (dis)approving material.
Should a journalist ask questions up to the last second of an interview time period?
No, they should leave time at the end for voluntary information. Sometimes that is when the best information comes out.
Are Yes and No questions good interview questions?
No, you want questions that lead to elaborate, long, quotable answers.
What was the name of the first newspaper ever published in the American colonies?
Publick Occurrences
What does it mean to say that a properly created poll or survey has a 95% confidence level?
Saying that a poll has a 95% confidence level means that in 95 of 100 cases, the populations sampled will respond the same way as the total population the group is intended to represent.
Regarding libel law, give a brief description of what happened to Richard Jewell after the bombing of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Richard Jewell was falsely accused of planting a bomb at the olympics. Jewell was cleared of any wrong, but he still feels his good name has been destroyed
Why might some sources of media try to never use anonymous sources?
Some may never use anonymous sources because named sources are more credible, can easily be verified, and you can avoid wrong information as a threat to your paper.
Which of the following was one of the earliest African-American newspapers published in the US?
The Chicago Defender
Give a brief description of how the relationship between the press and the military changed after the Vietnam War of the 1960s.
The Vietnam War brought the horror of the war home in living color, so after unrestricted coverage essentially ceased. They were embedded with a US troop.
What is the Q and A technique for writing a news story? When would this technique not be a good idea?
The Q&A style of writing is when you write the question and then the subject's answer word for word. This technique is not good for writing about breaking news.
What are the first 2 steps in conducting a good interview?
The first two steps in conducting a good interview is to first know what you want to find out and two, decide who to ask (the expert).
Saying If a dog bites a man is not news, but a man biting a dog is news is an over simplified way of explaining what equals news, but what does the saying mean?
Things that are out of the ordinary and unique are the things that make the news.
Ultimately, who gets to decide what information is used after an interview has taken place?
The journalist
Why are these 2 questions not good journalistic questions? A. Are you going to college after high school or just a technical school? B. Are you going out for football or just joining the choir?
These are not journalistic questions because they are loaded questions. This means these questions seem to have one "better" answer. This prompts people to lie to make themselves seem cooler, better, etc.
Should journalist ask embarrassing questions? Explain.
Yes, journalist should ask embarrassing questions because you have to get the truth. You must do this with good taste in mind though.
What may be the best first questions for an interview?
Your first question may be the most important question to make sure you have time for it. Or it may be an unimportant question to get the subject more comfortable.
There are 8 functions of a journalist: the political function, the economic function, the sentry function, the record keeping function, the entertainment function, the social function, the marketplace function, and the agenda-setting function. What does it mean for a journalist to perform the entertainment function?
comics, feature stories, and feature pics help meet this need
There are 8 functions of a journalist: the political function, the economic function, the sentry function, the record keeping function, the entertainment function, the social function, the marketplace function, and the agenda-setting function. What does it mean for a journalist to perform the economic function?
focuses on information about products, goods, and services in addition to events. Business, industrial, and agriculture news conveys this information, but so does advertising
There are 8 functions of a journalist: the political function, the economic function, the sentry function, the record keeping function, the entertainment function, the social function, the marketplace function, and the agenda-setting function. What does it mean for a journalist to perform the political function?
focuses on political decisions
When did the first television broadcast first take place?
late 1940's
This name was given to socially conscious journalism that battled corruption in all its forms.
muckraking (which is Crusading important topics without a social conscious. EX: Child-labor laws)
There are several defenses against libel: truth, privilege, fair comment, admission of error, and public officials. How would truth be used to defend a journalist against libel?
no publication will be held responsible for libel if the story in question is true
There are 8 functions of a journalist: the political function, the economic function, the sentry function, the record keeping function, the entertainment function, the social function, the marketplace function, and the agenda-setting function. What does it mean for a journalist to perform the social function?
person-to-person, passing along news through social talks
There are several defenses against libel: truth, privilege, fair comment, admission of error, and public officials. How would public officials be used to defend a journalist against libel?
public officials must show a greater degree of fault by the press in order to win a libel suit
There are 8 functions of a journalist: the political function, the economic function, the sentry function, the record keeping function, the entertainment function, the social function, the marketplace function, and the agenda-setting function. What does it mean for a journalist to perform the record keeping function?
reflect an accurate record of local, national, and world news
What happened in the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District 1969 case
students wore black armbands to protect the vietnam war. The school suspended the students and the students sued. Lost in district and appeal courts but won when the case reached the U.S supreme court.
If the Federal Government says the principal of a school has the final say of what goes into a student publication can the Mississippi State Government say that the students have the final say? Explain this answer.
they can, state governments can give more rights to people but they can't take them away. For example, if a federal gov. says marijuana is illegal state gov. can make it legal but not the other way around
There are 8 functions of a journalist: the political function, the economic function, the sentry function, the record keeping function, the entertainment function, the social function, the marketplace function, and the agenda-setting function. What does it mean for a journalist to perform the marketplace function?
through this all sorts of ideas, it becomes the marketplace of ideas
There are 8 functions of a journalist: the political function, the economic function, the sentry function, the record keeping function, the entertainment function, the social function, the marketplace function, and the agenda-setting function. What does it mean for a journalist to perform the sentry function?
watches over society's horizons
What is another name for the unethical, irresponsible journalism that emphasizes hoaxes, frauds, and self-promotion?
yellow journalism (sensational stories and screaming headlines)
There are several defenses against libel: truth, privilege, fair comment, admission of error, and public officials. How would fair comment be used to defend a journalist against libel?
you are free to penture any opinion in reviews and criticism
There are several defenses against libel: truth, privilege, fair comment, admission of error, and public officials. How would privilege be used to defend a journalist against libel?
you may report whatever is said in an official legislative or judicial session without fear of a successful libel suit, provided your account is accurate and fair