In covering a political campaign, the media is best described as a A. Watchdog B. Scorekeeper C. Muckraker D. Gatekeeper E. Cheerleader

B.

Scorekeeper

Under the Federal Communications Commission’s equal time rules, broadcasters must (Sabato 563) A. Give free airtime to all candidates for public office B. Assure that both sides on a controversial subject like abortion get equal time C. Air debates for candidates running for office in their market D. Provide the same opportunity for all political candidates to present their views E. Take the diversity of their market into account in deciding news coverage

D.

Provide the same opportunity for all political candidates to present their views

Audiences for SELECT Mass Media by Age Group (In Percentages)

Age Group Television Viewing Newspaper Reading Internet Access

92.2 73.3 58.7

18-24 years old 25-34 years old 92.4

77.0

53.3

92.4

80.5

53.8

35-44 years old 45-54 years old 55-64 years old 65+ 93.7

94.7

96.5

83.5

82.4

78.1

54.8

35.1

10.7

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Which of the following statements is NOT valid based on the above table?

A. Elderly Americans are less likely to check out a candidate’s Web site. B. Political ads on television reach the voting age population.

C. Younger voters get more of their news from newspapers than older voters. D. The high rate of Internet use for 45-54 year olds probably reflects the fact that they have access at work. E. The older a person is, the more likely he/she is to watch television.

C.

Younger voters get more of their news from newspapers than older voters.

Which of the following contemporary news outlets is similar to the yellow journalism of the late nineteenth century? A. Network news programs B. Radio talk shows C. Newspapers like

USA Today

D. All new cable stations E. Tabloid press

E. Tabloid Press

In a wide-ranging examination of American policy, the Secretary of Defense states, “American troops are well-trained and prepared to meet our nation’s commitments.” The reporter who wrote these lines may have gotten the information from I.

II.

The Secretary of Defense’s press conference at the Pentagon A deep background interview with the Assistant Secretary of Defense III.

IV.

A.

An off-the-record interview with the Secretary of Defense A press briefing book prepared by the Pentagon’s public affairs staff I only B.

C.

D.

E.

I and II only IV only I and IV only I, II, and IV only

D.

The fact that election campaigns are often reduced to sound bites suggests that A. Television provides superficial coverage of politics B. Politicians are not very dynamic speakers C. Voters turn to newspapers and magazines to understand the issues D. Network news shows are too long E. Editors need to take more responsibility for programming

A.

Television provides superficial coverage of politics

Cross-ownership refers to A. A company owning radio and television stations in different parts of the country B. Companies like Gannett that own numerous newspapers C. A company owning a newspaper and television station in the same market D. Entertainment giants like the Walt Disney Company that own television networks E. Cable companies that are the sole service providers in a community

C.

A company owning a newspaper and television station in the same market

The purpose of the Communications Decency Act, which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, was to A. Require the FCC to limit indecent material on television B. Restrict minor’s access to indecent material over the Internet C. Make indecent phone calls a federal crime D. Ban the use of certain language on the radio E. Establish a rating system for network and cable television

B.

Restrict minor’s access to indecent material over the Internet

All of the following work against a liberal bias in the media EXCEPT: A. Most news about government and politics comes from official sources, B. Journalists are trained to be objective, and present both sides of a story. C. Editors and publishers are more conservative than reporters.

D. Broadcast and print journalists as a group tend to support the Democratic Party. E. Major media outlets are owned by larger corporations whose primary business is nor news.

D.

Broadcast and print journalists as a group tend to support the Democratic Party.

The Supreme Court made it more difficult for public officials falsely attacked in the media to sue for libel in

A. New York Times v. Sullivan B. New York Times v. U.S. C. Red Lion Broadcasting V. FCC D. Engel v. Vitale E. Bucley v. Valeo

A.

New York Times v. Sullivan

News coverage of Congress A. Is devoted to scandals like the impeachment of President Clinton B. Is primarily the responsibility of C-SPAN C. Focuses on the leadership in the House and the Senate D. Is influenced by the White House press secretary E. Is more thorough on network television than in the press

C.

Focuses on the leadership in the House and the Senate

Which of the following newspaper headlines suggests investigative reporting? A. “Abuse of Patients in Nursing Homes in the State Uncovered” B. “Fire Guts Office Structure; Arson Suspected” C. President to Hold Summit with Chinese Leaders” D. “Attorney General to Rule on Special Prosecutor”

A.

“Abuse of Patients in Nursing Homes in the State Uncovered”

The media plays a key role in politics by A. Determining who gets elected to state and federal office B. Helping to set the issues that political leaders need to address C. Presenting elected officials in the best possible light to the public D. Reinforcing values such as patriotism and family E. Paying candidates for exclusive stories

B.

Helping to set the issues that political leaders need to address

In covering which of the following stories would a reporter rely primarily on news releases and press briefings?

A. 2002 congressional elections B. Senate hearings on the bankruptcy of a major corporation C. American troops in combat in Afghanistan D. Death penalty case before the Supreme Court E. Major earthquake in California

C. American troops in combat in Afghanistan

Which of the following is NOT a difference between local and network news coverage? A. Network news is limited to a half hour program.

B. Local news programs rely on multiple anchors. C. The networks devote more time to “hard news” politics, world events, economy.

D. The networks have reporters based around the country and the world. E. Unless of national importance, the networks do not regularly cover sports.

D.

The networks have reporters based around the country and the world.