Ch11 Media And Communication Test Bank Answers

CHAPTER 11

Media and Communication

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The ________ act as a broker between ________ and ________.
   1. public; the news media; the political elite
   2. political elite; the people they serve; the news media
   3. news media; the political elite; the people they serve
   4. political elite; news media; pollsters
2. “Individual responsibility” is _______ often employed by _______ in Canada to mobilize their supporters without drawing too much resistance from their opponents
   1. trial balloons, the left-wing
   2. dog whistles, the left-wing
   3. dog whistles, the right-wing
   4. trial balloons, the right-wing
3. What were early newspapers that relied almost exclusively on government advertising?
   1. red press
   2. tabloid press
   3. party press
   4. penny press
4. ________ was particularly important in the rise of early-twentieth century populist and progressive parties on the Canadian prairies, like Social Credit and the CCF.
   1. local radio
   2. national newspapers
   3. national television
   4. social media
5. ________ is a Crown corporation that is Canada’s national public broadcaster.
   1. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
   2. The Cable Public Affairs Channel
   3. The National Public Radio
   4. The National Post
6. What does CanCon refer to?
   1. laws requiring that media outlets operating in Canada provide a minimum level of Canadian-produced programming
   2. a coalition of conservative Canadians committed to disbanding the CBC
   3. a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting artists to produce Canadian content for American media
   4. the body responsible for administering the Broadcasting Act
7. What is the name given to the group of political journalists who monitor government business and who personally observe proceedings in the legislature?
   1. press gallery
   2. media scrum
   3. the fifth estate
   4. the communications bureau
8. ________ is an informal term for the media, implying that a free press is so vital to democracy that it is on par with the other branches of government (executive, legislature, judiciary).
   1. the first pillar
   2. the second leg
   3. the third stanchion
   4. the fourth estate
9. In Canada, freedom of information laws require that:
   1. governments provide contact information for all voters to each registered political party.
   2. governments release information to citizens upon request, subject to certain restrictions.
   3. citizens provide police with personal information upon arrest.
   4. political parties provide candidate information to the government for vetting.
10. Which of the following documents must be released unredacted and in their entirety under a freedom of information request?
    1. internal party documents related to the business of the Official Opposition
    2. memorandums to cabinet
    3. briefing notes related to intergovernmental negotiations
    4. None of the above
11. When media focuses its attention on who is leading in public opinion polls, it is called:
    1. milch-cow coverage
    2. horse-race coverage
    3. dog-show coverage
    4. first-past-the-post coverage
12. When framing is practiced by skilled political communicators, it simplifies complex matters in a purposeful manner that fits the sender’s position. This is known as ________.
    1. hacktivism
    2. narrowcasting
    3. spin
    4. brokerage
13. When it comes to the roles and responsibilities of federal organizations in government advertising, the ________ develops the centralized plan and provides oversight.
    1. the Department of Finance
    2. the Treasury Board
    3. the Prime Minister’s Office
    4. the Public Services and Procurement Office
14. What is a form of campaigning in which parties choose separate communications to target highly-specific segments of individual voters through social media, listservs, specialty television channels, and niche publications?
    1. broadcasting
    2. narrowcasting
    3. tightcasting
    4. typecasting
15. What is the most common tool used to conduct quantitative public opinion research in Canada?
    1. online and in-person focus groups
    2. online and telephone surveys
    3. door-to-door interviews
    4. content analysis of letters to the editor
16. Which of the following campaign tactics involves the use of coded language to send messages to a discrete group of political supporters?
    1. dog whistling
    2. horse whispering
    3. cat calling
    4. pork barreling
17. Compared to standard opinion surveys, focus group research is more useful for:
    1. gaining a deep, qualitative understanding of political values in a particular population group
    2. testing public reaction to party advertisements prior to release
    3. experimenting with different slogans, logos, and other elements of a party’s brand
    4. All of the above
18. If an environmentalist party knows that an opposing party’s followers are deeply divided over whether to establish a carbon tax, the environmentalist party would be best-advised to engage in:
    1. brokerage politics
    2. wedge politics
    3. attack advertisements
    4. rebranding
19. One of the most famous cases of media framing in Canada involved:
    1. the Globe and Mail running an unflattering front page photo of Jean Chretien’s facial paralysis in 1993.
    2. the Globe and Mail running an iconic front page photo of Robert Stanfield dropping a football in 1974.
    3. the Huffington Post running a shocking front page photo of a drunk John A. Macdonald before a campaign speech in Northern Ontario.
    4. Rabble.ca running a flattering image of Pierre Trudeau giving royal assent to the Constitution Act 1982.
20. Left-wing political parties taking the ________ approach to political communication compete to set the political agenda by highlighting _______.
    1. articulation, the need to lower taxes on the wealthy
    2. confrontation, the need to decrease health care spending
    3. articulation, the need to bolster the welfare state
    4. confrontation, the need to pay down the debt
21. Of the following developments, which has had the most novel, direct, and controversial effect on the fourth estate in Canada?
    1. the shift of attention from the legislative branch to the executive branch
    2. the shift in power from the legislative branch to the judicial branch
    3. the shift of financial resources from the executive branch into the media
    4. the shift of personnel from the media into the executive branch

1. Which newspaper tends to be conservative in its political leanings?
   1. Toronto Star
   2. Globe and Mail
   3. National Post
   4. None of the above
2. In Canada, narrowcasting involves using:
   1. previous electoral results to allocate resources to specific constituencies.
   2. political marketing techniques to identify and target specific segments of the electorate.
   3. public opinion polling to rebrand a political party.
   4. content analysis of media stories to determine which journalists to work with.
3. In which political party are the CBC’s strongest opponents often found?
   1. NDP
   2. Liberal Party
   3. Conservative Party of Canada
   4. Green Party
4. What is the term for textual, audio, and visual content created, packaged, and delivered by political actors free of charge to media outlets in the hopes they will simply reproduce it?
   1. briefing notes
   2. communiques
   3. spin bundles
   4. information subsidies
5. What is the term for a polarizing topic that divides voters, often in a manner that favours the party that is trying to put it on the public agenda?
   1. a trial balloon
   2. a dog whistle
   3. a wedge issue
   4. a valence issue
6. Which of the following measures has the federal government implemented to promote Canadian content in the media?
   1. mandating Canadian broadcasters carry a proportion of Canadian-made shows
   2. placing foreign-ownership restrictions on Canadian media providers
   3. supporting and promoting Canadian content through dedicated funding agencies
   4. All of the above
7. In terms of voter segmentation, which of the following parties identifies sports fans as potential supporters?
   1. New Democratic Party of Canada
   2. Liberal Party of Canada
   3. Conservative Party of Canada
   4. Green Party of Canada
8. Which of the following is not a dominant frame of Canadian politics?
   1. whiteness is treated as neutral, while visible minorities’ interests are outside the mainstream
   2. politics is a sport or war
   3. more attention is paid to urban areas than rural areas
   4. All of the above
9. A vibrant public sphere requires:
   1. the free-flowing exchange of perspective, ideas, and data.
   2. that multinational corporations to control all local and national news outlets.
   3. that local governments control all local and national news outlets.
   4. reasoned debate take place only among society’s elite.
10. Which of the following is accurate about Canadians’ political media habits today?
    1. declining numbers of Canadians are turning to television for news
    2. the number of Canadians listening to news radio and talk radio is relatively stable
    3. Canadians place more trust in traditional mainstream media than social media
    4. All of the above
11. For governing parties, there is a heightened need to maintain tight message discipline because:
    1. their leaders are less likely to embody the party’s brand.
    2. they need to ensure the government maintains the confidence of the legislature.
    3. their backbench members have the ability to spend public funds on advertising.
    4. they have little support from central agencies like the Privy Council Office.
12. Which of the following was not part of the federal government’s controversial policy response to the decline of mainstream media in Canada?
    1. tax credit for news organizations to support employees
    2. tax credit for citizens to pay for online journalism
    3. transitioning the CBC from a crown corporation to a private business
    4. awarding charitable status to eligible Canadian journalism organizations
13. In federal election campaigns, direct confrontation strategies:
    1. involve parties talking past each other to avoid taking opposing positions on the same issues
    2. are relatively rare because there are few issues on which Canadians are deeply divided.
    3. are relatively frequent because there are many political parties involved.
    4. involve parties selectively emphasizing issues the electorate trusts them to handle.
14. Which of the following did not result from the advent of broadcast television in Canada in the 1950s?
    1. parties focused their campaign communications more closely around the leader
    2. long, unscripted speeches evolved into scripted soundbites
    3. prime ministers recorded separate fireside chats to be played in different regions of Canada
    4. watching the same news programs became a common experience for many Canadians
15. Which of the following people tend to have the most difficulty attracting media attention in Canada?
    1. prime ministers
    2. premiers
    3. ministers
    4. leaders of the opposition
16. Infotainment involves:
    1. a blend of punditry and humour with facts and analysis.
    2. a blend of education and engagement.
    3. stories that focus on journalists and politicians as personalities.
    4. all of the above
17. Pack journalism involves:
    1. groupthink among reporters.
    2. obsession with the same focusing events.
    3. homogeneity of coverage and information convergence.
    4. All of the above
18. The shift to a digital environment has enabled Canadian media outlets to re-use content across multiple platforms. This has led to:
    1. an increase in the number of focusing events being covered.
    2. a decrease in the total number and size of news operations.
    3. an increase to the size of provincial press galleries.
    4. a decrease in the amount of horse-race coverage.
19. Which of the following is not an accurate portrayal of the current state of the media in Canada?
    1. towns and small cities are losing local news sources
    2. major city newspapers and TV stations are enjoying an unprecedented boom in business
    3. the news industry is scrambling to find new ways of securing revenue
    4. All of the above
20. Which of the following did not originate as an online-only media outlet or news aggregator?
    1. The Huffington Post
    2. Rabble.ca
    3. The National Post
    4. National Newswatch
21. At the federal level, members of the press gallery:
    1. challenge members of the government directly during question period.
    2. require accreditation from governments.
    3. outnumber Members of Parliament two-to-one.
    4. are retired journalists who act as unofficial government watchdogs.
22. According to political communications theory, framing:
    1. is applied by both the media and politicians.
    2. can be either a deliberate act or a subconscious approach to politics.
    3. can limit the inclusiveness of the public sphere for women.
    4. All of the above
23. Which of the following terms refers to the use of information communication technologies to deliver public programs and services?
    1. big data
    2. open government
    3. e-government
    4. hacktivism
24. What is the primary reason e-democracy remains underdeveloped in Canada?
    1. most public servants lack reliable broadband internet at their workplaces
    2. all federal and provincial materials must be translated in both official languages prior to release under freedom of information requests
    3. there remains a general reluctance to invite public feedback on public policy
    4. most politicians refuse to establish social media accounts to correspond with the public
25. A ______ is an authorized and orchestrated release of political information by a high ranking official, while a ______ is an unauthorized and potentially damaging release of information by a whistleblower or disgruntled employee.
    1. leak, trial balloon
    2. trial balloon, leak
    3. disclosure, blow-out
    4. blow-out, disclosure
26. The sponsorship scandal involved:
    1. the sale of ad space on the Government of Canada Facebook page.
    2. federal advertising funds flowing to partisan agencies for work that was never done.
    3. the Quebec government’s use of provincial government branding to sell cannabis.
    4. a Quebec premier’s signing of an endorsement contract with Du Maurier cigarettes.
27. A political party’s brand:
    1. is synonymous with its name.
    2. is another term for its logo and colours.
    3. is embodied by its ideological approach to politics.
    4. encompasses all of the elements that make up the dominant mental image of the party.
28. Which of the following is a campaign tactic associated with articulation?
    1. highlighting a wedge issue
    2. engaging in dog whistle politics
    3. selective emphasis
    4. All of the above
29. Which of the following is a dog whistle term frequently used by politicians on the Canadian left?
    1. “working families”
    2. “individual responsibility”
    3. “illegal aliens”
    4. “nanny state”

True or False Questions

1. At the time of Confederation, the political press consisted of partisan newspapers that gained income from printing government advertisements and official notices.
2. Since its founding, the Toronto Star has been known to espouse conservative views, particularly in its editorial content, while Postmedia sources, such as the National Post, tend to back left-wing parties like the Liberals and NDP.
3. Newspapers adjusted to the onset of radio in the 1920s by becoming the authoritative source for more in depth forms of political journalism.
4. The horse-race frame reduces everything that political actors do to a conversation about their core values and beliefs.
5. In Canadian politics, what appear to be spontaneous and authentic social media posts by politicians are often drafted by communications professionals and vetted by senior officials.
6. The CBC generates almost all of its revenue from government advertising.

1. As a mature liberal democracy, political information in Canada is free of biases.
2. Women leaders in Canada are more likely than their male counterparts to have their private lives examined by media.
3. Canada’s traditional media are under significant pressure from the growing popularity of Internet-based digital media.
4. Canadian politicians are obligated by the freedom of the press to answer all journalists’ questions.
5. Freedom of the press is guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
6. In Canada today, strategists often attempt to dissuade politicians from unscripted media appearances.
7. Raising an issue known to divide your opponent’s supporters is known as dog whistling.
8. The changing nature of media economics has led to more complex and detailed investigative reporting by larger press galleries.
9. CBC news programs remain the most popular in the country.
10. The emergence of dozens of new specialty television channels in the 1960s allowed Canadian parties to begin narrowcasting.
11. Among other restrictions, CanCon laws require television broadcasters to carry a certain percentage of Canadian-made shows.
12. The number of journalists in the press gallery is dwindling.
13. Brand control is a key objective of party discipline in Canada.
14. Public opinion polls suggest Canadians divide themselves into distinct media silos and they feel strongly that news organizations should be partisan entities.
15. According to consensus among political scientists, a Canadian politician’s gender has no impact on how they are covered by the media.
16. Highlighting an issue that is of particular interest to a small group of core supporters but which fails to resonate with the general public is known as driving a wedge issue.
17. The penny-press model that relies on government advertising has kept most Canadian newspapers from closing.
18. The frequent use of sports and war metaphors apply a masculine frame to much of Canadian politics.
19. Most Canadians believe that media does a good job with respect to presenting news accurately and fairly.
20. The old adages that “if it bleeds it leads” and that journalists should “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable” align with the Canadian media’s focus on negative forms of news coverage.
21. In general, negative campaigning crosses the line of political correctness when it involves attacks on a candidate’s physical characteristics.
22. When political party volunteers knock on doors to promote their local candidate, many also compile data about each household to add to their central party database.
23. In Canada, potential voters are more likely to receive communication from the political party that they already support than they are to receive new information from alternative parties.
24. The “culture war” refers to debates over the bounds and value of political correctness in society.

Short Answer Questions

1. How did the emergence of television in the 1950s change politics in Canada?
2. Why do critics fear that funding support from governments could harm journalism in Canada?
3. What unique challenges do most streaming services like Netflix pose for the CRTC in terms of enforcing CanCon regulations?
4. Why is media conglomeration a source of concern among critics?
5. What sorts of restrictions have been placed on government advertising, and why are they in place?
6. What has contributed to the changing role of the press gallery in Canadian politics over the past two decades?
7. How have information communication technologies changed how government services are delivered?
8. Why might public servants purposefully decide to transmit information via text message, private email accounts, or peer-to-peer messaging rather than through formal government email?
9. What makes some forms of negative political advertising effective?
10. What key lesson in campaign communications was learned from the 1993 federal election, which featured Kim Campbell and Jean Chretien as prominent party leaders?
11. Why do some observers suggest that the ability of the news media to fulfill its role as the fourth estate is compromised?
12. What does it mean to say Canada’s democracy is “mediated”?
13. In what ways does the rise of digital media create a more efficient and more engaging way of political communication?
14. Compare the roles and functions of the CRTC, CBC, and CPAC in Canadian political communication.
15. What is an information subsidy and how do skilled political communicators use these to their advantage?
16. How do political parties communicate directly with Canadians?
17. Describe the roles and responsibilities of various federal government units when it comes to government advertising.
18. What role is played by the press gallery?
19. What was the sponsorship scandal and what lessons can be drawn from it?
20. What is political correctness? Why do advocates support it, and why do critics denounce it?

Essay Questions

1. Explain how Canadian politics has been impacted by the advent of new forms of communications technology since 1900.
2. What is the current state of mainstream media sources in Canada and what are the biggest challenges they face?
3. Identify at least three specific war or sports metaphors that are frequently used to describe Canadian election campaigns. What effect do you think these frames have on the nature of political discourse and resulting quality of Canadian democracy?
4. What is negative political advertising and what is its purpose? Is it effective? Why or why not?
5. What are the three most important ways social media has changed the political landscape in Canada?