Chapter 2: Ownership, Regulation, and Guidance of Media

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. What are the two key factors that influence media performance?

A. the FEC and regulation

B. investigative reporting and the availability of information

C. regulatory policy and market forces

D. the lack of government funding and donations

E. none of these

2. Where does most public broadcasting revenue come from in the United States?

A. federal government

B. business

C. subscribers

D. other

3. Which of the following audience age groups is most prized for news organizations?

A. 25–35

B. 36–49

C. 50+

D. 18–24

4. To what types of demographic characteristics do advertisers pay most attention to as indicators of programming preferences?

A. gender

B. age

C. education and income

D. primarily a and b

E. all of these

5. Usual ratings giant _____ was beaten by debates during the 2016 primary elections.

A. NFL Sunday Night Football

B. Grey’s Anatomy

C. Homeland

D. Big Bang Theory

6. Which of the following platform is seeing the most growth for news use?

A. online news

B. TV

C. newspapers

D. social media

True/False

1. Normally, private sector ownership means that entertainment beats public affairs.

2. As cable channel providers and the number of television channels per household has increased, audience shares for the three major broadcast networks have decreased.

3. More than 60% of the public now get their news on social networking sites such as Facebook.

Short Answer

1. Name and briefly describe at least two business configurations of private media ownership.

2. Why do some critics have concerns about conglomerates owning media enterprises?

3. What are the three additional factors (beyond ownership) that need to be considered when evaluating media influence?

4. What are the four forms of FCC control?

Essay

1. What are the major issues of debate regarding media ownership and regulation? Lay out the arguments for both sides (including the information trends media critics and scholars are concerned about) and discuss the implications for democracy.

2. What is the role of the media in democracies? What should it be? How well do the media in the United States fulfill that role? Is our media all that it should be in democratic terms? Why or why not?

3. Outline the various important consequences of a commercially oriented media system such as ours. In doing so, explain how commercial pressures often shape political news content and how or why it matters.

4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of big business control over substantial portions of the public’s news supply?

5. The most profound effect of the new media on the news media business springs from the multiplication of outlets that distribute news. Outline the financial and organizational consequences traditional outlets face as a result of “new” media’s entry into the media marketplace.

6. How successful have citizen lobby groups been in shaping media policy and content? Describe their efforts and record of success over time.