Chapter 4: Basic Media Writing

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. One of the primary things media writing demands of you is ______.

A. accuracy

B. education

C. entertainment

D. autonomy

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Be Right
Difficulty Level: Medium

2. If you inaccurately report information, your ______ will suffer because people will not be able to trust you.

A. credence

B. credibility

C. credulity

D. focus

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Be Right

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Media writing ______.

A. uses ever-expanding sentences that ramble on

B. uses the most words possible

C. focuses less on size and more on value

D. includes twists and turns

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Be Tight

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. New writers are afraid of making mistakes, and thus rely on ______.

A. a straightforward manner

B. confusion to keep their readers guessing

C. simple grammar

D. complex jargon

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Be Clear

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Active voice requires you to write ______.

A. in the noun–verb–object format

B. in the object–noun–verb format

C. slowly

D. abstractly

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Be Active

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. The ______ and ______ of a piece will determine how well it reads.

A. length; style

B. pace; flow

C. content; interest

D. interest; attitude

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Be Smooth

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Get the most important information to your readers as ______ as possible.

A. slowly

B. deliberately

C. quickly

D. leisurely

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Be Quick

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. The inverted pyramid style of writing tells a story in ______.

A. small bits and pieces

B. long passages

C. ascending order of importance

D. descending order of importance

Learning Objective: 4-2: Explain the inverted pyramid as a writing format and compare it with the chronological approach.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Inverted Pyramid

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. The ______ of an inverted pyramid piece is meant to capture as much important information as possible.

A. lead

B. loop

C. nut graph

D. caption

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Leads: The Prominence of Importance

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Leads traditionally have a focus on ______.

A. your editor/producer

B. the who, what, when, where, why, and how of a piece

C. your publisher

D. society at large

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: “What Matters Most?” 5W’s and 1H and More

Difficulty Level: Medium

11. Look for the ______ core of your sentence and write that first.

A. “where did it happen”

B. “what happened to whom”

C. “who did what to whom”

D. “when did it happen”

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Build With the Basics

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. The length of the average lead for an inverted-pyramid piece should be about ______ words.

A. 5–10

B. 10–15

C. 15–20

D. 25–35

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Lead Length and Readability

Difficulty Level: Easy

13. A(n) ______ lead summarizes what happened and explains why it matters to your readers.

A. summary

B. name-recognition

C. interesting-action

D. event

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Types of Leads

Difficulty Level: Easy

14. A(n) ______ lead puts the famous person’s name at the front of the lead.

A. summary

B. name-recognition

C. event

D. second-day

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Name-Recognition Lead

Difficulty Level: Easy

15. The “what” is more intriguing than the “who” when it comes to which type of lead?

A. summary lead

B. event lead

C. interesting-action lead

D. second-day lead

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Interesting-Action Leads

Difficulty Level: Easy

16. The ______ leads are also helpful when a story involves multiple people.

A. second-day

B. summary

C. event

D. interesting-action

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Interesting-Action Leads

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. When you write a(n) ______ lead, focus on what happened at the event, not the event itself.

A. event

B. summary

C. second-day

D. interesting-action

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Event Leads

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. You want to give your readers the most recent information at the ______ of whatever you are writing.

A. middle

B. top

C. bottom

D. end

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Second-Day Leads

Difficulty Level: Medium

19. Newspapers tend to avoid the word ______, because reporters see this as sacrificing their objectivity.

A. I

B. me

C. you

D. them

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: “You” Leads

Difficulty Level: Medium

20. ______ leads often fail because they presuppose that all of your readers would answer in the same way.

A. Imagine

B. Quote

C. You

D. Question

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Question Leads

Difficulty Level: Medium

21. When you start with a _____, your readers can feel as if they walked into the middle of a conversation.

A. quote

B. fact

C. question

D. conflict

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Quote Leads

Difficulty Level: Medium

22. ______ leads can be problematic if your readers aren’t imagining what you are imagining.

A. You

B. Imagine

C. Quote

D. Question

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: “Imagine” Leads

Difficulty Level: Easy

23. As you determine value for each fact, you should consider your audience’s ______.

A. age

B. gender

C. needs and interests

D. location

Learning Objective: 4-3: Evaluate information in terms of value and order facts in descending order of importance.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Determine the Value of Each Fact

Difficulty Level: Easy

24. The inverted pyramid has you put your information into a(n) ______ order of importance.

A. descending

B. ascending

C. pointless

D. incorrect

Learning Objective: 4-3: Evaluate information in terms of value and order facts in descending order of importance.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Build the Body in Descending Order of Importance

Difficulty Level: Medium

25. The structure of the inverted pyramid relies primarily on _____ paragraphs.

A. three-sentence

B. four-sentence

C. one-sentence

D. two-sentence

Learning Objective: 4-3: Evaluate information in terms of value and order facts in descending order of importance.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Use Small Chunks

Difficulty Level: Easy

True/False

1. One of the primary things media writing demands of you is accuracy.

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Be Right

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. In a media setting, you want your writing to be long.

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Be Tight

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. You need to find the right word to make your point and use it in a straightforward manner.

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Be Clear

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Active voice requires you to write in the object–verb–noun format.

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Be Active

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. The pace and flow of a piece will determine how well it reads.

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Be Smooth

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Get the most important information to your readers as slowly as possible.

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Be Quick

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. Writing in inverted-pyramid style means writing the most important thing first, and then moving to the second most important thing and then the third most important thing and so forth.

Learning Objective: 4-2: Explain the inverted pyramid as a writing format and compare it with the chronological approach.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Inverted Pyramid

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. The inverted pyramid can also be used as a guide to determine what information you have and what you need to find.

Learning Objective: 4-2: Explain the inverted pyramid as a writing format and compare it with the chronological approach.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Inverted Pyramid

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. You should not include everything that would matter to people in the lead.

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Leads: The Prominence of Importance

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Just because a sentence has the 5W’s and 1H, it doesn’t necessarily follow that you have a good lead.

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: “What Matters Most?” 5W’s and 1H and More

Difficulty Level: Medium

11. The core of a sentence comes down to the direct object and the verb.

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Build With the Basics

Difficulty Level: Easy

12. The length of the average lead for an inverted-pyramid piece should be about 25–35 words.

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Lead Length and Readability

Difficulty Level: Easy

13. Summary leads are helpful when you have multiple people involved in something and none of them are well known.

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Types of Leads

Difficulty Level: Easy

14. Leads for inverted-pyramid stories that rely on the 5Ws and 1H are usually called summary leads.

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Types of Leads

Difficulty Level: Easy

15. The more well-known someone is, the less likely that person’s name will draw readers.

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Name-Recognition Leads

Difficulty Level: Medium

Short Answer

1. What are the “Killer Be’s” of good writing?

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The “Killer Be’s” of Good Writing

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Why has the inverted pyramid become more popular in the digital age?

Learning Objective: 4-2: Explain the inverted pyramid as a writing format and compare it with the chronological approach.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Inverted Pyramid

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. How can the inverted pyramid be used after you have finished your writing?

Learning Objective: 4-2: Explain the inverted pyramid as a writing format and compare it with the chronological approach.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Inverted Pyramid

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. What is meant by the term “lead” in an inverted-piece?

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: “What Matters Most?” 5W’s and 1H and More

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. What kinds of leads should be avoided when writing?

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Problematic Leads and Potential Fixes

Difficulty Level: Medium

Essay

1. Choose one of the “killer be’s” of good writing, define it and then give an example.

• Be right. Accuracy is the essential virtue of media writing. Example: Even though Americans have continued to make changes to their diets and exercise, heart disease has remained the leading cause of death among adults.
• Be tight. Keep your writing short. Example: Police in Las Vegas have arrested a woman in connection to an attack on an Uber driver in San Francisco over the weekend.
• Be clear. Find the right word to make your point and use it in a straightforward manner. Look up concepts that confuse you and describe them in a way that anyone can easily understand. Provide your readers with crucial information in a way that they can make sense of it. Example: The storm has taken a turn and will impact communities along this path highlighted in yellow on the map.
• Be active. Pick vigorous verbs that are spot on in their descriptions of what is happening. Example: Sanjay bolted across the field to score the final touchdown.
• Be smooth. Use medium-paced sentences that explain one or two simple ideas and contain about 17–23 words. To make your pieces flow better, you want to have a natural order to your writing. Example: The Smithville College Board of Trustees decided Wednesday to increase tuition by $500 per student. With this increase the budget will now balance and fiscal stability will be restored.
• Be quick. Get the most important information to your readers as quickly as possible, and use quickness to keep them interested and engaged. Example: New York City has seen a rise in penthouse rentals and purchases from small-town, Midwestern buyers.

Learning Objective: 4-1: List the “killer be’s” of writing and apply them to your own work as a media writer.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The “Killer Be’s” of Good Writing

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. What is the inverted pyramid?

Learning Objective: 4-2: Explain the inverted pyramid as a writing format and compare it with the chronological approach.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Inverted Pyramid

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. What is important to remember as you write a good lead?

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: “What Matters Most?” 5W’s and 1H and More

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Describe the different types of leads.

Learning Objective: 4-4: Construct a lead sentence on a given topic, using the 5W’s and 1H as guiding principles.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Types of Leads

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. How do you order the rest of your pyramid?

Learning Objective: 4-3: Evaluate information in terms of value and order facts in descending order of importance.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: How to Order the Rest of Your Pyramid

Difficulty Level: Medium