Chapter 6: Political Communications

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Who said that “freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government. When this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved”?

a. Bill Clinton

b. Benjamin Franklin

c. Thomas Jefferson

d. Barack Obama

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction

Difficulty Level: Hard

2. Who said of the press that “we hear so many loud and angry voices in America today whose sole goal seems to be to try to keep some people as paranoid as possible and the rest of us all torn up and upset with each other”?

a. Bill Clinton

b. Benjamin Franklin

c. Thomas Jefferson

d. Barack Obama

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. Who said that “were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should NOT hesitate a moment to prefer the latter”?

a. John Adams

b. Thomas Jefferson

c. Richard Nixon

d. Barack Obama

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction

Difficulty Level: Hard

4. Which founding father is quoted as saying “The liberty of the press is essential to the security of the state”?

a. John Adams

b. Benjamin Franklin

c. Thomas Jefferson

d. James Madison

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction

Difficulty Level: Hard

5. Documenting the major points and discussing potential consequences of upcoming ballot items is an example of which function of the media?

a. education

b. watchdog

c. regulation

d. socialization

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Education

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. Which of the following describes the media’s role as educator?

a. provides independent news and information to the citizenry so they can make informed decisions when going to the polls

b. serves as a check on government power and informs the public by bringing government actions to light

c. ensures information and presented content are authentic, accurate, and reasonably objective

d. facilitates the process of communicating ideals, values, and beliefs about the world around us

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Education

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. One of the fundamental objectives of the media as watchdog is to ______.

a. strengthen and facilitate public awareness

b. hold governments and politicians to account

c. communicate values and belief systems

d. provide evidence to support claims and reports, but also to allow a balance of different opinions

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Watchdog

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. One of the fundamental objectives of the media as socializer is to ______.

a. strengthen and facilitate public awareness

b. hold governments and politicians to account

c. communicate values and belief systems

d. provide evidence to support claims and reports, but also to allow a balance of different opinions

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Socialization

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Lisa Muller found that the quality of democracy in different countries is related to which two functions of the media?

a. education and watchdog

b. socialization and representation

c. watchdog and representation

d. socialization and education

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Media and Democracy

Difficulty Level: Hard

10. In their research, Karlekar and Becker found a tight correlation between which of the following?

a. press freedom and other freedoms

b. democracy and press freedoms

c. political freedoms and (consequential) press freedom

d. They did not find any consistent relationships.

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Media and Democracy

Difficulty Level: Hard

11. Which newspaper founded by Alexander Hamilton is still in operation today?

a. New York Times

b. New York Post

c. Washington Times

d. Washington Post

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Political Economy of the News

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. In providing information for citizens as a public good of sorts, which problem do the media face?

a. free rider problem

b. tragedy of the commons

c. (un)intentional bias

d. jointness of supply

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Political Economy of News

Difficulty Level: Easy

13. The media practice of doing everything to expose government corruption that began in the 19th and early 20th centuries is known as ______.

a. watchdog journalism

b. muckracking journalism

c. undercover journalism

d. whistleblower journalism

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Political Economy of News

Difficulty Level: Easy

14. Media consolidation refers to ______.

a. seeking to uncover and reveal political corruption and wrongdoing

b. editors and journalists deciding what news makes it to the public

c. the pattern of small independent media being bought by larger outlets

d. the gradual focus on the contest of politics rather than its substance

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Political Economy of News

Difficulty Level: Easy

15. Which of the following is an advantage of media consolidation?

a. Larger corporations ‘eat the cost’ of publishing a greater variety of stories.

b. Larger corporations influence how news and information are framed or portrayed across all their outlets.

c. Larger corporations focus on entertainment news or commercially appealing stories.

d. Larger corporations are moving from traditional newspaper to other forms of media thanks to the internet.

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Political Economy of News

Difficulty Level: Medium

16. Which of the following is a disadvantage of media consolidation?

a. Larger corporations ‘eat the cost’ of publishing a greater variety of stories.

b. Larger corporations publish news and information across a broader selection of outlets.

c. Larger corporations can influence how news and information are framed or portrayed across all their outlets.

d. Larger corporations can ensure that news can be accessed in a timely, if not 24/7, fashion.

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Political Economy of News

Difficulty Level: Medium

17. One area in which journalists tend to be consistently distinguished from the mass public is in their ______.

a. agendas

b. demographics

c. education

d. ideologies

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Journalists and Journalism

Difficulty Level: Easy

18. To which of the following does the idea of ‘journalistic ethics’ best refer?

a. credibility and reputation of journalists and media outlets

b. practices and ethos of honesty and integrity in journalism and the media

c. realism of news that is reported by journalists in the media

d. practice of determining what news and information is reported by journalists in the media

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Journalists and Journalism

Difficulty Level: Medium

19. Gatekeeping in the media refers to ______.

a. determining what gets covered, when, and how

b. editors and journalists deciding what news makes it to the public

c. the pattern of small independent media being bought by larger outlets

d. the gradual focus on the contest of politics rather than its substance

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Gatekeeping, Agenda Setting, and the Potential for Bias

Difficulty Level: Medium

20. The editors and producers at MSNBC determining what gets reported on their shows—and what doesn’t—is an example of ______.

a. muckracking

b. gatekeeping

c. horseracing

d. agenda setting

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Gatekeeping, Agenda Setting, and the Potential for Bias

Difficulty Level: Medium

21. The editors and producers at Fox News determining how a story gets framed once it has been selected for coverage is an example of ______.

a. muckracking

b. gatekeeping

c. horseracing

d. agenda setting

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Gatekeeping, Agenda Setting, and the Potential for Bias

Difficulty Level: Medium

22. Which factor underlying media gatekeepers’ choices best explains the decision to cover Hurricane Katrina across outlets?

a. major events

b. media organization

c. community interest

d. economic pressure

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Gatekeeping, Agenda Setting, and the Potential for Bias

Difficulty Level: Medium

23. Which factor underlying media gatekeepers’ choices best explains the decision to cover opinion pieces rather than a recounting of the days’ events alone?

a. major events

b. media organization

c. community interest

d. economic pressure

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Gatekeeping, Agenda Setting, and the Potential for Bias

Difficulty Level: Medium

24. Which factor underlying media gatekeepers’ choices best explains the decision to balance coverage between national, international, and local news?

a. major events

b. media organization

c. community interest

d. economic pressure

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Gatekeeping, Agenda Setting, and the Potential for Bias

Difficulty Level: Medium

25. Which factor underlying media gatekeepers’ choices best explains the decision to reframe stories in a more sensational fashion to draw more readers or subscribers?

a. major events

b. media organization

c. community interest

d. economic pressure

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Gatekeeping, Agenda Setting, and the Potential for Bias

Difficulty Level: Medium

26. The use of fancy maps and predicting hypothetical electoral results around the clock on CNN during recent presidential elections is an example of ______ journalism.

a. muckracking

b. gatekeeping in

c. horseracing

d. agenda setting in

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Horse race Journalism

Difficulty Level: Easy

27. The notion of ‘media effects’ in political science refers to ______.

a. observable changes in behavior that result from media coverage

b. editors and journalists deciding what news makes it to the public

c. the pattern of small independent media being bought by larger outlets

d. the gradual focus on the contest of politics rather than its substance

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Media Effects

Difficulty Level: Easy

28. The establishment of RT (Russia Today) within the United States is an example of Russia’s exertion of ______.

a. hard power

b. influential power

c. media power

d. soft power

Learning Objective: 6.3: Explore the role of the media around the world including the dangers that journalists often face.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Case Study: Media in Russia

Difficulty Level: Medium

29. ‘Fake News’ can be best defined by which of the following?

a. an all-purpose smear to deride and invalidate opposition journalism and politicians

b. news that is intentionally and verifiably false that can mislead

c. satirical stories from websites like The Onion that are demonstrably false, but could be taken seriously

d. conspiracy theories and opinionated news that some have taken to be true at some point or another

Learning Objective: 6.4: Explore the role of the media around the world including the dangers that journalists often face.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: What is Fake News? Its Effect on the 2016 Campaign

Difficulty Level: Medium

30. Consuming news that conforms with existing political beliefs is a consequence of ______.

a. journalistic agenda setting

b. media bias

c. media effects

d. selective engagement

Learning Objective: 6.4: Explore the role of the media around the world including the dangers that journalists often face.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Consequences for Democracy

Difficulty Level: Easy

True/False

1. The founding fathers of the United States had only good things to say about newspapers and the press.

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Introduction

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. The exposure of the Watergate scandal led to President Nixon’s impeachment in the 1970s.

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Watchdog

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. A crucial role of the media could be seen in promoting democratic ideals if NOT democracy itself.

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Media and Democracy

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Most newspapers in the 1800s were printed and operated by political parties and factions.

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Political Economy of News

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. In a fairly recent study, as a group, one-third of national journalists identify as conservatives, whereas more than half identify as liberal.

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Journalists and Journalism

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. The saying about news that “if it bleeds, it leads” refers to the influence of negative bias in how news is framed in the media.

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Gatekeeping, Agenda Setting, and the Potential for Bias

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. The use of expert panels moderated by a lead anchor or journalist to discuss possible election scenarios and make predictions during presidential primaries in the United States is an example of Horserace Journalism.

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Horse race Journalism

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. According to some research in political science, biased or partisan coverage of candidates in elections tends to exacerbate extreme views of those candidates rather than change many minds.

Learning Objective:

Cognitive Domain:

Answer Location: Media Effects

Difficulty Level:

9. Studies have shown that, at present and around the world, press freedom is suffering.

Learning Objective: 6.3: Explore the role of the media around the world including the dangers that journalists often face.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Media Around the World

Difficulty Level: Easy

10. The internet and social media have a low cost-of-entry for the propagation of fake news

Learning Objective: 6.4: Explore the role of the media around the world including the dangers that journalists often face.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Social Media’s Role

Difficulty Level: Easy

Essay

1. What purpose do the media serve? Moreover, who do they serve? Use examples from your course materials as well as your everyday experiences to support your arguments.

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Introduction | Roles of the Media

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. What roles or functions do the media play in society today? What roles should they play? How effective are the media, if at all? Or, do the media miss the mark altogether? Make an argument explaining how and why your position is the case.

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Roles of the Media

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. How have the media and coverage of news (political or otherwise) changed over time, for example since the early 20th century? What effects have these changes had on the distribution and consumption of news and information? What are some of the benefits and detriments of these changes?

Learning Objective: 6.2: Analyze the economic and social variables that influence modern media and their effects.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Shaping and Making the News

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Are the media and what they produce a public good? Why or why NOT?

Learning Objective: 6.1: Identify and discuss the various roles of the media in a democratic society.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Political Economy of the News

Difficulty Level: Hard

5. Compare and contrast the media and the roles of states or governments in the media between the United States and another country of your choosing. In discussing similarities and differences, explain how these influence media quality and media effects.

Learning Objective: 6.3: Explore the role of the media around the world including the dangers that journalists often face.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Media Around the World

Difficulty Level: Medium