Chapter 1: Media Power and Government Control

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Why is the mass media politically important?

A. News stories take millions of Americans, in all walks of life, to the political and military battlefields of the world.

B. They allow the public to share political experiences, such as watching political debates or congressional investigations.

C. Media experiences undergird public opinions and political actions.

D. all of these

2. What type of media has the largest news audience?

A. the Internet

B. newspapers

C. television news

D. radio

3. What does it mean to muckrake? Muckraking refers to ______.

A. politicians engaging in reform efforts

B. news organizations’ scooping of other news organizations on a story

C. journalists’ investigation of corruption

D. All of these

4. ________ is when journalists expose misconduct in government and produce reforms

A. Feeding frenzy

B. Muckraking

C. Agenda setting

D. All of these

Which of the following statements reflects an assumption of democratic regimes?

A. Governments know and serve people’s best interests.

B. News should support major policies.

C. News should stimulate critical thinking about major policies.

D. All of these

True/False

1. Even though it is on the decline, television news is still the platform most people rely on primarily for news.

2. Socialization refers to the process where one learns the values and orientations that help them fit in their social environment.

3. Interpretation is one of the major functions of the mass media.

4. Civic journalism refers to the fact that this kind of journalism is best for teaching civic facts.

5. The Chinese government has developed sophisticated methods for monitoring information on the Internet.

6. Government influence is the primary determinant of what and how things get covered in the U.S. media system.

Short Answer

1. It is said that media images are especially potent when they involve aspects of life that people experience only through the media. Why?

2. Name three of the four major societal functions performed by the mass media.

3. Why is there a discrepancy between common perceptions of media influence and social science appraisals of media influence?

4. Compare and contrast media roles under authoritarian regimes and democratic regimes.

5. Compare and contrast social responsibility journalism and totalitarian journalism.

6. List at least four of the five models of news making.

Essay

1. Explain the evolution of social science appraisals of media effects from the era of minimal effects to current appraisals of media effects.

2. What are the five models of news making? Describe and define each. Discuss how or whether these models reflect reality.