Test Bank Chapter 3 Normative Theories Of Mass Communication

Chapter 3 Normative Theories of Mass Communication

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 1

1) Journalism codes of ethics do not include standards for _____.

Feedback: Codes of ethics are primarily designed to hold off more stringent government regulation.

Page reference: Government Regulation of Media

a. balanced coverage of news events

b. accurate coverage of news events

c. politically correct coverage of news events

d. truthful coverage of news events

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 2

2) ______ is a form of journalism noted for scathing coverage of political and business corruption.

Feedback: This investigative journalism was welcomed by the public and loathed by elites.

Page reference: Government Regulation of Media

a. Public journalism

b. Red journalism

c. Muckraking

d. Fake news

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 3

3) Which of the following is an example of a normative theory?

Feedback: Social responsibility theory is used to guide and legitimize most legacy media operation in the United States

Page reference: The Origin of Normative Theories of Media

a. Social responsibility theory

b. Limited effects theory

c. Action network theory

d. The self-righting principle

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 4

4) If you believe that "no law means no law" where restriction of expression is concerned, you are a __________.

Feedback: Most people accept reasonable exceptions to media freedom; few are absolutists.

Page reference: The Origins of Normative Theories of Media

a. critical theorist

b. Socialist

c. First Amendment absolutist

d. media apologist

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 5

5) Libertarianism depends on two factors to produce "truth.” One is a rational, involved public, and the other is _______.

Feedback: These theoretically work in concert—the self-righting principle.

Page reference: The Origins of Normative Theories of Media

a. a large number of successful mass media

b. excellent broadcast and print news

c. Aggressive government regulation

d. people’s access to the media for a large amount of divergent information

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 6

6) A normative theory describes the way media systems _____.

Feedback: Normative theories are specific to specific political, economic, and media systems.

Page reference: The Origins of Normative Theories of Media

a. ideally should be structured

b. are structured currently

c. will be structured in the near future

d. have codes of ethics to encourage professionalism

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 7

7) The Hutchins Commission ___________.

Feedback: Alarmed at the effectiveness of enemy propaganda, the U. S. embarked on the search for a way to have a free but responsible media system.

Page reference: Social Responsibility Theory of the Press: A Postwar Compromise

a. conducted a "witch hunt" looking for communists in the media

b. provided a definitive formulation of social responsibility theory

c. recommended government censorship of media to stop communism

d. strongly criticized Chicago School theories

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 8

8) The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as the _________.

Feedback: These 10 amendments are thought to be basic, unalienable rights of all people.

Page reference: The Origin of Normative Theories of Media

a. Regal 10

b. Bill of Rights

c. Bill of Lading

d. Self-Righting Principle

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 9

9) The Fourth Estate refers to _______.

Feedback: The press serves democracy in concert with the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.

Page reference: Government Regulation of Media

a. the press

Correct/Incorrect

b. Congress

Correct/Incorrect

c. the various state legislatures

Correct/Incorrect

d. the legal profession

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 10

10) The idea that government allows business to operate freely and without official intrusion is called ________.

Feedback: Few observers, even First Amendment proponents, advocate complete media freedom.

Page reference: The Origin of Normative Theories of Media

a. oligopoly

b. media intrusion theory

c. deregulation

d. laissez-faire

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 11

11) _______ theory is a normative theory that suggested that all forms of communication be under the control of a governing elite or authorities.

Feedback: Authorities justify their power as a means of protecting and preserving a divinely ordained social order.

Page reference: The Origin of Normative Theories of Media

a. Social Responsibility

b. Dual-Purpose

c. Mass Society

d. Authoritarian

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 12

12) In the theory of the _________, ideas are “traded” freely among people and the correct or best ideas will prevail.

Feedback: In this marketplace, the ideas compete, and the best will be “bought.”

Page reference: The Origin of Normative Theories of Media

a. social responsibility

b. marketplace of ideas

c. Bill of Rights

d. normative structure

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 13

13) Where contemporary advocates for media’s ability to serve local communities’ communication needs tout technologies like low-power FM radio, others fear that the public will be _______; that is, people will talk only to those residing within their cultural borders.

Feedback: Especially with the Internet’s ability to target people’s interests, many fear we are already talking past one another.

Page reference: Is There Still a Role for Social Responsibility Theory

a. disempowered

b. re-empowered

c. silenced

d. Balkanized

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 14

14) Many observers believe that the Internet opens public discourse up to a wide variety of topics and issues that legacy media simply would not because they were simply not worthy of being heard. In other words, these ideas, once in the _______, are now more likely to be discussed.

Feedback: Legacy media mark out and defend the limits of acceptable political conduct, but the Internet challenges that power.

Page reference: The Public Interest in the Internet Era

a. sphere of deviance

b. sphere of consensus

c. filter bubble

d. Internet silo

Type: multiple choice question

Title: Chapter 3, Question 15

15) The normative theory, _________, describes systems in which government and media work in concert to ensure that media aid the planned, beneficial development of a given nation.

Feedback: There is more government involvement in the operation of the media than there is in the Western concept, but little overt official censorship and control.

Page reference: Other Normative Theories

a. Western concept

b. Social Responsibility Theory

c. Development concept

d. Revolutionary concept

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 16

16) Several governments around the world, especially in emerging nations, embrace the Revolutionary concept normative theory.

Feedback: The goals of media in the revolutionary concept are to end government monopoly over information, building an opposition to the existing government, destroying the legitimacy of an existing government, and bringing down that government.

Page reference: Other Normative Theories

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 17

17) Those who argue that media practitioners can’t be trusted to communicate responsibly or to effectively use media to serve vital public needs—especially during times of crisis or social upheaval—often call for technocratic, or other official control of media.

Feedback: Oversight or control is necessary to ensure that media satisfy important public needs.

Page reference: The Origin of Normative Theories of Media

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 18

18) One of the fundamental concepts underpinning the Founders’ belief in press freedom is attainment of truth, the idea that media should serve as a forum allowing people to deduce between good and evil.

Feedback: Attainment of truth, individual rights, and theology, described here, were the foundational arguments for a free press.

Page reference: The Origin of Normative Theories of Media

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 19

19) The marketplace of ideas theory assumes that ideas are like commodities that can be bought and sold, with better products outperforming others.

Feedback: The consumer marketplace benefits from regulation, so why not regulate the marketplace-of-ideas?

Page reference: The Origin of Normative Theories of Media

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 20

20) Early broadcasters fiercely resisted federal regulation of the airwaves, arguing that the market would best serve their interest.

Feedback: Competition between stations was strangling the new technology, so industry and public alike were unanimous in their desire for more regulation.

Page reference: Government Regulation of Media

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 21

21) Central to this country’s regulation of broadcasting is the idea that the airwaves belong to the people.

Feedback: If airwaves are public property like other national resources, privately-operated stations can never own them. Instead, they must be licensed from the people and used in the public interest.

Page reference: Government Regulation of Media

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 22

22) Ronan Farrow’s magazine story exposing the sexual assaults and other crimes against women committed by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein unleased the #MeToo Movement. Farrow could rightly be called a modern-day muckraker.

Feedback: Muckrakers are crusading journalists who challenge the powerful on behalf of those less so.

Page reference: Government Regulation of Media

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 23

23) Recognizing that legacy media are indeed for-profit businesses, Social Responsibility Theory argues that media professionals, in order to ensure their outlets stay in business, should first and foremost be accountable to their employers and the market.

Feedback: Public service should be paramount to profit; that’s why American media enjoy First Amendment protection.

Page reference: Social Responsibility Theory of The Press: A Postwar Compromise

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 24

24) Agenda cutting occurs when breaking news “cuts into” a media outlet’s already prepared news agenda.

Feedback: Agenda cutting is when editorial decisions keeping specific coverage out of the news or out of the main news agenda are made on economic or other non-journalistic bases.

Page reference: Social Responsibility Theory of The Press: A Postwar Compromise

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 25

25) One of the limitations in relying on professionalism to ensure proper function of the American media system is that fact that, in contrast with other professions, media practitioners tend to have less independent control over their work.

Feedback: Media practitioners don’t work as autonomous practitioners and therefore have difficulty assuming personal responsibility for their work. Individual reporters, editors, producers, and directors have only a limited ability to control what they do.

Page reference: Social Responsibility Theory of The Press: A Postwar Compromise

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 26

26) The filter bubble refers to the idea that online personalization tools and computer algorithms render people more partisan and less open to different or opposing points of view by exposing them to only the news and information with which they already agree or enjoy. 

Feedback: In the Internet era, “my news, my world” is the case for many people.

Page reference: The Public Interest in the Internet Era

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 27

27) Most nations in the world have adopted Social Responsibility Theory as their guiding normative media theory.

Feedback: Normative theories are specific to specific political, economic, and media systems. A model that suits one country might not suit others.

Page reference: Other Normative Theories

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 28

28) In Hallin’s sphere-of-influence model, legitimate debate appears on the front and home pages of American newspapers, in their opinion sections, and on the Sunday morning television news roundtables.

Feedback: This is the region of electoral contests and legislative debates, of issues recognized as such by the major established actors of the American political process; objectivity and balance are the dominant norms.

Page reference: The Public Interest in the Internet Era

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 29

29) One area in which propaganda and mass society theories differ is in their demands for tougher media regulation.

Feedback: Both fear powerful media and want them officially controlled.

Page reference: The Origin of Normative Theories of Media

a. True

b. False

Type: True or False

Title: Chapter 3, Question 30

30) One reason that media industries adopt professional standards and codes of ethics is to provide a means of licensing practitioners.

Feedback: Codes of ethics are primarily designed to hold off more stringent government regulation.

Page reference: Government Regulation of Media

a. True

b. False