WGU C181 Chapter 6 Quiz and Answers
1. is the means by which information is transmitted to large, heterogeneous, widely dispersed audiences. Mass
... [Show More] media
2. We are now living in what has been termed a "post-broadcast age," meaning that most television and radio news programs have websites that include text and public commentary.
3. In 2010, the daily paper with the largest circulation was , followed closely by .
The Wall Street Journal; USA Today
4. Which of the following statistics is accurate regarding the Internet as a form of mass media? About 42 percent of American adults have smartphones and 87 percent of them access the Internet on their phones.
5. The broadcast media in the United States are privately owned, except for public TV and radio stations.
6. What is the main criterion used when judging whether a story can be considered newsworthy?
Its audience appeal
7. is an attempt to increase ratings through a process involving both reporting news and running commercials geared to a target audience. Market-driven journalism
8. is considered "soft news," a mix of information and diversion oriented to personalities or celebrities, and usually unrelated to the day's events or public policies. Infotainment
9. Which current trend increases the risk that a few powerful individuals could control the news flow to promote their own political interests, the same way political parties influenced the content of early American newspapers? Concentrated ownership
10. Which federal agency is the independent entity that regulates interstate and international communication by radio, television, telephone, telegraph, cable, and satellite? FCC
11. People who support "net neutrality" argue that Internet users should not be restricted by providers in their online use or website access.
12. For years, the broadcast media only were federally regulated under three rules that promoted the public interest. Which one was repealed in 1987, freeing broadcasters to air more controversial and ideological viewpoints? The fairness doctrine
13. What term is used by the media to describe an important event that has happened within the past twenty- four hours? Hard news
14. Of the four main functions of mass media in its coverage of the political system, which one do scholars believe gives the media their greatest influence on politics? Setting the political agenda
15. Which process is demonstrated when media executives, news editors, and prominent reporters direct the flow of news, deciding which events to report and how to handle the elements involved, while also upholding journalistic standards? Gate keeping
16. Which area of the mass media has no gatekeepers, and therefore no checks, constraints, or standards affecting its content? The internet
17. Election coverage by the mass media often focuses on which candidate is ahead and which has raised the most money, rather than the candidates' opinions on key issues. What concept does this represent?
Horse race journalism
18. A media event is a situation that is too newsworthy for the mass media to pass up.
19. Which term describes the strategy whereby a president seeks to get media coverage and influence policy elites by appealing directly to the American people? Going public
20. Research on bias in the media suggests that today's political leaders increasingly go to friendly media outlets to criticize the rest of the media.
21. Available evidence, including an analysis of network coverage and a survey of journalists, seems to confirm that exist among reporters in the major news media. Liberal leanings
22. Which news medium stands apart from the others, since it appears to be dominated by conservative political views? Talk radio
23. A crucial series of 2003 surveys about perceptions of the Iraq war found that the most misperceptions and misunderstandings about the war were held by people who relied on for their news.
Fox television network
24. News reporters who practice watchdog journalism tend to be highly critical of inaccuracies and weaknesses in arguments posed by politicians
25. In evaluating the media and its effect on government, the text concludes that contemporary mass media
, but that is not always a bad thing. Erode efforts to maintain order [Show Less]