TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' If the Statement Is True and 'F' If the Statement Is False

Ch 7 Review questions

TRUE/FALSE. Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false. 1) A media event is staged primarily for the purpose of being covered by reporters, cameras, etc. Page Ref: 212 2) Ronald Reagan's presidency often appeared as a performance with well-choreographed appearances. Page Ref: 212 3) Franklin Roosevelt was the first president who was closely scrutinized by the media. Page Ref: 214 4) Ronald Reagan was the first president to hold frequent press conferences and give fireside chats to reassure the public. Page Ref: 214 5) The relatively cozy relationship that existed between politicians and the press during the twentieth century lasted until the Vietnam War and Watergate. Page Ref: 215 6) Investigative journalism has contributed to greater public cynicism and negativism about politics. Page Ref: 215 7) Thomas Patterson found that since 1960, the focus of the press's coverage of campaign issues has shifted from policy statements to campaign controversies. Page Ref: 215 8) Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon felt they were hounded out of office by the press. Page Ref: 215 9) The results of a poll taken after the first televised presidential debate in 1960 showed that most who listened to the debate on radio thought Kennedy had won, while those who watched on television thought Nixon had won. Page Ref: 218 10) Television had very little impact on Richard Nixon's early political career during the 1950s and 1960s. Page Ref: 218 11) Narrowcasting refers to politicians' exclusive use of television in communicating with constituents. Page Ref: 220 12) As the number of channels and Web sites proliferates, it is clear that political junkies will find more political information readily available than ever before. Page Ref: 220 13) Media technology has helped to widely disseminate information to produce a more informed society in America. Page Ref: 220 14] In Canada and most of Europe, the major networks are government owned. Page Ref: 221 15) In many other countries, major television outlets are owned by the government. Page Ref: 221 16) To a large extent, commercial television networks define news as what is entertaining to the average viewer. Page Ref: 222 17) As television news audiences declined, network executives decreed that news had to become more profitable. News divisions sharply reduced their costs, and tried to raise the entertainment value of their broadcasts. Page Ref: 222 18) Numerous studies show that journalists rely almost exclusively on established sources to get their stories. Page Ref: 223 19) During the Gulf War, reporters' freedom of movement and observation was severely restricted by the United States government. Page Ref: 224 20) "Embedded" reporters were a key feature of news coverage in the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s. Page Ref: 224 21) There are many good examples of investigative reporting making a difference in politics and government.Page Ref: 224 22) In 2000 the average sound bite lasted ten seconds or less. Page Ref: 226 23) Most journalists identify themselves as Republicans, but strive to report the news objectively. Page Ref: 227 24) The majority of studies have shown that the media, especially newspapers, tend to have a liberal bias. Page Ref: 227 25) According to John Kingdon, policy entrepreneurs are always in government. Page Ref: 233 26) Political elites tend to dominate the media such that the poor and minority groups are unable to use it for their benefit.Page Ref: 233 27) In order to convey a long-term positive image via the media, policy entrepreneurs often make campaign contributions. Page Ref: 234 SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question. 28) What are media events and how are they used?Page Ref: 212 29) A(n) ______is staged by political campaigns or officeholders, among others, primarily for the purpose of being covered by reporters and thereby gaining exposure. Page Ref: 212 30) The first president really to master media politics, using frequent press conferences and reassuring fireside chats, was ______. Page Ref: 214 31) There are two major categories of media: the ______media, which includes newspapers and magazines, and the ______media, which consist of radio and television. Page Ref: 216 32) The ______is considered the unofficial "newspaper of record" for the United States. Page Ref: 217 33) Explain the importance of the 1960 presidential debate. Page Ref: 218 34) In 1960, Richard Nixon and John Kennedy appeared together in the first televised ______. Page Ref: 218 35) What effect did the Vietnam War have on the news media? Page Ref: 219 36) How has the Cable News Network (CNN) changed television news reporting? Page Ref: 219 37) Media outlets that do NOT appeal to a relatively broad audience but instead focus on a specifically defined audience's interest are said to be engaged in ______. Page Ref: 220 38) Information leaked to reporters to see what the political reaction will be is known as a(n) ______. Page Ref: 223 39) What is a trial balloon, and what purpose does it serve? Page Ref: 223 40) Most news organizations assign their best reporters to particular ______, which are specific locations where news frequently emanates, such as the White House. Page Ref: 223 41) ______is the use of detective-like methods to unearth scandals, scams, and schemes, putting reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders. Page Ref: 224 42) Rather than cover entire political speeches, networks tend to provide mostly ______of fifteen seconds or less on the evening news. Page Ref: 225 43) What are sound bites? How does their use influence the nature of the news? Page Ref: 225 44) Seeing a(n) ______, which is slang for a shot of a person speaking directly to the television camera, is not stimulating enough for most viewers. Page Ref: 230 45) What are policy entrepreneurs, and how do they try to get their issues on the government's agenda? Page Ref: 233 ESSAY. Write your answer in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper. 46) Describe the relationship between the mass media and the president, and how it has changed over the last several decades. Include examples of how various presidents such as George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and Franklin Roosevelt have interacted with the media, i.e., how much and under what circumstances. Page Ref: 212-216 47) Compare and contrast the roles of the different types of media in American politics. In particular, examine the different types of media in terms of where people get their news, the level of trust in each type, and how each media type reports the news.Page Ref: 216-220 48) Has the increase in information technologies in society created a more informed citizenry? Why or why not? What claims do the commercial media make regarding why citizens are or are not informed? Page Ref: 216-220 49) What events helped to make television the most important news medium in the country? Are people getting the news they need from this source? Is the widely held belief that "seeing is believing" appropriate? Explain. Page Ref: 218-219 50) Most describe government and election news coverage as superficial, narrow, and limited. Explain what factors contribute to these tendencies in news coverage in the United States. Who do government officials and candidates blame for the nature of news coverage? Who do journalists blame? Page Ref: 220-227 51) Explain how the media determine what is news, and how it is presented to the public. Page Ref: 222-231 52) How do news organizations get most of their news? What role do beats, trial balloons, and leaks play? Is the process of news-gathering fair and logical? Explain. Page Ref: 222-231 53) How do the news media shape what people believe about the American political system? Give examples from research in this area. Page Ref: 231-233 54) What role do the media play in defining the policy agenda? How can the media be used by policy entrepreneurs to achieve their objectives? Is such use a problem or a virtue in America's democratic system? Explain. Page Ref: 233-234