AP US Government : Special Interests and Mass Media
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Example Questions
Example Question #2 : Bias
Why was the creation of the Associated Press a unique event in the early history of American media?
Because it was able to take "yellow journalism" stories and spread them to a global audience
Because it quickly formed an alliance with the Government Printing Office
Because it was the first new organization to make use of the telegraph
Because it had to present the facts objectively in order to gain the widest possible subscriber base
Because it was the most staunchly conservative media outlet at the time
Because it had to present the facts objectively in order to gain the widest possible subscriber base
The Associated Press was formed at a time when "yellow journalism" was rampant. Because the AP was a subscription service that provided short, telegraphed stories to newspaper editors across the country, it had to be as neutral as possible in its reporting to attract a large subscriber base. This financially incentivized at least one form of journalism that was objective, as opposed to sensationalist.
Example Question #411 : Ap Us Government
An Issue Advocacy Ad is unique because it __________.
is funded by the government
is provided free by certain media sources
considers issues that would otherwise be ignored
is only found in print media
does not encourage support for any candidate
does not encourage support for any candidate
An Issue Advocacy Ad is an advertisement that generally airs during an election campaign, but does not focus on encouraging support for one candidate over another. Instead, it seeks to gain awareness for the issues and encourage voters to consider the issue as a whole as more relevant than they might otherwise.
Example Question #2 : Campaigning And Elections In The Media
The equal-time rule states that __________.
campaign ads are illegal during the week immediately leading up the general election
men and women should be paid equally for the time they put into their work
ethnic minorities ought to be granted certain advantages during the college admissions process
broadcast stations must sell commercial time to all political parties equally
during a presidential debate, each candidate must be given the same amount of time to speak
broadcast stations must sell commercial time to all political parties equally
The equal-time rule establishes that all broadcast stations must allow equal opportunity to all political parties to air campaign advertisements. The rule first appeared in the Radio Broadcast Act of 1927.
Example Question #3 : Campaigning And Elections In The Media
Which is not a way that the internet has affected politics since the year 2000?
The internet has made it easier for politicians to raise money in small donation
The internet has made it easier to take instant opinion polls
The internet has made it easier to target people who are likely to support the candidate
The internet has made it easier to disseminate criticism of opponents, often in real time
The internet has made it easier to take accurate opinion polls
The internet has made it easier to take accurate opinion polls
While the internet makes it easier to take quick opinion polls, these polls are often highly unreliable because the pollsters are not able to take good samples, and the samples are self-selecting in that they consist of people who use the internet, navigate to the particular site, are willing to spend time to take the poll, etc. While the internet has provided many avenues for exploring public opinion, most of these are related to the collection of hard data (like internet usage), as opposed to effective or accurate opinion polling.
Example Question #51 : Special Interests And Mass Media
A local broadcast station in a very conservative area of the country refuses to sell advertising time to a liberal candidate because it strongly opposes the candidate's viewpoints on several key issues, including gun control and abortion. Under what rule can the liberal candidate complain to the Federal Communications Commission?
The Fair Elections Rule
The Fairness Doctrine
The Broadcast Neutrality Rule
The Equal Time Rule
The Anti-Discrimination in Broadcasting Act
The Equal Time Rule
The Equal Time Rule holds that all publicly broadcast news stations that sell advertising to to one political candidate must sell equal time to that person's opponents.
Example Question #5 : Campaigning And Elections In The Media
Which of the following is not a true statement about the relationship between the national media and politicians?
The press and politicians often work together to advance a shared agenda
All secrets become public knowledge eventually
Always release bad news on Saturday night
The rosier the news, the higher-ranking the official who announces it
It is important to have a positive relationship with the press
The press and politicians often work together to advance a shared agenda
Having an adversarial press in America means that, at least on a national level, the press is suspicious of public officials and will happily break embarrassing stories about them. The press' main interest is in writing stories that will allow them to sell newspapers, advertising, etc, rather than in promoting specific agenda items.
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