"Public Trust in the News" - SAT practice

The main purpose of this passage is to

• analyze the technological developments that have affected the production, circulation, and reception of news stories.

• discuss changes in the perception of the news media as a source of public knowledge.

• show how journalists’ frames of value influence the production of news stories.

• challenge the conventional view that news is a form of public knowledge.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

According to the passage, which expectation do traditional authorities now face?

• They should be uninfluenced by commercial considerations.

• They should be committed to bringing about positive social change.

• They should be respectful of the difference between public and private knowledge.

• They should be transparent about their beliefs and assumptions.

The authors most likely include the extended quotations in lines 43-53 to

• cite representative opinions.

• present contradictory examples.

• criticize typical viewpoints.

• suggest viable alternatives.

Based on the table, in which year were people the most trusting of the news media?

• 1985

• 1992

• 2003

• 2011

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RI.9-10.7

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

Which statement is best supported by information presented in the table?

• Between 1985 and 2011, the proportion of inaccurate news stories rose dramatically.

• Between 1992 and 2003, the proportion of people who believed that news organizations were biased almost doubled.

• Between 2003 and 2007, people’s views of the accuracy, independence, and fairness of news organizations changed very little.

• Between 2007 and 2011, people’s perception that news organizations are accurate increased, but people’s perception that news organizations are fair diminished.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RI.9-10.7

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7

The 2011 data in the table best serve as evidence of

• “political disengagement by the majority” (line 51).

• “the professional claims of experts” (lines 65-66).

• “scepticism towards the epistemological authority of expert elites” (lines 69-70).

• “the supremacy of the clickstream” (line 81).

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.7

CCSS.RI.9-10.7

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.8.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7