The Role of the Media

Which of the following most accurately describes media coverage of elections?

• Coverage of presidential primaries gives relatively equal power to states regardless of when they hold their primaries.

• Coverage tends to focus on issues rather than on which candidate is ahead in public opinion polls.

• Reporters who use secret sources in their campaign coverage are shielded by federal law from having to reveal those sources.

• Radio and television stations must provide on their news broadcasts equal time for and equal coverage of major party candidates.

• Network news coverage is usually dominated by reporters who offer relatively short sound bites from the candidates.

Which of the following is most frequently reported in the media during a presidential election?

• Results from public opinion polls that indicate which candidates are most likely to win

• The official platforms of each of the major political parties

• Financial strategies and management of the campaigns

• Comparisons of candidates’ positions on foreign and domestic policy issues

• Information about the candidates’ experience in government and record in office

Which of the following describes the potential impact on the electorate when daily media coverage of elections focuses primarily on the newest poll results?

• The electorate will be increasingly divided along partisan lines.

• The electorate will be less likely to turn out to vote on Election Day.

• The electorate will be more likely to have expanded knowledge of the electoral process.

• The electorate will be less able to accurately compare the policy platforms of candidates running in the election.

Which of the following best characterizes the influence of the news media on public opinion in the United States?

• They alter the public's views on issues.

• They affect which issues the public thinks are important.

• They determine how citizens will vote.

• They are most able to influence people with the highest level of education.

• They are most able to influence the urban sectors of society.

The term “horse-race journalism” refers to the tendency of the media to

• cover Congress by focusing on committee chairs rather than on the work of the committees

• cover campaigns by emphasizing the relative standings of the candidates in the polls rather than the issues they discuss

• cover politics by concentrating on scandal and corruption rather than on instances of integrity and honorable action

• compete for access to sources rather than to cooperate in gathering news

• compete to be first with major breaking stories rather than trying to present full, accurate accounts of such stories

Which of the following provides the most accurate explanation of how consumer-driven media increases partisan polarization?

• Consumer-driven media tends to avoid discussing controversial political topics.

• Consumer-driven media reinforces existing political biases in individuals.

• Consumer-driven media relies heavily on corporate advertising.

• Consumer-driven media is overwhelmingly conservative.

Which of the following is a true statement about the role of the media in providing citizens with information?

• Investigative reporting dominates the news because it is less expensive than political commentary.

• Demand for instantaneous news reporting has led to the growth of 24-hour news operations and a shift to online media consumption.

• The media is increasingly controlled by the major political parties, who determine which stories are covered by the press.

• There has been an increase in social media and Internet news consumption by the public, causing the top five media conglomerates to have greater control over public opinion.

Which of the following describes a consequence of the growing concentration of ownership of the news media?

• Newspaper prices have gone down.

• Coverage of political events has gotten more liberal over time.

• Prices for televised campaign ads have gone down.

• Candidates get more free airtime.

• There is increased similarity of network news coverage.

Which best describes a likely reason for the information depicted in the graph?

• An increase in concerns over media bias

• An increase in the median age of the population

• A decrease in the number of media outlets

• A decrease in ideological news coverage

Which of the following statements about Americans’ trust in the mass media is best supported by the data in the graph?

• It generally increased over time.

• It experienced its largest increase in 2013.

• It generally decreased over time.

• It experienced its largest decrease in 2016.