Q&A Hero

Q: In order for something to be categorized as group communication, the audience must A) consist of more than 10 people. B) not be able to provide immediate feedback. C) bemore than one person and all be within earshot. D) be a homogeneous group.

Q: Global News Enterprises, the Center for Public Integrity and ProPublica are examples of journalism-oriented A) cooperatives. B) subsidiaries. C) nonprofits. D) conglomerates.

Q: The amount of music that is downloaded for free outside of the recording industry’s revenue stream is A) estimated as being 95% of all music downloaded worldwide. B) far worse in the U.S. than it is in Europe. C) good news for iTunes. D) steadily declining as more recording companies switch over to online sales.

Q: Four-minute video programs on the web are called __________.

Q: According to the Hutchins Commission, facts don’t count for much unless they contribute to understanding.

Q: Who was tasked by Woodrow Wilson with turning around widespread sentiment against U.S. involvement in WWI? A) George Creel B) Elmer Davis C) Ivy Lee D) Arthur Page

Q: Match each person on the left with the appropriate accomplishment in the right column. 1) William Caxton A) Coined the term and promoted “unique selling proposition” 2) Wayland Ayer B) Championed brand imaging 3) Dave Balter C) His Pepsi endorsement led other celebrities to endorse products 4) Rosser Reaves D) Printed first advertisement 5) Josiah Wedgwood E) Celebrity endorser for erectile dysfunction medications 6) Bob Dole F) Developed the idea of positioning 7) David Ogilvy G) Founded BzzAgent for word-of-mouth advertising 8) Benjamin Day H) Credited with establishing the first brand name product 9) Jack Trout I) Founded first ad agency 10) Michael Jackson J) First newspaper publisher to rely on advertising revenues

Q: The potential for public relations on a massive scale was demonstrated first by A) Elmer Davis’ Office of War Information. B) William Henry Vanderbilt’s “The public be damned.” C) George Baer’s social paternalism. D) George Creel’s Committee on Public Information.

Q: __________ provides people with the information they need to make choices as consumers.

Q: It has NOT been proven conclusively that subliminal messages are universally effective.

Q: Libertarianism emphasizes the individual’s ability to reason his or her way to right decisions.

Q: Why did investigative reporter Jim DeFede get fired? A) He wrote a false story. B) He fabricated facts from a story. C) He illegally taped a telephone conversation. D) He didn’t check sources.

Q: Because of its inherent high costs, many newspapers have abandoned A) celebrity reporting. B) financial reporting. C) consumer reporting. D) investigative reporting.

Q: Compared to Napster and other peer-to-peer file-swapping systems, iTunes offered all the following advantages EXCEPT A) it used a new and more efficient file format that required less disk space. B) it was much cleaner and more virus-free than peer-to-peer file-sharing. C) its prices and selection of available tunes was widely appealing. D) i sound quality, although acceptable, wasn’t as good as Napster had offered.

Q: __________ is a new term for “documentaries” which are intended to persuade and influence audiences. Fahrenheit 9/11 and Sir! No Sir! are two examples.

Q: According to the Hutchins model of news, accurate transmission of the facts isn’t enough. The goal should be understanding.

Q: In the eyes of the Hutchins Commission the biggest shortcoming of previous approaches to news coverage was their lack of context.

Q: Extravagant claims about one’s product or organization are referred to as A) advertising. B) public relations. C) flakking. D) puffery.

Q: A(n) __________ is a program-length, television commercial.

Q: Motivational messages in advertising can move people to action to some extent.

Q: An authoritarian believes that truth is a monopoly of the regime.

Q: Discuss the difference between pornography and obscenity and explain the legal consequence of having a creative work declared obscene rather than being declared pornographic.

Q: An executive participating in a business meeting is engaged in A) group communication. B) industrial communication. C) intrapersonal communication. D) mediated communication.

Q: In the context of a libel suit, describe the different standards applied if the person suing for damages is a public figure or a non-public figure.

Q: The type of communication that occurs between two individuals, either by themselves or in a small group is A) mediated communication. B) meta-communication. C) interpersonal communication. D) symbiotic communication.

Q: One of the main financial concerns about nonprofit organizations purchasing newspapers is that A) subscription sales would decrease. B) advertisers would be resistant. C) the cost of replacing aging printing presses would be more than nonprofits could bear. D) employees would expect and demand improved and more expensive benefits.

Q: Who introduced the iPod? A) Apple B) Gateway C) Dell D) Napster

Q: The FCC’s __________ required factual broadcast presentations such as documentaries to include both sides of controversial issues.

Q: Who made puffery promotion a high art? A) George Creel B) Elmer Davis C) Paul Garrett D) P.T. Barnum

Q: Using a brand-name product in a movie or television show is called __________.

Q: Sigmund Freud theorized that the human mind is discerning enough to avoid being unconsciously influenced by hidden motivations.

Q: The divine right of kings promoted the idea that the people should elect the ruler of the land.

Q: __________ ads fit so neatly into the landscape that the commercial pitch seems part of the story line.

Q: Activists claim that the social media have allowed them to re-shape and humanize the immigration debate by offering people photos and videos of real people telling their stories.

Q: Freedom House, an organization that monitors press freedom, lists 45 nations that deny a broad range of freedoms.

Q: Identify two major types of speech, in addition to “political expression,” that were given First Amendment protection by court decisions issued during the 20th century. Explain why it was important that these types of expression receive this protection.

Q: Newspaper, radio, television and magazine companies cannot survive unless they A) deliver an audience to advertisers. B) provide the latest news. C) offer low subscription rates. D) serve the government.

Q: The Associated Press began in 1848 as the Harbor News Association with the primary responsibility of A) collecting information from foreign newspapers. B) meeting transatlantic ships to pick up the mail for New York newspapers. C) sharing news stories with other New York newspapers. D) consolidating news coverage with press pools.

Q: Whose idea was iTunes? A) Al Gore B) Gerald Levin C) Steve Jobs D) Bill Gates

Q: Cowboy westerns, detective shows, medical shows, space operas, and family dramas are a few sub-categories within the broad television genre of __________.

Q: After a multi-year study of the news media, the Hastings Committee issued a report demanding that the news reports become more socially responsible.

Q: Films like The Blair Witch Project which are independently made with a small budget for showing at film festivals are called __________.

Q: William Randolph Hearst built his reputation on hiring accountants to find minor bookkeeping errors in government records.

Q: What myth-shattering episode occurred following Rockefeller’s address to miners and wives after the Ludlow massacre? A) Rockefeller cried publicly and took personal responsibility. B) Rockefeller danced with almost every miner’s wife. C) Rockefeller gave every miner and his family $100. D) Rockefeller announced a scholarship program for miners.

Q: Extensive coverage of the protests against a bill in Congress to criminalize millions of undocumented aliens is an example of media setting an agenda.

Q: Censorship is one way libertarian governments control mass media.

Q: Explain what “political expression” means and why it was originally considered to be the most important and only type of speech protected by the First Amendment.

Q: On most days, the most-listened-for item in morning newscasts is A) sports. B) consumer news. C) crime news. D) the weather.

Q: The largest example of a successful media cooperative is A) the Christian Science Monitor. B) NBC and MSNBC. C) the Associated Press. D) Comcast/NBCUniversal.

Q: Which of the following has NOT suffered financially because of the online delivery of digital music? A) Sam Goody B) Musicland C) Amazon D) Napster

Q: Authoritarianism is “top-down governance,” such as a monarchy or dictatorship.

Q: Discuss some of the ways the provisions of the Patriot Act can be used to allow federal agents to violate citizens’ rights of free speech and free press. Explain why you agree or disagree with these aspects of the Patriot Act and how much you think they infringe on your personal freedoms.

Q: Mass media have become so integrated into people’s lives that __________ is common. A) mainstreaming B) media multitasking C) writing letters D) niche casting

Q: Skeptics fear that if community foundations took over the operation of local newspapers, the papers would A) emphasize favorable publicity for the community instead of hard-hitting news. B) increase the price for consumers. C) not allow advertising of goods and services. D) reduce thescope of their offerings and not cover as much non-local news.

Q: While it lasted, Napster did all of the following EXCEPT A) helped drive countless radio stations into bankruptcy. B) made Shawn Fanning a folk hero as a benefactor of music-loving computer-users. C) reduced the sale of recorded music in the U.S by more than 50%. D) violated the copyrights of music creators, producers, and distributors.

Q: Movies such as Star Wars, The Abyss, and Avatar successfully used __________ to produce special effects for amazing scenes.

Q: Joseph Pulitzer avoided stunt journalism because of his religious beliefs.

Q: What did Ivy Lee advise John D. Rockefeller Jr. to do after the Ludlow Massacre? A) lay low for three years B) deny all wrongdoing C) file libel suits against critics D) tour the Ludlow area to show his sincere concern

Q: __________ advertising is really nothing more than word-of-mouth testimonials, friends talking to friends.

Q: American cultural imperialism is even more troubling today than when Schiller wrote his book because of the worldwide expansion of such American media as USA Today, MTV, and ESPN.

Q: According to the research firm Nielsen, the medium that is used much more per day than other media is A) music. B) magazines. C) television. D) newspapers.

Q: Which of the following has NOT been considered as an alternative to traditional ways of funding mass media in the U.S.? A) changing the U.S. tax code to encourage family ownership of media companies. B) using excise taxes on other products to subsidize media companies.. C) transferring ownership from for-profit businesses to nonprofit foundations.. D) promoting university-based journalism centers as news producers..

Q: Downloading music without paying is considered A) OK if you or your friend bought the CD. B) legal. C) illegal. D) OK if you own the computer.

Q: The Jazz Singer was the first movie to feature __________.

Q: Yellow journalism was so named because of the colored paper used to print cheap newspapers.

Q: After a massacre at a Colorado mining camp, this PR professional helped John D. Rockefeller improve his image. A) P.T. Barnum B) George Creel C) Ivy Lee D) Edward Bernays

Q: When there are so many competing television commercials that all lose impact, it is called ___________.

Q: Traditionally, mass communication is defined as the technology-assisted transmission of messages to A) print journalists. B) interpersonal audiences. C) mass audiences. D) only niche audiences.

Q: Who founded the Christian Science Monitor? A) Rupert Murdoch B) Mary Baker Eddy C) Helen Gurley Brown D) Joseph Pulitzer

Q: What company did the recording industry first target in an attempt to stop file sharing of music? A) Grokster B) Kazaa C) Napster D) iTunes

Q: A movie that tells a story is called a __________ film.

Q: Benjamin Day is credited for inventing the telegraph.

Q: Ivy Lee’s new ideas about winning public support included all of the following EXCEPT A) keeping sensitive issues like strike-breaking strategies off the public record. B) assisting reporters who wanted information or interviews with executives. C) allowing the public to see the human side of industry leaders. D) issuing summaries of corporate executive meetings.

Q: A celebrity __________ is a special type of testimonial involving a well-known celebrity rather than an average person-on-the-street or nameless spokesperson.

Q: Herbert Schiller’s concerns about cultural imperialism have had to be reconsidered in light of the world changes that occurred in the four decades since he first published his ideas.

Q: King Henry VIII was the British monarch who began cracking down on print materials in 1529.

Q: Media researchers at Ball State University found that people are intentionally involved in a media activity for __________ percent of their waking hours. A) 1 B) 10 C) 30 D) 60

Q: The Christian Science Monitor is known for its A) solution-based journalism. B) sensational coverage of world affairs. C) preachy style of journalism. D) crossword puzzle.

Q: Who invented Napster? A) Michael Robertson B) David Geffen C) Shawn Fanning D) Steve Jobs

Q: Dreamworks began as a(n) __________ studio before being purchased by Paramount in 2005.