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1
According to "In the Beginning Was the Word," Reader's Digest identified and shaped an American approach to reading that emphasized:
A)engagement.
B)escape.
C)convenience.
D)intellect.
2
As claimed in "In the Beginning Was the Word," the proliferation of cell phones and laptop computers has resulted in:
A)greater control over our time.
B)an increase in reading for pleasure.
C)the elimination of outside distractions.
D)anxiety over having too little time.
3
As noted in "In the Beginning Was the Word," the ability to write online on blogs and social networking sites has increased student ability to write in the classroom and in test-taking situations.
A)True
B)False
4
As claimed in "Revolution in a Box," the television set is:
A)becoming obsolete in the age of the Internet.
B)a powerful force for social change.
C)responsible for most of the obesity problems in the world.
D)second only to electricity in its reach into global households.
5
As explained in "Revolution in a Box," access to digital television signals means:
A)less regulation by the state of viewing and programming.
B)an increase in locally run political programming.
C)more practical shows targeting the problems of local viewers.
D)increased program censorship by the government.
6
As noted in "Revolution in a Box," for most television viewers, "choice" is not a concept associated with television.
A)True
B)False
7
Researchers, as described in "Tele[re]vision," looking to examine educational programming for children have been successful in:
A)extending the length of time broadcast stations are required to provide educational programming.
B)limiting the types of advertising that can be directed at children.
C)convincing networks that educational programming is financially valuable.
D)determining what engages children and how they learn through television viewing.
8
Most of the educational programming aimed at children, as pointed out in "Tele[re]vision," can be described as:
A)playful.
B)pro-social.
C)academic.
D)moral.
9
Although television viewing is a given in the average U.S. household, as maintained in "Tele[re]vision," in many cases parents have no idea of what programs their children are watching.
A)True
B)False
10
As explained in "Television and the Decline of Deference," in 1945 movie newsreels in Britain were:
A)largely extinct due to the popularity of television news.
B)highly deferential to authority figures.
C)too expensive for most people.
D)heavily biased in favor of the Conservative Party.
11
As indicated in "Television and the Decline of Deference," Britain's 1990 Broadcasting Act:
A)banned jokes about "immorality of any kind."
B)decreased the number of commercial radio stations available.
C)increased competition among broadcasters by allowing for the acquisition and merger of media firms.
D)placed stricter controls on broadcasters, leading to decreased competition in the market.
12
As noted in "Television and the Decline of Deference," by 1945 television replaced movie newsreels as Britain's primary source of news.
A)True
B)False
13
The age of Twitter and other online aspects of U.S. culture, as maintained in "I Can't Think!", has had the unintended consequence of:
A)overloading people's brains with information that impedes decision-making.
B)curtailing the variety of unique points of view to which people are exposed.
C)making people far more self-centered and willing to share too many details about their lives.
D)rapidly exposing the flaws in numerous consumer goods and services.
14
In the eighteenth century, as pointed out in "I Can't Think!", essayist Alexander Pope warned that the large number of books being published would:
A)encourage people of little talent to try writing.
B)discourage exceptional writers from publication.
C)encourage anarchy and loose morals.
D)cause anxiety as people were unable to absorb even a small portion of what was published.
15
Decision science, as explained in "I Can't Think!", has shown that people faced with a plethora of choices are still apt to make the best possible decision for themselves.
A)True
B)False
16
As stated in "The Digital Disruption: Connectivity and the Diffusion of Power," connection technologies such as the Internet will affect less-developed societies by:
A)allowing repressive governments to ramp up restrictions on citizens.
B)"Americanizing" them.
C)forcing them to become more open and accountable.
D)stunting economic and political growth.
17
As shown in "The Digital Disruption: Connectivity and the Diffusion of Power," the communication tool used most effectively by Ayatollah Khomeini in spurring the Iranian Revolution of 1979 was:
A)the cassette tape.
B)illicit pirate-radio broadcasting.
C)print media disseminated by his followers across the country.
D)the Internet.
18
According to "The Digital Disruption: Connectivity and the Diffusion of Power," a majority of the world's population has access to cell phones and/or the Internet.
A)True
B)False
19
Most victims of childhood molestation, as explained in "Journalist Bites Reality!", are victimized by:
A)clergy.
B)serial sexual predators.
C)peers.
D)a family member.
20
According to "Journalist Bites Reality!", the media form most fundamentally flawed is:
A)newspapers.
B)broadcast journalism.
C)cable-news networks.
D)talk radio.
21
Fabrications such as the red state-blue state distinction, as maintained in "Journalist Bites Reality!", often serve as effective markers to suggest national trends.
A)True
B)False
22
As presented in "Girls Gone Anti-Feminist," the top job for women in 2007 was:
A)corporate CEO.
B)lawyer.
C)surgeon.
D)secretary.
23
As argued in "Girls Gone Anti-Feminist," as set forth by the media, the dominant way for women to empower themselves today is through:
A)buying things with a focus on physical appearance.
B)running for political office.
C)attaining a position of authority in a company.
D)achieving economic parity with men through higher wages.
24
As noted in "Girls Gone Anti-Feminist," even today, a year out of college, women earn 80 percent of what men earn.
A)True
B)False
25
According to "The Reconstruction of American Journalism," American journalism is transforming into a new era marked by:
A)a handful of dominant and powerful newspapers.
B)collaborative and widely dispersed news gathering and reporting.
C)the rise of influential network news divisions.
D)increasing emphasis on highly trained and educated journalists.
26
As claimed in "The Reconstruction of American Journalism," the type of journalism most under siege in today's journalistic landscape is:
A)independent reporting.
B)advocacy journalism.
C)community-knowledge reporting.
D)celebrity and style features.
27
As stated in "The Reconstruction of American Journalism," due to the convenience and social functions offered by the Internet, there is no longer any value in or need for traditional newsrooms.
A)True
B)False
28
As discussed in "Retreating from the World," many newspapers, including The Chicago Tribune, closed their foreign news bureaus during the last decade because of:
A)decreasing interest in world news.
B)widespread budget cuts.
C)the rise of "instant news" outlets on the Internet.
D)a new focus on local-only news.
29
As noted in "Retreating from the World," the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting:
A)grants awards for journalistic excellence.
B)serves as a clearinghouse for foreign free-lance reporting work.
C)provides funding for foreign reporting of stories that would not otherwise be produced.
D)is a for-profit organization that hires foreign nationals to report news from their own countries.
30
As shown in "Retreating from the World," NPR has closed the majority of its foreign bureaus.
A)True
B)False
31
As presented in "Capital Flight," as major newspapers downsize or shed their Washington bureaus, the coverage that suffers is of:
A)White House scandals.
B)legislation and voting in Congress.
C)hot-button political issues.
D)government departments and regulatory agencies.
32
As explained in "Capital Flight," the decline of government "building" coverage by major newspapers began because:
A)economic hardships forced newspapers to downsize.
B)the coverage began to appear dry and boring to the public and to the newspapers.
C)there were no problems or issues that warranted such coverage.
D)reporters found that other coverage methods made them superior public watchdogs.
33
As noted in "Capital Flight," the most problematic thing about watchdog reporting is that it is extremely time and labor intensive.
A)True
B)False
34
The Associated Press' director of strategic planning, as described in "Overload!", originally agreed to an in-depth study of young-adult news consumption because he:
A)wanted to prove his point that young people find the news irrelevant.
B)had extra funds in his budget that needed to be spent.
C)wanted support to expand online news offerings.
D)thought it would make a fun and entertaining presentation.
35
In the face of too much information, as pointed out in "Overload!" people tend to:
A)assign outsized importance to trivialities.
B)become passive.
C)avoid all new information.
D)strengthen their preconceived ideas.
36
Most of the time, as mentioned in "Overload!", the news with which people are presented comes in a highly packaged form, making its overall reliability almost impossible to determine.
A)True
B)False
37
As reported in "Learning to Love the New Media: Shallow, Divisive, Unreliable," a good predictor of a website's future growth is the:
A)popularity of the traditional media on which it is based.
B)number of repeat visitors to the site.
C)number of new visitors to the site.
D)presence of an active online "commenter" community.
38
As discussed in "Learning to Love the New Media: Shallow, Divisive, Unreliable," one fundamental way in which websites like those of Gawker Media differ from traditional media outlets is that Gawker:
A)delivers what customers want, not what they think they "should" have.
B)produces most of its content online.
C)cannot attract online audiences as well as established news organizations can.
D)attracts a much younger and less-informed audience.
39
As disclosed in "Learning to Love the New Media: Shallow, Divisive, Unreliable," Gawker Media websites together attract twice as many unique visitors as The New York Times website.
A)True
B)False
40
As mentioned in "The Toppling," the term "pseudo-events" refers to:
A)wartime media spectacles.
B)events created to be reported on.
C)infotainment events.
D)important events that lack media coverage.
41
As reported in "The Toppling," the Palestine Hotel was the place where:
A)the U.S. Marines set up a base.
B)the plan to topple the statue of Saddam Hussein was formed.
C)Saddam Hussein was found.
D)many foreign reporters stayed and reported from during the bombing of Iraq.
42
As pointed out in "The Toppling," the intended effect of destroying statues of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was mainly psychological.
A)True
B)False
43
As discussed in "Whence the Revolution," Wael Abbas is:
A)the ousted dictator of Egypt.
B)a bus driver whose assault by police sparked the Egyptian protests.
C)Egypt's most well-known blogger.
D)the leader of Egypt's largest opposition party.
44
As mentioned in "Whence the Revolution," protests in al Mahala al Kubra led to the formation of:
A)special anti-protester government police forces.
B)the April 6 Youth Movement.
C)the Al Ahram Movement.
D)Wael Abbas's blog about dissent and protest in Egypt.
45
As noted in "Whence the Revolution," two Egyptian police officers were charged with murder after the death of Khalid Said.
A)True
B)False
46
As reported in "North Korea's Digital Underground," every North Korean home is outfitted with:
A)an Internet connection.
B)satellite television.
C)an international radio receiver.
D)a radio receiver connected only to a government-controlled station.
47
As defined in "North Korea's Digital Underground," Kwangmyong is:
A)North Korea's official intranet portal.
B)South Korea's intelligence agency.
C)North Korea's official news agency.
D)the North Korean version of Facebook.
48
As recounted in "North Korea's Digital Underground," a recent famine in North Korea killed about five percent of that country's population.
A)True
B)False
49
Google, as pointed out in "What's a Fair Share in the Age of Google?", has a sense of itself as:
A)a true pioneer.
B)besieged by enemies.
C)benign and playful.
D)the most important company to emerge from the personal-computer revolution.
50
There is a growing sense among the "legacy" media, as explained in "What's a Fair Share in the Age of Google?", that Google facilitates:
A)rampant plagiarism.
B)a move away from paying content providers for their work.
C)an emphasis on advertising versus quality journalism.
D)in-depth research on vitally important news items.
51
Insiders in newspapers and magazines, as pointed out in "What's a Fair Share in the Age of Google?", increasingly see Google as a contributor to their demise.
A)True
B)False
52
As noted in "Long Live the Web: A Call for Continued Open Standards and Neutrality," the principle of decentralization in the Internet ensures that:
A)one can follow any link regardless of the content it leads to or who publishes that content.
B)the Web remains an interconnected information space.
C)anyone can add a page or make a link without permission from a central authority.
D)a user's information can be accessed only within certain sites.
53
As discussed in "Long Live the Web: A Call for Continued Open Standards and Neutrality," Apple's iTunes system is an example of:
A)a centralized and walled-off world on the Web.
B)decentralization.
C)open Internet standards.
D)peer-to-peer network protocol.
54
As reported in "Long Live the Web: A Call for Continued Open Standards and Neutrality," governments have been monitoring citizens' online habits.
A)True
B)False
55
As set forth in "A Vaster Wasteland," in a speech 50 years ago the author used the term "a vast wasteland" to refer to:
A)print media.
B)radio.
C)television.
D)the Internet.
56
As suggested in "A Vaster Wasteland," one way in which money corrupts political discourse in the United States is that:
A)it is necessary to buy television time in the form of political ads and that those with more money can buy more exposure.
B)we provide our candidates with free public-service television time.
C)SuperPacs have the ability to purchase television time for candidates.
D)SuperPacs are restricted from purchasing television time.
57
As mentioned in "A Vaster Wasteland," the first communications satellite was launched into space in 1976.
A)True
B)False
58
As described in "Frenemies of Free Speech," in 1939 Denmark made it a crime to spread false rumors or accusations in order to spread hatred against a group of the Danish population because of its:
A)political views.
B)socio-economic status.
C)sexual orientation.
D)race, creed, or nationality.
59
As discussed in "Frenemies of Free Speech," a special focus of the war against free speech is an effort to stigmatize critical discussion of Islam as:
A)Islamophobia.
B)anti-American.
C)anti-anti-Islamist.
D)pro-American.
60
As disclosed in "Frenemies of Free Speech," the "European version" of free speech involves the freedom to speak unconstrained by restrictions against "hate speech."
A)True
B)False
61
As portrayed in "The End of Secrecy," most politicians have used the Internet to:
A)consolidate their power.
B)empower others.
C)teach about the government.
D)bring people together.
62
As reported in "The End of Secrecy," when it comes to the Afghanistan war, the leaked materials from WikiLeaks revealed:
A)sensitive war plans from the Pentagon.
B)that insiders believe the 10-year war is doomed.
C)the identities of key informants.
D)military secrets that endangered troops in the field.
63
As suggested in "The End of Secrecy," Julian Assange of WikiLeaks is a national hero.
A)True
B)False
64
Along with fewer editors scrutinizing copy at newspapers such as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, as pointed out in "The Quality-Control Quandary," they:
A)are often not as experienced as in the past.
B)must worry constantly about keeping their jobs.
C)are expected to reassure the public when mistakes are made.
D)generally spend less time per item than they did a few years ago.
65
According to "The Quality-Control Quandary," the editor Joseph Pulitzer was famous for his emphasis on:
A)speed.
B)accuracy.
C)frugality.
D)fairness.
66
Although some journalists have expressed concerns, as noted in "The Quality-Control Quandary," so far newspaper readers have not noticed flabbier writing or more typos.
A)True
B)False
67
As reported in "The Fact-Checking Explosion," fact-checking came to prominence during the:
A)war in Iraq.
B)2010 election.
C)Monica Lewinsky scandal.
D)Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign.
68
As shown in "The Fact-Checking Explosion," when former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was confronted with a fact-check of his comments regarding British prostate cancer survival rates, he:
A)ignored the evidence and repeated his erroneous information.
B)pursued the issue further with his own fact-checkers.
C)retracted his erroneous comments.
D)led a charge to silence the fact-checkers.
69
As given in "The Fact-Checking Explosion," the worst rating for truthfulness given out by PolitiFact is called "Pants on Fire."
A)True
B)False
70
As presented in "Too Graphic?", a controversy ensued over images from Haiti after a massive earthquake because:
A)some people thought the images were too graphic and reinforced Haitian suffering.
B)U.S. newspapers refused to print graphic images and disregarded the extent of the destruction.
C)the U.S. government forbid photographers to take pictures of the most gruesome scenes.
D)photographers refused Haitians' requests to show the world the destruction and misery in Haiti.
71
As claimed in "Too Graphic?", one reason why iconic images of national and international events are rare in today's American newspapers is because:
A)there are fewer photojournalists who are interested in taking such images.
B)most American people are not interested in seeing those images.
C)newspapers are leaning toward local, rather than national and international, reporting.
D)newspaper readership is increasing, so editors do not need to lure new readers with graphic images.
72
As noted in "Too Graphic?", in today's newsrooms, many editors fear offending readers with images that are too graphic or controversial.
A)True
B)False
73
Recently, as reported in "A Porous Wall," there was controversy over an ad designed to look like an actual news article placed on the front page of the:
A)Miami Herald.
B)Boston Globe.
C)New York Times.
D)Los Angeles Times.
74
The bottom line rule in drawing advertising closer to news, as put forth in "A Porous Wall," is not to:
A)show favor to select advertisers.
B)deceive the public.
C)overuse the closer relationships.
D)allow the same executive to oversee both departments.
75
Although some papers used to mock the old TV adage "If it bleeds, it leads," as maintained in "A Porous Wall," many newspapers are now adopting it as a principle.
A)True
B)False
76
As described in "What Would You Do?", internationally renowned violinist Joshua Bell played his violin outside a Washington, D.C., subway station because he was:
A)trying to raise money for the homeless.
B)involved in an experiment arranged by a journalist.
C)attempting to revitalize his sagging career.
D)protesting a lack of journalistic ethics in modern media.
77
As defined in "What Would You Do?", "journalistic experimenters" refers to:
A)journalists who experiment with different types of stories and writing styles.
B)citizen reporters who pretend to be professional journalists.
C)people who appear on reality-television shows.
D)journalists who arrange certain situations, then report on people's responses.
78
As noted in "What Would You Do?", journalistic experiments reflect a new type of journalism that began with the advent of computer technology.
A)True
B)False
79
As presented in "The Lives of Others," when America's Most Wanted contacted writer Julia Dahl, the story the show was hoping to tell was that of:
A)a young murder victim named Tyeisha Martin.
B)those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
C)the writer herself.
D)a girl who had murdered her mother.
80
As noted in "The Lives of Others," Tyeisha's murder was of interest to the media because:
A)the circumstances of her death were unusual.
B)her killer had never been found.
C)she was killed in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.
D)she had been profiled in Seventeen magazine.
81
According to "The Lives of Others," the America's Most Wanted segment about Tyeisha's murder aired immediately after it was filmed in hopes that the murderer would be caught right away.
A)True
B)False
82
As claimed in "Your Data, Yourself," apps and websites that seem free are actually paid for:
A)by electronic funds transfer.
B)by advertisers.
C)with users' personal information.
D)with promissory notes for future payment.
83
As noted in "Your Data, Yourself," the FTC has issued a report calling for major browsers to:
A)implement a do-not-track mechanism that keeps companies one does not do business with from collecting one's personal information.
B)implement a do-not-track mechanism that keeps companies from collecting one's personal information.
C)stop using cookies.
D)offer a setting that allows users to opt out of tracking.
84
As cited in "Your Data, Yourself," a great deal of personal information has always been available to marketers but the Internet has made it more accessible.
A)True
B)False
85
As presented in "Multitasking Youth," today's young consumers process information from commercial media by:
A)focusing on one medium at a time in a linear fashion.
B)accessing information from several different sources simultaneously.
C)utilizing one preferred medium from which to receive all their information.
D)ignoring all but the very latest in media technology.
86
As described in "Multitasking Youth," the "three screens" that facilitate media multitasking behavior include all of the following except:
A)move theaters.
B)television sets.
C)personal computers.
D)mobile phones.
87
As noted in "Multitasking Youth," multitasking can involve either multiple technologies or one singe technology accessed for multiple reasons.
A)True
B)False
88
As detailed in "Unkind Unwind," the films that were first affected by the home-entertainment downturn were:
A)large-budget action films.
B)small art-house films.
C)mid-budget films.
D)kids' and family films.
89
As noted in "Unkind Unwind," in the United States many people have switched from buying DVDs to:
A)renting.
B)streaming.
C)buying pirated DVDs.
D)buying Blu-Ray discs.
90
As characterized in "Unkind Unwind," piracy poses the greatest threat to the film business.
A)True
B)False
91
As detailed in "A Television Deal for the Digital Age," Hulu is:
A)a cable provider.
B)an Internet service provider.
C)a subscription-only website that offers television service over broadband.
D)an ad-supported website that offers television content on the web.
92
As brought out in "A Television Deal for the Digital Age," consumer advocates protest that the merger between Comcast and NBC Universal will:
A)break up the cable cartel that is in place.
B)establish a cable cartel.
C)make it harder for new competitors to enter the market.
D)place significant restrictions on the cable industry.
93
As noted in "A Television Deal for the Digital Age," Comcast has accused Netflix of requiring unfair fees to ensure that entertainment streams reach customers.
A)True
B)False
94
As reported in "Tomorrow's Interactive Television," Robert Putnam blamed the American loss of social identity and interpersonal-relationship complexity on:
A)radio.
B)television.
C)the walled gardens of cable television.
D)the Internet.
95
As mentioned in "Tomorrow's Interactive Television," half of Americans' daily leisure time is now spent:
A)reading.
B)on social-network websites like Facebook.
C)viewing entertainment over the Internet provided by companies like Netflix.
D)watching television.
96
As claimed in "Tomorrow's Interactive Television," today there is an abundance of quality choice, specialization, and personalization on television.
A)True
B)False
97
The latest effort to save the newspaper industry, as set forth in "Open for Business," is for news organizations to:
A)encourage more citizen journalism.
B)join forces to provide online content.
C)make readers pay for online content.
D)create partnerships across various media.
98
The first industry to figure out ways to make money online, as noted in "Open for Business," was the:
A)retail industry.
B)news industry.
C)music industry.
D)pornography industry.
99
Most local newspapers, as reported in "Open for Business," manage to stay in business in terms of their print product because their customers and subscribers are primarily looking for coverage of local news.
A)True
B)False
100
As mentioned in "Pay to Play," many revenue-starved newspapers will soon begin to:
A)offer only a web version of their reporting.
B)charge for online content.
C)go bankrupt.
D)scale back on their web presence.
101
As explained in "Pay to Play," most newspapers generate the bulk of their revenue via:
A)internet ads.
B)subscription fees.
C)newsstand sales.
D)print ads.
102
3. As given in "Pay to Play," since the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette erected a paywall in 2001, daily circulation has decreased.
A)True
B)False







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