Chapter 12- Mass Media

Question 1

Blog

Answer 1

A series, or log, of discussion items on a page of the World Wide Web

Question 2

Equal time rule

Answer 2

An FCC rule that if a broadcaster sells time to one candidate, it must sell equal time to other candidates

Question 3

Horse-race journalism

Answer 3

News coverage that focuses on who is ahead rather than on issues

Question 4

Routine stories

Answer 4

Media stories about events regularly covered by reporters

Question 5

Feature stories

Answer 5

Media stories about events that, though public, are not regularly covered by reporters

Question 6

Insider stories

Answer 6

Media stories about events that are not usually made public

Question 7

Trial balloon

Answer 7

Information leaked to the media to test public reaction to a public policy

Question 8

Loaded language

Answer 8

Words that imply a value judgement, used to persuade a reader without having made a serious argument

Question 9

Selective attention

Answer 9

Paying attention only to those news stories with which one already agrees

Question 10

Adversarial press

Answer 10

The tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them

Question 11

Background

Answer 11

A public official’s statement to a reporter given on condition that the official not be named

Question 12

Sound bite

Answer 12

A radio or video clip of someone speaking