Multiple Choice Quiz - Results

You answered 10 out of 15 questions correctly, for a score of 66.667%.

1. Correct. You answered: b. stresses events that occurred today or yesterday..

A news story is said to possess timeliness if it

The correct answer was: b. stresses events that occurred today or yesterday..

2. Correct. You answered: c. how well known the people involved in the story are..

In regard to news values, prominence refers to

The correct answer was: c. how well known the people involved in the story are..

3. Incorrect. You answered: a. takes the point of view of just one person involved in the
events..

A news story possesses singularity if it

The correct answer was: d. reports on unusual events that deviate from the commonplace..

4. Correct. You answered: c. “hard news” is about serious topics and recent events, and “soft
news” refers to human interest stories..

Journalists recognize two types of news stories: hard and soft. In this regard,

The correct answer was: c. “hard news” is about serious topics and recent events, and “soft
news” refers to human interest stories..

5. Correct. You answered: c. people exaggerate the amount of crime news in the media..

People often complain about the amount of bad news in newspapers and news broadcasts.
Systematic studies have shown that

The correct answer was: c. people exaggerate the amount of crime news in the media..

6. Correct. You answered: a. journalists should do what they can to support broad involvement
in public affairs..

Public or civil journalism is a movement that says

The correct answer was: a. journalists should do what they can to support broad involvement
in public affairs..

7. Correct. You answered: e. the reporter relies on one source or gives disproportionate time to
space to one side of a controversy..

Bias is most likely to appear in a news story when

The correct answer was: e. the reporter relies on one source or gives disproportionate time to
space to one side of a controversy..
8. Incorrect. You answered: c. identify the rape victim and the suspected rapist..

When it comes to writing about rape cases, the practice of most news organizations is to
refuse to

The correct answer was: b. identify the rape victim..

9. Incorrect. You answered: a. trade names.

Which of the following is NOT among the kinds of details news organizations avoid including in
their stories?

The correct answer was: b. names of criminal suspects.

10. Correct. You answered: d. having editors check and question a reporter’s work.

Which of the following is NOT one of the factors that leads to inaccuracies in news reports?

The correct answer was: d. having editors check and question a reporter’s work.

11. Incorrect. You answered: a. offensive details..

Reports that New Orleans experienced widespread looting, rapes and murders in the wake of
Hurricane Katrina are examples of

The correct answer was: d. rumors..

12. Correct. You answered: a. editors often consider that to be free advertising for the product..

Journalists avoid using trade names in news stories because

The correct answer was: a. editors often consider that to be free advertising for the product..

13. Correct. You answered: c. encourage people to participate in democracy..

One of the goals of public journalism is to

The correct answer was: c. encourage people to participate in democracy..

14. Correct. You answered: b. was committed locally..

The concept of proximity suggests that a news organization is likely to carry a story about a
murder, if that crime

The correct answer was: b. was committed locally..

15. Incorrect. You answered: a. the tendency toward sensationalism among “elite” news
organizations..

The New York Times traditionally emphasizes politics, business and foreign news, while the
New York Post emphasizes crime, sex and sports. This difference illustrates
 The correct answer was: c. how the nature of “news” varies from one medium to another..

Multiple Choice Quiz

1. A news story is said to possess timeliness if it

a. stresses events that have occurred in the last month.

b. stresses events that occurred today or yesterday.

c. has been written within the last six hours.

d. has been read or heard within the last six hours.

2. In regard to news values, prominence refers to

a. the extent to which the story will affect a number of people.

b. whether the story has one central, or prominent, character.

c. how well known the people involved in the story are.

d. the location of the story on the newspaper page or in the news broadcast.

3. A news story possesses singularity if it

a. takes the point of view of just one person involved in the events.

b. is reported and written by a single individual.

c. describes events that are completely unique in human history.

d. reports on unusual events that deviate from the commonplace.

4. Journalists recognize two types of news stories: hard and soft. In this regard,

a. “hard news” is about complicated topics, like science and economics, and “soft
news” is about things like entertainment and fashion.

b. “hard news” stories have long, complicated sentences, and “soft news” stories
have short, simple sentences.

c. “hard news” is about serious topics and recent events, and “soft news” refers
to human interest stories.

d. “hard news” stories are always 2,000 words or more, and “soft news” stories
never exceed 500 words.

5. People often complain about the amount of bad news in newspapers and news broadcasts.
Systematic studies have shown that
 a. people understate the amount of crime news in the media.

b. people understate the amount of upbeat news in the media.

c. people exaggerate the amount of crime news in the media.

d. people exaggerate the amount of upbeat news in the media.

6. Public or civil journalism is a movement that says

a. journalists should do what they can to support broad involvement in public

affairs.

b. the best journalism is that which focuses exclusively on public affairs and
ignores such things as sports and entertainment.

c. journalists should reveal every step they take in the reporting process to
regain public confidence.

d. journalists should provide only the news the public wants to read or hear.

7. Bias is most likely to appear in a news story when

a. the reporter relies on multiple sources and gives abundant time or space to all
sides of a controversy.

b. the reporter’s story is reviewed by a large number of editors and supervisors.

c. the reporter is writing about a topic that she or he already knows a lot about.

d. the reporter is writing about people she or he has known for some time.

e. the reporter relies on one source or gives disproportionate time to space to

one side of a controversy.

8. When it comes to writing about rape cases, the practice of most news organizations is to
refuse to

a. identify the suspected rapist.

b. identify the rape victim.

c. identify the rape victim and the suspected rapist.

d. publish any information about the crime.

9. Which of the following is NOT among the kinds of details news organizations avoid including in
their stories?

a. trade names

b. names of criminal suspects

 c. profanity

d. grisly or gruesome photographs

10. Which of the following is NOT one of the factors that leads to inaccuracies in news reports?

a. carelessness and laziness

b. lack of understanding of the topic

c. use of generalities instead of specifics

d. having editors check and question a reporter’s work

11. Reports that New Orleans experienced widespread looting, rapes and murders in the wake of
Hurricane Katrina are examples of

a. offensive details.

b. civic journalism.

c. prominence.

d. rumors.

12. Journalists avoid using trade names in news stories because

a. editors often consider that to be free advertising for the product.

b. federal law prohibits the use of trade names in news stories.

c. companies are likely to sue over the unauthorized use of trade names.

d. trade names diminish the credibility of the story.

13. One of the goals of public journalism is to

a. make horse-race coverage of politics more interesting.

b. publish information desired by political elites rather than the general public.

c. encourage people to participate in democracy.

d. emphasize the voices on the extremes of the political spectrum and not the
center.

14. The concept of proximity suggests that a news organization is likely to carry a story about a
murder, if that crime

a. involved a well-known person.

b. was committed locally.

 c. occurred within the last 24 hours.

d. was unusually gruesome.

15. The New York Times traditionally emphasizes politics, business and foreign news, while the
New York Post emphasizes crime, sex and sports. This difference illustrates

a. the tendency toward sensationalism among “elite” news organizations.

b. how some news organizations place more emphasis on timeliness than others.

c. how the nature of “news” varies from one medium to another.

d. the appeal of public or civic journalism in publications with mass audiences.

Your Results:
The correct answer for each question is indicated by a .
Which of the following is NOT a common category that a feature would fall into
1 CORRECT
at most publications?
A)science and technology
B)breaking news
C)health
D)lifestyles
Feedback: Correct: Breaking news stories tell readers who, what,
where, when and why in a tight, efficient manner not suitable for
features.
"Hard" and "soft" news are relative terms that describe both the topic and
2 INCORRECT
treatment of a story. Which of the following topics could go either way?
A)"Three Killed When Fire Breaks Out at Bridal Show"
B)"Bridal Assistant Shares Makeup Secrets"
C)"Mayor's Daughter Chosen Top Model for National Bridal Show"
D)"Groom Consultant Reveals Hot New Styles for Best-Dressed Grooms"
Feedback: Incorrect: "Three Killed When Fire Breaks Out at Bridal
Show" is an example of a serious event - hard news.

3 CORRECT Which of the following would you NOT do when planning a great feature?

A)look for story ideas constantly and start compiling a list

B)organize your ideas by topic
C)plan your story as close to publishing time as possible
D)mark timely or seasonal ideas on your calendar or compile a "tickler"
file to plan stories ahead
Feedback: Correct: You shouldn't wait until the last moment. Plan your
stories weeks, months and years ahead. Work on your feature regularly
and note new developments and leads.
Asking yourself which the following questions would NOT help you tell if your
4 CORRECT
story idea is a good one?
A)Is it timely?
B)Is the idea or angle original?
 C)Does the story have motion, change, direction or something new?
D)Is the story true?
Feedback: Correct: This wouldn't be especially useful. Features need not
be current as long as they are a new take on an interesting topic.

5 CORRECT Which of the following topics needs more focus?

A)the oldest WW II veteran alive

B)how to buy a diamond
C)Egypt
D)the first New Year baby born
Feedback: Correct: Without an angle, a story about Egypt could turn into
a very long, boring essay without interesting detail.
In the 1960s Tom Wolfe dubbed his new feature-writing style "The New
6 CORRECT Journalism." Which of the following was NOT a literary technique that reporters
of the time began borrowing from novelists?
A)recording everyday details that contained the most symbolic meaning
B)over-dramatizing to make stories more interesting to read
C)vivid reconstruction of scenes
D)realistic dialogue
Feedback: Correct: Reporters did not borrow this technique. Remember,
over-dramatizing facts can distort reality and lead to misconceptions.

7 CORRECT Which of the following suggestions can help you write a successful feature story?

A)Keep it short.
B)Use as many quotes as possible.
C)Take advantage of using the feature story to cheerlead and ridicule.
D)Hold back one important fact to keep your reader interested.
Feedback: Correct: Avoid unnecessary details. Details must add
something to the story.
Which of the following would you NOT use as part of a short-form feature story
8 INCORRECT
structure?
A)a series of bullet items
B)diagrams
C)combining different short-form structures into a feature package
D)segueing paragraphs of text logically from one item/idea to another
Feedback: Incorrect: Multi-element feature packages require more
collaboration and planning, but can provide a compelling design and
clear, concise information to the reader.
Writing in-depth profiles requires time and research. Which of the following
9 CORRECT
statements is NOT true of writing profiles?
A)You may need to check the subject's credentials to verify education,
position, awards and the like.
B)To avoid bias in your writing, it is best not to interview the subject
personally.
C)You may need to research the Web, old news clips and other
pertinent documents and sources.
D)Don't stick to the basic who-what-where-when-why format.
 Feedback: Correct: You need at least one interview. Profiles provide the
ultimate test of your interviewing skills, and some of your best
information may come from gathering quotes and observing how your
subject looks, talks, dresses and interacts with people.
Enterprise projects are special stories that reach beyond the ordinary. Which of
10 CORRECT
the following is NOT an example of an enterprise story?
A)an in-depth profile of a family without medical insurance
B)a detailed look at how racism in the local high school is influencing
the students and what may lie ahead
C)a detailed look at how a fire department decides what vehicles to
send to an alarm
D)a detailed look at how an inspiring young politician deals with the
increase in public dissatisfaction with government officials
Feedback: Correct: This would probably be a straightforward short- or
medium-sized feature.
Which of the following is NOT one of the three basic elements of investigative
11 INCORRECT
reporting?
A)You should have an agenda that helps set the direction of the
investigation.
B)The investigation is the work of the reporter, not a report on someone
else's investigation.
C)The subject involves something of reasonable importance to the
reader.
D)Others are attempting to hide these matters from the public.
Feedback: Incorrect: This is one of the three basic elements. The
investigation must be the work of the reporter or reporters assigned to
the story.
Which of the following would NOT be good advice for getting the information you
12 INCORRECT
need for investigative reporting?
A)Be skeptical of sources such as legitimate-looking documents and
sympathetic politicians. Trust no one.
B)Wait until the police and lawyers have had a chance to talk to your
sources or potential sources before you interview those sources.
C)Don't be tempted to do something illegal or unethical to get some
juicy tidbit.
D)Remain objective and adhere to good journalistic practices.
Feedback: Incorrect: You should be skeptical. Just because something
looks accurate doesn't mean there are not distortions or deceptions.
Which of the following is NOT an important part of package planning your
13 INCORRECT
feature?
A)an assembly-line process
B)summarizing the story idea
C)setting staff deadlines
D)including the photographer
Feedback: Incorrect: It's important that the photographer know what
the story is about.
Short-form alternatives condense data into easy-to-read formats. Which of the
14 INCORRECT following lists includes a plan that is NOT considered a short-form alternative
format?
 A)bio box, inverted pyramid, diagram
B)checklist, fast-facts box, quiz
C)step-by-step guide, quote collection, timeline
D)factual index, diagram, list
Feedback: Incorrect: All of these are short-form alternatives. Review
"Short-form alternatives" on page 128 in your text.

15 CORRECT To write an effective editorial, which of the following should you NOT do?

A)write a strong lead and a solid finish

B)attack issues, not personalities
C)keep it relevant
D)be a bully when necessary
Feedback: Correct: Don't be a bully when attempting to write an
effective editorial. Review "Writing editorials and columns" on page 130
in your text.

16 CORRECT Opinion writing is NOT appropriate for which of the following?

A)columns
B)movie reviews
C)hard news
D)editorials
Feedback: Correct: Opinions have no place in hard news stories.

17 CORRECT Which of the following would NOT be an appropriate column topic?

A)football schedules
B)advice on relationships
C)celebrity gossip
D)gardening
Feedback: Correct: Football schedules are factual information, not
material for columns.

18 CORRECT What would an effective columnist consider BAD advice?

A)Base your opinions on facts and present those facts.

B)You can base your opinions on reading previously printed stories.
Columnists don't have to do their own reporting or interviewing.
C)Come up with fresh insights.
D)Choose topics that your readers will find worth reading.
Feedback: Correct: Previous stories may lack information you need to
know, so it's important to do your own research. Research public
records, conduct interviews, and ask reporters for extra details
excluded from their stories.
Which of the following is TRUE when writing reviews of movies, plays, books
19 INCORRECT
etc.?
A)It is appropriate for you to reveal surprise plot twists or endings.
B)Including phrases like I think or In my opinion is fine; after all, the
review is your opinion.
 C)You should criticize the performance, not the performer's appearance,
personal life, political views, etc.
D)all of the above
Feedback: Incorrect: Only one of these is true: You should criticize the
performance, not the performers' appearance, personal life, political
views, etc.

20 INCORRECT What would be BAD advice to give someone who is writing a review?

A)Don't be just a critic, be a reporter. You should provide accurate

details and then explain why things did or didn't work.
B)Don't be afraid to show your personal biases. This is opinion writing
after all.
C)Don't be pompous. Keep it simple.
D)Don't try to fake it. Be able to demonstrate an acceptable level of
expertise.
Feedback: Incorrect: This is good advice. Balance reporting and opinion.