Ch. 6 Exam Questions

There were three questions from the Chapter 6 exam that students expressed concerns about:

8. The largest circulation for a daily paper is claimed by:

a. the New York Times

b. the Washington Post

c. USA Today

d. the Wall Street Journal

While the textbook says that the Wall Street Journal has the highest circulation, this information is dated. Today, USA Today has the nation's highest circulation. I've decided to reduce the number of questions on the exam to 46 so students are not penalized for either answer choice.

16. Which of the following stories is most likely to make the televised evening news?

a. A murder in the city from which the broadcast originates

b. Efforts by a developing country to improve health care

c. A war between two foreign countries not allied with the United States

d. A peaceful transition of government in another country
There are two answers that can be rule out quickly: B and D. Choice A is superior to C because a murder in the city from which the broadcast originates is more newsworthy (there is a potential impact on the audience, it has a high degree of sensationalism, it has a close-to-home character, etc.). Choice C may be sensational because of its violence, but it doesn't meet as many standards of newsworthiness as choice A.

37. The public cites _______ as the most trustworthy news source.

a. radio

b. television

c. news magazines

d. newspapers

This was sent by a student who wrote, "Newspapers publish events and inform the public, and television tends to only show things that would be "entertaining" to the public." While this is a legitimate criticism of television news, it doesn't change the fact that the American public finds television more trustworthy than newspapers by a 2 to 1 margin (Janda 178).