156 TExES Journalism 8 - 12 Exam Practice Questions
1. Social interactions include:
A. Traditional
B. Accidental
C. Emotional
D. All of the above
2. Formats used in mass media may include:
A. Word of mouth
B. Cell phones
C. Internet
D. All of the above
3. Mass media began in the ancient world by:
A. Morality plays
B. Newspapers
C. Television
D. All of the above
4. Mass media can be used by:
A. Advocacy
B. Education
C. Entertainment
D. All of the above
5. Journalism is:
A. Explanation
B. Editing and presentation
C. Interpreting information
D. All of the above
6. Philosopher John Dewey believed:
A. People are too distracted to care about issues
B. Journalists should interpret information
C. People are capable of understanding complex issues
D. All of the above
7. Ethical standards for journalists include:
A. Opinion should be reported as fact
B. Objectivity and skepticism
C. Only politically correct information should be reported
D. All of the above
8. The qualities of photojournalism are:
A. Celebrity
B. Sobriety
C. Documentary
D. All of the above
9. The earliest form of photojournalism recorded in America was:
A. Engravings
B. Halftone reproduction
C. Wire photos
D. All of the above
10. Which of the following is never done by a photojournalist?
A. Tell a story
B. Capture an image
C. Set up a scene
D. Wait for the moment
ANSWER KEY EXAM 156
1. Answer: B
Social action is any activity modified by the actions and reactions of other individuals. There are four:
- Rational: Taken to reach a goal, usually without thought to consequences or means
- Instrumental: Planned, evaluated and taken after considering means and consequences
- Emotional: Express personal feelings
- Traditional: Taken simply because they are always done in a certain situation
- Accidental: Unplanned and probably won't reoccur
- Repeated: Unplanned but will happen occasionally
- Regular: Unplanned but very common occurrences; noted if missed
- Regulated: Planned and regulated; will definitely raise questions if missed
2. Answer: C
The American Heritage College Dictionary defines mass media as, "a means of public communication to a large audience." The term was coined in the 1920s when radio networks and some newspapers and magazines became available nationwide and began to influence society at large, rather than just the local population. News and entertainment can be spread in many formats; printed (books, newspapers, magazines) and electronic (radio, television, films, the Internet). The Internet podcasts and blogs have had a profound effect on society. Information is abundant, readily available and easily accessible. People are turning to the World Wide Web for news of the day, analyses of current events, health information, financial transactions and security. With the advent of so many electronic formats, it is critical students are taught to dissect and discriminate the digital data and learn to scrutinize the sources from which it comes. They need to understand the benefits and the risks and how to evaluate information found on the Internet.
3. Answer: A
Mass media has a long and colorful history. It began in the ancient world with morality plays and other performances such as story telling and pantomime. These theatrical productions were used to inform, teach and preserve tribal traditions. Movable clay type was invented in China about 1040 but because of the high cost of paper, ink and reproduction, popular printed material dates from about 1400 in Europe. Printed material wasn't widely available until about one hundred years later and was restricted to the wealthy and the church. Newspapers came into existence about 1612. The cost of production and the inability of the "man on the street" to read limited the impact of printed material until the nineteenth century. When education became the norm for the general public and cheaper duplication methods were developed, the influence of the media grew.
4. Answer: D
Mass Media can be used for many purposes:
- Advocacy for business reasons and social issues. Advertising, marketing, propaganda, public relations and political communications fall into this category.
- Education about issues that affect everyone; explanation of government laws and regulations
- Enrichment through the theater, painting, sculpture, architecture
- Entertainment through television, radio, films, music and sports, reading and video games
- Journalism via newspapers, magazines and the Internet
- Public Service Announcements that explain, inform and educate using radio, television, newspapers and magazines
- Print Media includes anything that is published on paper such as books, newspapers, newsletters, white papers, magazines and trade publications.
- Electronic Media includes:
- Broadcasting over the airwaves on radio and television
- Discs and Tapes used for recording music, videos and games
- Film used for entertainment and education (documentaries)
- The Internet with its blogs and podcasts
5. Answer: B
The American Heritage College Dictionary defines journalism as "the collecting, writing, editing and presentation of news or news articles." The word itself comes from the Latin "diurnal" (daily) that became the French word "journal." Good journalism, as Rudyard Kipling stated, reports the what, when, where, how and why. In order to qualify as a well-written piece of journalism these elements must be present, preferably in the first paragraph of the story. Additional information is explanation and filler. Journalism's purpose is to report factual information about people and current events, explain business, economic and health trends and discuss the national and international issues of the day. Because journalists and their editors often work on tight deadlines and record important events, Phil Graham, Editor of the Washington Post, described news-oriented journalism as the "first rough draft of history."
6. Answer: C
In the 1920s writer Walter Lippmann and philosopher John Dewey began the debate over journalism's role in a democratic society that is still going on. Lippmann believed journalism should be a translator between the general public and the "policymaking elites." He believed the man on the street was unable to understand and too distracted to care about complex issues, so the elites have a responsibility, indeed duty, to explain and interpret. He further believed the public could control the elites through the ballot box. Dewey believed the man on the street was more than capable of understanding the issues and should be part of the decision making process through public debate and discussion. He didn't discount the experts, but he believed the best ideas would come to light when everyone was actively involved in the process. He believed journalism's role was to study the information, weigh the possible consequences and inform the public, so they could make up their own minds. Most Americans agree with Dewey's approach.
7. Answer: B
Prior to the twentieth century, local newspapers and pamphlet writers dominated the media. They frequently had personal political agendas and felt no compunction about reporting their biased opinion as the "only" viewpoint. Since that time, journalism has matured and created a set of standards governing fair, accurate reporting:
- Use original documents and cite sources consulted; interview the people directly involved in the story whenever possible
- Give full credit for information from all sources quoted or consulted while researching the story; avoid plagiarism
- Consult multiple original sources; double check every fact used or referenced
- Research and report all facets of the story; don't ignore relevant information
- Report without bias; if personal feelings interfere with the ability to report fairly and accurately, either disclose the conflict or give the story to another journalist
- Be objective and skeptical; use careful judgment deciding what information to use
- Refuse any gifts or favors from all sources connected with a story
8. Answer: B
Photojournalism is much more than pictures telling a story. It is the photojournalist recognizing when images define a specific scene and create the appropriate mood. It is emotion made visible. A good photo stands on its own. Words only enhance the message; they should not be necessary to explain it.
Photojournalism is defined by these qualities:
- Timeliness: Images are appropriate to the meaning and context of the story.
- Sobriety: Images are an accurate, unbiased depiction of the event's content and tone.
- Narrative: Images make the facts clearer and help viewers relate on a cultural level.
- Documentary: Truthful images of a specific subject taken from a particular prospective.
- Street: Images taken in public places, a candid spotlight on society
- Celebrity: Images of people in public life, i.e., the arts, sports, politics
9. Answer: A
During the American Civil War (1861 to 1865), engravings were used to enhance news reporting. The first halftone reproduction was first used in 1880. Even with the ability to produce halftone photographs on running presses by 1897, there were still limitations. With the ability to transmit images over phone lines in 1921, the wirephoto could be sent almost as fast as the words. This was a huge advance. With the invention of the 35mm Leica camera in 1925 and flashbulbs in 1927, the stage was set for the rise of photojournalism. During The Golden Age of Photojournalism (the1930s through the1950s), many magazines and newspapers built their reputations and enlarged their readership using photographs. Until the 1980s, newspapers used letterpress technology, printed on low-quality newsprint and produced fuzzy photos. Magazines used high-quality ink and glossy paper, which produced beautiful pictures. So even though magazines often used photos first published in newspapers, photographers who worked for newspapers rarely got the recognition magazine photographers did.
10. Answer: C
Mark Hancock, a photojournalist for The Dallas Morning News, says, "A journalist tells stories. A photographer takes pictures of nouns. A photojournalist takes the best of both and locks it into the most powerful medium available - a single frozen image. Photojournalists capture verbs." A news story answers what, when, where, how and why using words. A news photo answers the same questions using truthful images of the event. A photojournalist takes a picture the same way a journalist writes a sentence using a subject, verb and direct object. Hancock believes, "…it's the photojournalist's obligation to capture the entire sentence involved in every event. There are no excuses." A photojournalist is a "visual reporter of facts." Because readers trust reporters to tell the truth, a photojournalist has a responsibility to present images accurately and truthfully. The photojournalist looks for examples of the struggles and accomplishments of his community. There is never a need to "set up" reality. If the photojournalist is doing his job, "he simply wants to hang around, be forgotten and wait for the right moment."