CMJN 2100 EXAM 2 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+ 2026
Four tasks of journalists - ANS authenticator
watchdog
bear witness
sense maker
authenticator - ANS verifies which information is reliable
sense maker - ANS to put events in context in a way that turns information into knowledge
bear witness - ANS sole observer who then reports on an event
watchdog - ANS classic role of investigating or uncovering wrongdoings
empowerer - ANS -providing audiences tools and information so that they can act for
themselves
-involves making information interactive, providing dates when action needs to be taken and
explaining how to get involved
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
,functional truth - ANS -necessary for daily living, all truths are subject to revision and
journalism must search for the truth
-journalist has 2 primary jobs: getting the facts right and making sense of them
journalistic isolation is due to - ANS 1. Journalism becoming professionalized
2. Journalism's tone became more subjective and judgmental
3. Journalism became a way for journalists to create public personas
4. Business strategies to enhance profits by going after certain markets
journalists goal value - ANS helping us get closer to more thorough verification and a reliable
verison of events
balance and fairness - ANS Fairness and balancing multiple points of view should never be
pursued for their own sake or invoked in a journalists goal
transparency - ANS means revealing as much as possible about the sources and the methods
used to gather information so that readers can see and understand that the reporter is not
withholding information and did the best they could to verify everything.
deception - ANS There are instances in which the only way to get to the truth is to be
deceptive about who you are or what you are reporting on (think Dateline's "To Catch a
Predator Series"). This does, and should, rarely occur. Readers/viewers often want to know that
the ends justified the means.
3 questions readers/viewers will ask themselves in stories in which deception is used - ANS 1.
information must be sufficiently vital
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2
, 2. only if there is no other way to get to the story
3. should reveal to their audience when and why they mislead their sources (end justified the
means)
civic journalism - ANS a movement that occurred in the 1990s that argued that journalism
should not just point out problems but also examine the possible solutions and answers to
those problems
journalists must serve as - ANS an independent monitor of power
journalists are guided by - ANS the watchdog principle
forum - ANS Journalism provides a _______ for public criticism by making sure the forum is
available to all in the community.
story telling with a purpose - ANS providing people with information they need to
understand the world. (journalism is this)
challenges with journalism - ANS 1. find the information people need
2. make it meaningful, relevant and engaging
the key to accuracy - ANS being proportional and comprehensive
Jayson Blair - ANS caused journalism scandal by faking stories for the New York Times. Was
never checked for accuracy so he kept publishing stories that were plagiarizing and made up
info and fabricated the stories.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
ANSWERS GRADED A+ 2026
Four tasks of journalists - ANS authenticator
watchdog
bear witness
sense maker
authenticator - ANS verifies which information is reliable
sense maker - ANS to put events in context in a way that turns information into knowledge
bear witness - ANS sole observer who then reports on an event
watchdog - ANS classic role of investigating or uncovering wrongdoings
empowerer - ANS -providing audiences tools and information so that they can act for
themselves
-involves making information interactive, providing dates when action needs to be taken and
explaining how to get involved
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
,functional truth - ANS -necessary for daily living, all truths are subject to revision and
journalism must search for the truth
-journalist has 2 primary jobs: getting the facts right and making sense of them
journalistic isolation is due to - ANS 1. Journalism becoming professionalized
2. Journalism's tone became more subjective and judgmental
3. Journalism became a way for journalists to create public personas
4. Business strategies to enhance profits by going after certain markets
journalists goal value - ANS helping us get closer to more thorough verification and a reliable
verison of events
balance and fairness - ANS Fairness and balancing multiple points of view should never be
pursued for their own sake or invoked in a journalists goal
transparency - ANS means revealing as much as possible about the sources and the methods
used to gather information so that readers can see and understand that the reporter is not
withholding information and did the best they could to verify everything.
deception - ANS There are instances in which the only way to get to the truth is to be
deceptive about who you are or what you are reporting on (think Dateline's "To Catch a
Predator Series"). This does, and should, rarely occur. Readers/viewers often want to know that
the ends justified the means.
3 questions readers/viewers will ask themselves in stories in which deception is used - ANS 1.
information must be sufficiently vital
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2
, 2. only if there is no other way to get to the story
3. should reveal to their audience when and why they mislead their sources (end justified the
means)
civic journalism - ANS a movement that occurred in the 1990s that argued that journalism
should not just point out problems but also examine the possible solutions and answers to
those problems
journalists must serve as - ANS an independent monitor of power
journalists are guided by - ANS the watchdog principle
forum - ANS Journalism provides a _______ for public criticism by making sure the forum is
available to all in the community.
story telling with a purpose - ANS providing people with information they need to
understand the world. (journalism is this)
challenges with journalism - ANS 1. find the information people need
2. make it meaningful, relevant and engaging
the key to accuracy - ANS being proportional and comprehensive
Jayson Blair - ANS caused journalism scandal by faking stories for the New York Times. Was
never checked for accuracy so he kept publishing stories that were plagiarizing and made up
info and fabricated the stories.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
