WGU C203 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2026
5C's of news literacy - Answers Creation, content, context, circulation, consumption
Creation (C of News Literacy) - Answers the process in which journalists and others engage in
conceiving, reporting, and ultimately creating news stories and other journalistic content
Content (C of News Literacy) - Answers characteristics of a news story that distinguishes it from other
types of media content
Context (C of News Literacy) - Answers understanding the social, legal, and economic environment in
which news is produced
Circulation (C of News Literacy) - Answers the process through which news is distributed and spread
to potential audiences; recognition that news circulation is a process influenced by a variety of actors
in a social system
Consumption (C of News Literacy) - Answers personal factors that contribute to news exposure,
attention, and evaluation -- including psychological inclinations
describe "journalism's way of knowing" - Answers "truth is a statement of what is most probable in
proportion to the evidence available at the time"
Truth can evolve over time in the face of new evidence
Journalism of Assertion - Answers places high value on immediacy and volume of info - wants to get
things out as quickly as possible
It's journalism is fundamentally stenographic
largely passive
newsmakers recite talking points
favors speed over accuracy
"he said/she said" journalism
ex. CNN
Journalism of Affirmation - Answers Political, values opinions
wants to affirm the preconceptions of the audience, assuring them and gaining their loyalty
occurs in a commercial context
strong ideologies; not passive - intent is normally persuasion
verification is NOT a priority
ex. Tucker Carlson
Interest Group Journalism - Answers designed to target specific people
be leery - not always fully transparent
normally has more to do with politics than journalism
Journalism of verification - Answers A traditional model that puts the highest value on accuracy and
context.
_____________ ________________ is a statement of what is most probable in proportion to the
evidence available at the time - Answers Journalistic truth
What is meant by "discipline of verification" - Answers good journalists should be frequently asking
"How do you know that?" or "What do you mean by that?"
Identify key elements of our formal definition of journalism (Craft & Davis p. 34) - Answers A set of
transparent, independent procedures aimed at gathering, verifying and reporting truthful information
of consequence to citizens in a democracy
, What criteria is often used to select/feature sources for news story (Harcup, p. 55) - Answers if used
in the past
if can supply a lot of info (with minimal effort)
if think reliable & trustworthy (least amount of checking)
if think the source articulate
if official position of authority
Chief (ideal) reasons for using anonymous sources - Answers whistleblowers and/or when personal
safety is at risk
On the record - Answers the information can be used with no caveats, quoting the source by name
off the record - Answers the information cannot be used for publication
on background - Answers the information can be published, but only under condition negotiated with
the source. Typically, the sources do not want names published... but will agree to a description of
their position
on deep background - Answers the information can be used but without attribution. The source does
not want to be identified in any way, even on condition of anonymity
What did we describe as a more "proactive approach" to journalism? - Answers engaged journalism -
places emphasis on area where journalism can often fall short
puts serving the public at the center
less of a transactional pursuit
collaborative and relational
ex. City Bureau & Curious Texas
How did we define transparency? Why might it be effective for building trust? - Answers making the
procedures a journalist uses open to public view, so that the ways in which info is gather, verified, and
presented are not mysterious
4 functions of transparency:
1. way to hold news orgs accountable for accuracy and fairness of content
2. encourages high standards of reporting
3. provides audience with avenue for exploring more information
4. provides as better understanding of who journalist are and how they work
"Imagined Audiences" tend to be based on what? - Answers journalists produce news with a certain
image of the audience in their mind
where do these images tend to come from
in many cases, people they know or frequently use as sources
sever as stand-ins for the imagined audience
Key elements of our formal definition of "engaged journalism" (Craft & Davis, p. 58) - Answers
emphasis on area where journalism can often fall short
serving the public is at its center
less of a transactional pursuit
5C's of news literacy - Answers Creation, content, context, circulation, consumption
Creation (C of News Literacy) - Answers the process in which journalists and others engage in
conceiving, reporting, and ultimately creating news stories and other journalistic content
Content (C of News Literacy) - Answers characteristics of a news story that distinguishes it from other
types of media content
Context (C of News Literacy) - Answers understanding the social, legal, and economic environment in
which news is produced
Circulation (C of News Literacy) - Answers the process through which news is distributed and spread
to potential audiences; recognition that news circulation is a process influenced by a variety of actors
in a social system
Consumption (C of News Literacy) - Answers personal factors that contribute to news exposure,
attention, and evaluation -- including psychological inclinations
describe "journalism's way of knowing" - Answers "truth is a statement of what is most probable in
proportion to the evidence available at the time"
Truth can evolve over time in the face of new evidence
Journalism of Assertion - Answers places high value on immediacy and volume of info - wants to get
things out as quickly as possible
It's journalism is fundamentally stenographic
largely passive
newsmakers recite talking points
favors speed over accuracy
"he said/she said" journalism
ex. CNN
Journalism of Affirmation - Answers Political, values opinions
wants to affirm the preconceptions of the audience, assuring them and gaining their loyalty
occurs in a commercial context
strong ideologies; not passive - intent is normally persuasion
verification is NOT a priority
ex. Tucker Carlson
Interest Group Journalism - Answers designed to target specific people
be leery - not always fully transparent
normally has more to do with politics than journalism
Journalism of verification - Answers A traditional model that puts the highest value on accuracy and
context.
_____________ ________________ is a statement of what is most probable in proportion to the
evidence available at the time - Answers Journalistic truth
What is meant by "discipline of verification" - Answers good journalists should be frequently asking
"How do you know that?" or "What do you mean by that?"
Identify key elements of our formal definition of journalism (Craft & Davis p. 34) - Answers A set of
transparent, independent procedures aimed at gathering, verifying and reporting truthful information
of consequence to citizens in a democracy
, What criteria is often used to select/feature sources for news story (Harcup, p. 55) - Answers if used
in the past
if can supply a lot of info (with minimal effort)
if think reliable & trustworthy (least amount of checking)
if think the source articulate
if official position of authority
Chief (ideal) reasons for using anonymous sources - Answers whistleblowers and/or when personal
safety is at risk
On the record - Answers the information can be used with no caveats, quoting the source by name
off the record - Answers the information cannot be used for publication
on background - Answers the information can be published, but only under condition negotiated with
the source. Typically, the sources do not want names published... but will agree to a description of
their position
on deep background - Answers the information can be used but without attribution. The source does
not want to be identified in any way, even on condition of anonymity
What did we describe as a more "proactive approach" to journalism? - Answers engaged journalism -
places emphasis on area where journalism can often fall short
puts serving the public at the center
less of a transactional pursuit
collaborative and relational
ex. City Bureau & Curious Texas
How did we define transparency? Why might it be effective for building trust? - Answers making the
procedures a journalist uses open to public view, so that the ways in which info is gather, verified, and
presented are not mysterious
4 functions of transparency:
1. way to hold news orgs accountable for accuracy and fairness of content
2. encourages high standards of reporting
3. provides audience with avenue for exploring more information
4. provides as better understanding of who journalist are and how they work
"Imagined Audiences" tend to be based on what? - Answers journalists produce news with a certain
image of the audience in their mind
where do these images tend to come from
in many cases, people they know or frequently use as sources
sever as stand-ins for the imagined audience
Key elements of our formal definition of "engaged journalism" (Craft & Davis, p. 58) - Answers
emphasis on area where journalism can often fall short
serving the public is at its center
less of a transactional pursuit
