JOURNALISM C203 EXAM 2 QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2026

JOURNALISM C203 EXAM 2 QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST UPDATE 2026 How has social media changed the communication model between journalists and the public? - Answers It has shifted from a one-way communication model to a two-way communication model, allowing for interaction, conversation, participation, and collaboration. What are some best practices for journalists using social media? - Answers Build relationships, foster dialogue, explain journalism processes, develop a personal brand, identify sources, show authenticity, and accept feedback. What strategies should journalists employ on social media? - Answers Monitor breaking-news posts, engage in conversations, establish credibility, and be generous and helpful. What are the pros of using social media for journalists? - Answers Interaction with the audience, collaboration in news production, source discovery, and building trust through transparency. What are the cons of using social media for journalists? - Answers Algorithms control information flow, misinformation, privacy concerns, and exposure to harassment. How can community members become active partners in engaged journalism? - Answers By helping set the news agenda, asking questions, crowdsourcing information, and providing feedback. What distinguishes community-driven news agenda setting from traditional journalism? - Answers Community-driven journalism focuses on hyperlocal stories, answers citizen questions, and reports on underserved groups. Why is engaged journalism necessary today? - Answers It allows the community to decide what is important and what information is needed, shifting power from journalists to the public. What is the goal of transparency in journalism? - Answers To build trust by showing how information was gathered, verified, and presented. What are four characteristics of engaged journalism? - Answers Increase public trust, make reporting visible, focus on undercovered communities, and answer citizen-driven questions. How did the Indianapolis Star demonstrate transparency in its reporting of the USA Gymnastics scandal? - Answers By explaining how they reported, why they covered the story, and how decisions were made. What is a conflict of interest in journalism? - Answers It occurs when journalists' loyalties are divided due to personal connections, financial interests, or sponsorships. What is a perceived conflict of interest and why is it problematic? - Answers It is the appearance of bias that can weaken public trust and harm credibility. What are factions in journalism? - Answers Groups or interests that journalists may want to promote, which can lead to biased reporting. Why can't journalists be completely objective? - Answers Because they have personal experiences, but their reporting process can ensure reliability and fairness. What is bias in journalism? - Answers Bias arises from emphasis choices regarding what journalists choose to focus on. What is false balance in journalism? - Answers It is the attempt to give equal weight to all sides, which can create confusion and polarization. What are structural biases in journalism? - Answers Common storytelling formulas that can distort what matters most in news coverage. List the nine structural biases in journalism. - Answers 1. Fairness, 2. Temporal, 3. Bad News, 4. Visual, 5. Narrative, 6. Commercial, 7. Expediency, 8. Status Quo, 9. Glory. When is it acceptable for journalists to use structural biases? - Answers When they serve the public well; unacceptable when they replace truth with formula. What advice does the textbook provide for maintaining journalistic independence? - Answers Avoid using close contacts as sources, keep business separate from reporting, and disclose partnerships. How did ProPublica and NPR respond to bias charges from the Red Cross? - Answers They checked information, practiced 'no surprises' reporting, published rebuttals, and demonstrated verification discipline. How do critics use claims of bias against journalism? - Answers As political weapons to undermine credibility rather than engage in good-faith discussions. What is the 'no surprises' philosophy in journalism? - Answers It involves checking facts with sources before publishing to ensure they are not shocked by the final content. What are journalism's built-in biases? - Answers Forms and habits in journalism that shape coverage, including fairness, temporal, bad news, visual, narrative, commercial, expediency, status quo, and glory biases. Independence - Answers Independence means journalists must do their jobs without "favor," and their loyalties must not be divided. Their only obligations are to the truth and the public. Neutrality - Answers Complete neutrality creates objective detachment, but it can interfere with truth-telling and reduce journalism to just reporting what each side says, without deeper understanding. Misconceptions about journalistic objectivity - Answers That journalists themselves must be personally unbiased — but it is really the process that must be fair and reliable. Viewpoint neutral - Answers Trying to take no position on an issue can get in the way of truth and fail to serve citizens' needs. Objectivity trap - Answers They default to rigid formulas instead of pursuing the truth that best serves citizens, which can lead to false balance and weak reporting. Ways to avoid the objectivity trap - Answers Choose information citizens need, Avoid favoring factions, Focus on independence and transparency. Conflict of interest - Answers Conflicts occur when journalists' loyalties are divided — such as close personal connections, financial interests, fundraising, donations, sponsorships, or business ties. Perceived conflict of interest - Answers Even appearing biased weakens public trust and harms credibility — transparency needed. Faction - Answers Factions = groups or interests journalists might want to promote or protect. Loyalty to factions turns journalism into public relations, "cheerleading," or advertising. Objectivity in journalism - Answers Journalists have their own life experiences — but good reporting methods and independence ensure reliability and fairness. Bias - Answers Bias comes from emphasis choices: what journalists choose to focus on and what gets attention. Fairness bias - Answers Trying to give equal weight to every side — which can create false balance. False balance - Answers It treats all perspectives as equally valid when they aren't — making the public confused and more divided.