Media Roles, News Types, Bias, and
Evolution in Journalism2026–2027 Exam
Study Guide: Updated Practice Questions,
Verified Solutions, Concept Review &
Effective Revision Strategies
Description
The Top Score 2026–2027 Exam Study Guide
is a focused and reliable resource designed to
help students prepare efficiently, strengthen
their understanding, and improve exam
performance through structured practice and
clear explanations.
This guide brings together carefully selected
exam-style questions, clearly explained
solutions, and practical revision techniques to
support both learning and last-minute review. It
is built to help you not only answer questions
correctly, but also understand the methods and
reasoning required to solve them confidently.
, What is news? - ANSWER✅Information about recent events reported to the public
through media such as TV, newspapers, radio, and the internet.
What is hard news? - ANSWER✅News about serious and important topics such as
politics, economics, war, crime, and government decisions.
What is soft news? - ANSWER✅News that focuses on entertainment, lifestyle,
celebrities, or human-interest stories rather than serious political events.
What is the difference between hard news and soft news? - ANSWER✅Hard news
focuses on important and serious events affecting society, while soft news focuses on
entertainment and lighter topics.
What part of local news is usually hard news? - ANSWER✅Stories about crime, local
government decisions, public safety, courts, and major community issues.
Why doesn't national news do more soft news? - ANSWER✅National news mainly
focuses on major political and economic events that affect the entire country.
When is soft news done nationally? - ANSWER✅Soft news appears in feature
segments, morning shows, entertainment sections, or human-interest stories.
What is the scorekeeper role of the media? - ANSWER✅Reporting the results of
elections, political events, and keeping track of political winners and losers.
What is the watchdog role of the media? - ANSWER✅Investigating and exposing
wrongdoing by politicians, businesses, and government officials.
What is the gatekeeper role of the media? - ANSWER✅Deciding which stories are
reported and how they are presented to the public.
Why can the watchdog and gatekeeper roles lead to bias? - ANSWER✅Because
journalists decide what to investigate and what stories get coverage.
What was the Print Era (News)? - ANSWER✅A time when newspapers were the main
source of information.
When was print news dominant? - ANSWER✅Late 1800s through early 1900s.
Evolution in Journalism2026–2027 Exam
Study Guide: Updated Practice Questions,
Verified Solutions, Concept Review &
Effective Revision Strategies
Description
The Top Score 2026–2027 Exam Study Guide
is a focused and reliable resource designed to
help students prepare efficiently, strengthen
their understanding, and improve exam
performance through structured practice and
clear explanations.
This guide brings together carefully selected
exam-style questions, clearly explained
solutions, and practical revision techniques to
support both learning and last-minute review. It
is built to help you not only answer questions
correctly, but also understand the methods and
reasoning required to solve them confidently.
, What is news? - ANSWER✅Information about recent events reported to the public
through media such as TV, newspapers, radio, and the internet.
What is hard news? - ANSWER✅News about serious and important topics such as
politics, economics, war, crime, and government decisions.
What is soft news? - ANSWER✅News that focuses on entertainment, lifestyle,
celebrities, or human-interest stories rather than serious political events.
What is the difference between hard news and soft news? - ANSWER✅Hard news
focuses on important and serious events affecting society, while soft news focuses on
entertainment and lighter topics.
What part of local news is usually hard news? - ANSWER✅Stories about crime, local
government decisions, public safety, courts, and major community issues.
Why doesn't national news do more soft news? - ANSWER✅National news mainly
focuses on major political and economic events that affect the entire country.
When is soft news done nationally? - ANSWER✅Soft news appears in feature
segments, morning shows, entertainment sections, or human-interest stories.
What is the scorekeeper role of the media? - ANSWER✅Reporting the results of
elections, political events, and keeping track of political winners and losers.
What is the watchdog role of the media? - ANSWER✅Investigating and exposing
wrongdoing by politicians, businesses, and government officials.
What is the gatekeeper role of the media? - ANSWER✅Deciding which stories are
reported and how they are presented to the public.
Why can the watchdog and gatekeeper roles lead to bias? - ANSWER✅Because
journalists decide what to investigate and what stories get coverage.
What was the Print Era (News)? - ANSWER✅A time when newspapers were the main
source of information.
When was print news dominant? - ANSWER✅Late 1800s through early 1900s.
