POSC 225 Exam 2 Ferraiolo Spring UPDATED
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
Sources of news (key trends/results presented in class on topics such as preferred platforms
for news
(and variations based on age); use of and concerns about social media - what do users like
and dislike
most?; views about impact of social media sites on democracy) - CORRECT
ANSWER - Younger people use social media; rely on devices (Twitter is most used for
politics)
- Older people use TV
- People believe social media has no impact on democracy
- People dislike inaccuracy on social media; it enables misinformation
People like the convenience
Podcast appearances by Harris (Call Her Daddy) and Trump (Joe Rogan) discussed in class -
CORRECT ANSWER - Humanize the candidates
- Older voters won't take them seriously
- Control the narrative
Decline of the newspaper industry and significance/consequences - CORRECT
ANSWER - Lots of closures, average of 2 per week
- News deserts: 1/5 of the population lives in an area with no local news or one at risk
Consequences:
- Crisis for democracy and society
- Civic engagement decreases
- Elected officials are less accountable
- Corruption is more pervasive
- Voter participation drops
, - More polarization
Why traditional news organizations are still central (Slide 15); concerns about "fake news" -
CORRECT ANSWER 1- Most sites reach small and fragmented audiences
- Most visited online news sites tied to traditional print/TV outlets
- Most news from bloggers/social media is from material collected by reporters in the
traditional news sector
- factual foundation
Concerns:
- Facebook during the 2016 election (mainstream vs fake)
- 2024 election
Functions of the mass media - CORRECT ANSWER -watchdog
-make the public's electoral choices clear
-provide policy information
Watchdog - CORRECT ANSWER If the public is informed, they can hold the
government accountable (Watergate)
Factors affecting the media today - CORRECT ANSWER - Corporate ownership
- Uniformity and diversity
- Profit motives
- Limited geography of political news
- Wire services
- Episodic foreign coverage
- Dependence on official sources
- Leaks
- Beats
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
Sources of news (key trends/results presented in class on topics such as preferred platforms
for news
(and variations based on age); use of and concerns about social media - what do users like
and dislike
most?; views about impact of social media sites on democracy) - CORRECT
ANSWER - Younger people use social media; rely on devices (Twitter is most used for
politics)
- Older people use TV
- People believe social media has no impact on democracy
- People dislike inaccuracy on social media; it enables misinformation
People like the convenience
Podcast appearances by Harris (Call Her Daddy) and Trump (Joe Rogan) discussed in class -
CORRECT ANSWER - Humanize the candidates
- Older voters won't take them seriously
- Control the narrative
Decline of the newspaper industry and significance/consequences - CORRECT
ANSWER - Lots of closures, average of 2 per week
- News deserts: 1/5 of the population lives in an area with no local news or one at risk
Consequences:
- Crisis for democracy and society
- Civic engagement decreases
- Elected officials are less accountable
- Corruption is more pervasive
- Voter participation drops
, - More polarization
Why traditional news organizations are still central (Slide 15); concerns about "fake news" -
CORRECT ANSWER 1- Most sites reach small and fragmented audiences
- Most visited online news sites tied to traditional print/TV outlets
- Most news from bloggers/social media is from material collected by reporters in the
traditional news sector
- factual foundation
Concerns:
- Facebook during the 2016 election (mainstream vs fake)
- 2024 election
Functions of the mass media - CORRECT ANSWER -watchdog
-make the public's electoral choices clear
-provide policy information
Watchdog - CORRECT ANSWER If the public is informed, they can hold the
government accountable (Watergate)
Factors affecting the media today - CORRECT ANSWER - Corporate ownership
- Uniformity and diversity
- Profit motives
- Limited geography of political news
- Wire services
- Episodic foreign coverage
- Dependence on official sources
- Leaks
- Beats
