Communications and Media

1. The word ethics derives from the Greek word ethos, which means
a. truth above all else.
b. traditions that govern a culture.
c. fairness to all humans.
d. respect for the rights of others.
e. and justice for all.

2. Which ethical question is raised by a reporter who creates composite characters in hisher articles to illustrate certain situations
a. fairness
b. privacy
c. truthfulness
d. responsibility
e. bias

3. When government officials intentionally mislead the press and public, they are engaging in an act of
a. misrepresentation.
b. distortion.
c. disinformation.
d. damage control.
e. political rhetoric.

4. Washington Post reporter Janet Cooke lost her job because she had
a. made up information.
b. created a composite character for a news story.
c. relied on insider friendships.
d. been caught in a conflict of interest.
e. broken off her romance with the managing editor.

5. When reporters go on free trips andor are given free passes to entertainment events, it could result in
a. checkbook journalism.
b. misrepresentation.
c. conflict of interest.
d. disinformation.
e. distortion.

6. Which overriding ethical question is raised when the media report that a famous person is suffering from AIDS
a. Is this a conflict of interest
b. Has the person been defamed
c. Is the story in poor taste
d. Is it an invasion of the persons privacy
e. Is the person going to file a lawsuit

7. The media faces all of these ethical issues except
a. Fairness
b. Truthfulness
c. Responsibility
d. Privacy
e. None of the above

8. Making decisions based on principles that you want to be universally applied is an example of
a. Kants categorical imperative.
b. Aristotles golden mean.
c. Rawls veil of ignorance.
d. Fromms treatise on love and mutual respect.
e. John Stuart Mills principle of utility.

9. The journalistic concept of fairness is reflected in
a. Kants categorical imperative.
b. Fromms treatise on love and mutual respect.
c. Aristotles golden mean.
d. Mills principle of utility.
e. Rawls veil of ignorance.

10. Which of the following best describes Rawls veil of ignorance
a. Be gentle and kind with those less fortunate and intelligent.
b. Love your neighbor as yourself.
c. Moral virtue is the appropriate location between two extremes.
d. Justice emerges when negotiating without social differentiation.
e. Truth is found by weighing the merits of arguments of each side and reaching a compromise.

11. Codes of ethics established by professional and industry groups
a. have the force of law, and violators can be prosecuted.
b. are voluntary and have no penalties.
c. strictly regulate the personal and professional conduct of journalists.
d. have the force of law, but are rarely enforced.
e. must be approved by regulatory bodies, such as the FTC and FCC.

12. In most cases, a reporter who makes an ethical mistake
a. could go to jail.
b. will be forced to pay damages.
c. could be sued for libel or invasion of privacy.
d. will not face a lawsuit.
e. will be fined by hisher news organization.

13. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) code
a. was abolished after a decision by a federal judge that the provisions violated the First Amendment.
b. offers guarantees to broadcasters under the First Amendment.
c. is the broadcast and cable industries most effective form of self-regulation.
d. was the first of the ethical codes established by professional media organizations.
e. all of the above

14. The U.S. medias response to media criticism has included
a. the creation of a national news council.
b. employing readers representatives.
c. creating correction boxes in newspapers.
d. creating their own rules for ethical behavior.
 e. all of the above

15. A readers representative (ombudsperson)
a. is also usually the editor of the paper.
b. is never responsible for the correction box in the paper.
c. acts as a go-between from the public to the newsroom.
d. is not allowed to criticize the papers actions.
e. is hired by the public to oversee local news operations.

16. Which of the following is an example of unethical journalistic behavior
a. Janet Cookes Jimmys World story
b. a stock columnists providing advance information to friends
c. journalists accepting a free trip to Disney World
d. altering photographs to indicate something that is not true
e. all of the above

17. A news council
a. is required by law in every U.S. city.
b. has ultimate enforcement power over media.
c. reveals the medias mistakes to the public.
d. reviews complaints from the public and reports its findings to the offending news organization.
e. reviews complaints from the public and has the authority to file civil suits against offending news organizations.

18. Which of the following ethical breaches was not involved in the case of Jayson Blair and The New York Times
a. plagiarized material from other new sources
b. concocted scenes
c. insider friendships
d. fabricated comments and quotes
e. misrepresentation of reporting location

19. Disinformation is the practice of
a. government misleading the media to achieve its objectives with the public.
b. lying by reporters.
c. a reporters making up quotations.
d. an editors suppressing a news story.
e. using a computer to alter the content of a photograph.

20. Situational ethics, often applied by journalists to their reporting, may at any time involve which of the following philosophical principles
a. Aristotles golden mean
b. Mills principle of utility
c. Rawls veil of ignorance
d. Judeo-Christian view of persons as ends in themselves
e. any combination of the above

21. When former NBC employee Maria Shriver used her contacts at NBC to keep the author of a book about her husband, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, from appearing on NBCs Today Show, which ethical principle was breached
a. truthfulness
b. fairness
c. responsibility
d. privacy
e. all of the above

22. Which of the following is an example of checkbook journalism
a. Walt Disney Worlds paying expenses for journalists attending a Disney event
b. People Magazines making a donation to charity in return for a picture of pregnant actress Angelina Jolie
c. CNNs reporters blending in with Fish and Wildlife agents during a raid on a ranch in Montana
d. A freelance photojournalists ramming the car of actress Lindsay Lohan in order to get photographs of her reaction
e. Payment by a public relations firm to syndicated columnist Armstrong Williams to promote No Child Left Behind legislation to African-Americans

23. Which of the following activities runs counter to the Society of Professional Journalists ethical guideline to act independently
a. A freelance photojournalists ramming the car of actress Lindsay Lohan in order to get photographs of her reaction.
b. Washington Post reporter Janet Cookes admitted fabrication of an 8-year-old heroin addict from a composite of several children she had interviewed.
c. CNNs reporters blending in with Fish and Wildlife agents during a raid on a ranch in Montana
d. The Des Moines Registers disclosure of rape victim Nancy Ziegenmeyers name with Ziegenmeyers voluntary cooperation.
e. None of the above.

24. When the Detroit Free Press published a column by author Mitch Albom in which he reported that certain former Michigan State basketball players had attended a game they hadnt, based on interviews he had done before the game, which ethical principle was violated
a. privacy
b. insider friendships
c. fairness
d. truthfulness
e. conflict of interest

25. Which of the following is not true of the Code of Conduct of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
a. It was later the basis of the code of the Radio-Television News Directors Association.
b. It applied to both news reporting and entertainment programming.
c. Compliance with the code was represented by display of the NAB Seal of Approval.
d. It was struck down in 1976 by a U. S. Federal court.
e. It specified that programs involving violence should present the consequences of violence to victims and perpetrators.