TEXES JOURNALISM PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
Which of the following prominent journalism figures is often credited with advancing the
practice known as yellow journalism by famously helping to propel the United States
into war with Spain? - Answers :William Randolph Hearst
Prior to 1980, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) maintained strict rules
on broadcast media ownership. Since then, the FCC has eliminated most of those
restrictions through a process called - Answers :deregulation.
Which of the following journalists is famous for exposing the squalid conditions of New
York's Blackwell Island Asylum and sparking reform around the country? - Answers
:Nellie Bly
Which of the following best describes an effect of cross-media ownership in
contemporary journalism? - Answers :Conglomerates form when one media company
buys out another type of media company.
In a journalism class, students are reviewing media messages in various television
commercials which try to persuade consumers to buy different products. To best hone
in on how the commercials are influencing viewers' opinions about the products,
students should consider which of the following questions as they view each
commercial? - Answers :What important information is left out of the message?
Ms. Potello wants her students to become more critical of information they find online.
She asks them to search the Internet for articles about the latest treatments for common
diseases. One student discovers an article that describes the benefits of an innovative
new treatment for diabetes. Which of the following steps will help students evaluate the
legitimacy of the claim? Select all that apply. - Answers :Researching the background of
the article's author and sponsors
Comparing the benefits of the treatment listed in the article with the benefits listed in
other articles on the topic
In which of the following instances is prior restraint deemed justified by the United
States Supreme Court? - Answers :When troop movements are publicized in time of
war
Which of the following best describes the impact of the Hazelwood School District v.
Kuhlmeier decision on school newspapers? - Answers :Schools may limit what is
published in their newspapers if the content causes legitimate academic distress.
Olivia, a high school junior, has just finished a paper for her journalism class. She has
paraphrased and cited sources in her bibliography to the best of her ability, but as she
rereads the paper, she is concerned about possible plagiarism. If she brings the paper
,to her teacher for advice, which of the following is the best response by the teacher to
help Olivia avoid any plagiarism issues? - Answers :Recommending that Olivia use
specific names rather than pronouns in the paper to avoid ambiguity
A student reporter is interviewing the superintendent and the high school principal for a
story about the school's building expansion project. Which of the following is the most
appropriate way for the student to generate questions for the story? - Answers :Asking
open-ended questions and researching the project before the interview
Which of the following best describes a primary difference between feature stories and
news stories? - Answers :Feature stories are human-interest articles that focus on
particular people, places and events, while news stories report the latest news.
Which of the following best demonstrates the journalistic principles of headline writing? -
Answers :Controversial $20 million school budget passes in 4 to 3 vote
A journalism teacher is reviewing tips on writing better leads. The teacher presents the
class with different leads to the same story about a winter snowstorm:
One quarter of an inch.
That's all the snow it took to send cars sliding into ditches during a surprise spring
snowstorm.
Old man winter is back again.
Students at Morse High School were amazed to see snow falling yesterday in a rare
spring storm.
The teacher asks the students to choose one lead and explain why it is the best. Using
this strategy helps the students realize that - Answers :"why" and "how" are more
important in leads than "who" and "what."
Which of the following is a primary reason for students to use a journalism stylebook? -
Answers :It provides essential principles for both conventional language and journalistic
techniques.
A student is taking photos for a newspaper article about a rash of cell phone thefts on
campus. An anonymous source provides a tip as to where the missing cell phones may
be found. The student believes that it is possible to use a zoom lens and capture a
photo of possible evidence through a window at another student's house. Which of the
following is the most appropriate response by the teacher to the student? - Answers
:Explaining to the student why taking the photo would be unethical and potentially illegal
The following is the first sentence of the caption that a photo editor created for a photo
from a school bake sale.
"The Student Council sells the last red velvet cupcake during the bake sale last Friday."
, Which of the following is the most appropriate feedback to give the photo editor to
improve the caption? - Answers :Avoid incongruity by using the time element as
adjectival information. Suggested improvement: "The Student Council sells the final red
velvet cupcake of last Friday's bake sale."
A student photographer is disappointed with the photos from a recent shoot. The
student sits down and evaluates the photos with the teacher who says they lack
dimension. Which of the following should the student do next time to best improve photo
composition? - Answers :Move to the side of the subject to show different planes.
The yearbook staff wants to increase the number of pages in the yearbook. Adding
pages requires making adjustments to the - Answers :ladder.
Which of the following elements is most directly responsible for creating a focal point in
a design? - Answers :Dominance
The yearbook editor is completing the layout using a desktop publishing program. The
editor realizes that the copy will not fit in the designated dummy. The best solution for
fitting the copy is to - Answers :tighten the tracking.
A student reporter has submitted a headline along with a front-page story. The layout
editor does not believe the headline will fit on the page, given the headline schedule and
specific column width assigned. Which of the following is the best way the adviser can
help the student reporter determine if the headline is the right size? - Answers :Using
the unit count system
Which of the following should be the first consideration when designing a print
advertisement to promote a product? - Answers :Focusing on the benefit of the product
for the audience
A student is designing an advertisement for the school newspaper. The student has
written the copy, taken a coordinating photo, created the graphics and located the logo.
The best next step in the layout process is to - Answers :insert the company's logo into
the advertisement.
Which of the following statements best describes the impact of technology on television
audiences during the 1980s and 1990s? - Answers :New technologies began to split
audiences into smaller segments that eroded the dominance of television broadcasting.
Broadcast students are producing a video news story about an upcoming community-
wide parade celebrating the volleyball team's state championship. They have conducted
several interviews and need to choose which sound bites to include. Which of the
following sound bites targets the student audience using an emotional appeal? -
Answers :Student: "We're pumped! I've got the purple face paint and he's got the purple
wig. It's going to get crazy!"
ANSWERS
Which of the following prominent journalism figures is often credited with advancing the
practice known as yellow journalism by famously helping to propel the United States
into war with Spain? - Answers :William Randolph Hearst
Prior to 1980, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) maintained strict rules
on broadcast media ownership. Since then, the FCC has eliminated most of those
restrictions through a process called - Answers :deregulation.
Which of the following journalists is famous for exposing the squalid conditions of New
York's Blackwell Island Asylum and sparking reform around the country? - Answers
:Nellie Bly
Which of the following best describes an effect of cross-media ownership in
contemporary journalism? - Answers :Conglomerates form when one media company
buys out another type of media company.
In a journalism class, students are reviewing media messages in various television
commercials which try to persuade consumers to buy different products. To best hone
in on how the commercials are influencing viewers' opinions about the products,
students should consider which of the following questions as they view each
commercial? - Answers :What important information is left out of the message?
Ms. Potello wants her students to become more critical of information they find online.
She asks them to search the Internet for articles about the latest treatments for common
diseases. One student discovers an article that describes the benefits of an innovative
new treatment for diabetes. Which of the following steps will help students evaluate the
legitimacy of the claim? Select all that apply. - Answers :Researching the background of
the article's author and sponsors
Comparing the benefits of the treatment listed in the article with the benefits listed in
other articles on the topic
In which of the following instances is prior restraint deemed justified by the United
States Supreme Court? - Answers :When troop movements are publicized in time of
war
Which of the following best describes the impact of the Hazelwood School District v.
Kuhlmeier decision on school newspapers? - Answers :Schools may limit what is
published in their newspapers if the content causes legitimate academic distress.
Olivia, a high school junior, has just finished a paper for her journalism class. She has
paraphrased and cited sources in her bibliography to the best of her ability, but as she
rereads the paper, she is concerned about possible plagiarism. If she brings the paper
,to her teacher for advice, which of the following is the best response by the teacher to
help Olivia avoid any plagiarism issues? - Answers :Recommending that Olivia use
specific names rather than pronouns in the paper to avoid ambiguity
A student reporter is interviewing the superintendent and the high school principal for a
story about the school's building expansion project. Which of the following is the most
appropriate way for the student to generate questions for the story? - Answers :Asking
open-ended questions and researching the project before the interview
Which of the following best describes a primary difference between feature stories and
news stories? - Answers :Feature stories are human-interest articles that focus on
particular people, places and events, while news stories report the latest news.
Which of the following best demonstrates the journalistic principles of headline writing? -
Answers :Controversial $20 million school budget passes in 4 to 3 vote
A journalism teacher is reviewing tips on writing better leads. The teacher presents the
class with different leads to the same story about a winter snowstorm:
One quarter of an inch.
That's all the snow it took to send cars sliding into ditches during a surprise spring
snowstorm.
Old man winter is back again.
Students at Morse High School were amazed to see snow falling yesterday in a rare
spring storm.
The teacher asks the students to choose one lead and explain why it is the best. Using
this strategy helps the students realize that - Answers :"why" and "how" are more
important in leads than "who" and "what."
Which of the following is a primary reason for students to use a journalism stylebook? -
Answers :It provides essential principles for both conventional language and journalistic
techniques.
A student is taking photos for a newspaper article about a rash of cell phone thefts on
campus. An anonymous source provides a tip as to where the missing cell phones may
be found. The student believes that it is possible to use a zoom lens and capture a
photo of possible evidence through a window at another student's house. Which of the
following is the most appropriate response by the teacher to the student? - Answers
:Explaining to the student why taking the photo would be unethical and potentially illegal
The following is the first sentence of the caption that a photo editor created for a photo
from a school bake sale.
"The Student Council sells the last red velvet cupcake during the bake sale last Friday."
, Which of the following is the most appropriate feedback to give the photo editor to
improve the caption? - Answers :Avoid incongruity by using the time element as
adjectival information. Suggested improvement: "The Student Council sells the final red
velvet cupcake of last Friday's bake sale."
A student photographer is disappointed with the photos from a recent shoot. The
student sits down and evaluates the photos with the teacher who says they lack
dimension. Which of the following should the student do next time to best improve photo
composition? - Answers :Move to the side of the subject to show different planes.
The yearbook staff wants to increase the number of pages in the yearbook. Adding
pages requires making adjustments to the - Answers :ladder.
Which of the following elements is most directly responsible for creating a focal point in
a design? - Answers :Dominance
The yearbook editor is completing the layout using a desktop publishing program. The
editor realizes that the copy will not fit in the designated dummy. The best solution for
fitting the copy is to - Answers :tighten the tracking.
A student reporter has submitted a headline along with a front-page story. The layout
editor does not believe the headline will fit on the page, given the headline schedule and
specific column width assigned. Which of the following is the best way the adviser can
help the student reporter determine if the headline is the right size? - Answers :Using
the unit count system
Which of the following should be the first consideration when designing a print
advertisement to promote a product? - Answers :Focusing on the benefit of the product
for the audience
A student is designing an advertisement for the school newspaper. The student has
written the copy, taken a coordinating photo, created the graphics and located the logo.
The best next step in the layout process is to - Answers :insert the company's logo into
the advertisement.
Which of the following statements best describes the impact of technology on television
audiences during the 1980s and 1990s? - Answers :New technologies began to split
audiences into smaller segments that eroded the dominance of television broadcasting.
Broadcast students are producing a video news story about an upcoming community-
wide parade celebrating the volleyball team's state championship. They have conducted
several interviews and need to choose which sound bites to include. Which of the
following sound bites targets the student audience using an emotional appeal? -
Answers :Student: "We're pumped! I've got the purple face paint and he's got the purple
wig. It's going to get crazy!"
