PRAXIS JOURNALISM (5224) PRACTICE QUESTIONS 1–25
JOURNALISM PRINCIPLES & ETHICS
1. Which principle is MOST important when reporting controversial topics?
A) Accuracy
B) Speed
C) Personal opinion
D) Humor
Answer: A
Rationale: Accuracy ensures credible and ethical reporting.
2. Which scenario represents a conflict of interest in journalism?
A) Reporting on a story about a family member’s business
B) Covering a neutral news event
C) Interviewing a public official
D) Fact-checking sources
Answer: A
Rationale: Personal ties can bias reporting.
3. Which is considered ethical journalistic practice?
A) Fabricating quotes
B) Using anonymous sources without verification
C) Attributing information to reliable sources
D) Plagiarizing content
Answer: C
Rationale: Ethical reporting requires attribution and fact-checking.
4. A journalist promises confidentiality to a source. What is this an example of?
A) Libel
B) Source protection
, C) Defamation
D) Plagiarism
Answer: B
Rationale: Protecting sources is a key ethical standard.
5. Which principle guides journalists to report without bias?
A) Objectivity
B) Sensationalism
C) Advocacy
D) Satire
Answer: A
Rationale: Objectivity ensures balanced coverage.
MEDIA LAW & FREEDOM OF PRESS
6. Which statement best describes libel?
A) Truthful reporting of facts
B) False statements harming someone’s reputation
C) Editorial opinion
D) Freedom of speech
Answer: B
Rationale: Libel is defamation in written form.
7. Which amendment guarantees freedom of the press in the U.S.?
A) First Amendment
B) Second Amendment
C) Fourth Amendment
D) Fifth Amendment
Answer: A
Rationale: The First Amendment protects press freedom.
8. A journalist publishes private information about someone without consent, causing harm. This
may be:
A) Libel
B) Invasion of privacy
C) Fair use
D) Defamation