Journalism History Test
_____ 1. What was the name of the first newspaper ever published in the American
colonies?
a.
b.
c.
d.
New York Weekly
Boston News-Leader
Publick Occurences
Whig Gazetteer
_____ 2. In colonial America, with what offense were newspapers charged when they
criticized the government, even if their criticisms were true?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Sedition
Yellow journalism
Muckraking
Conspiracy
_____ 3. What principle of libel law was established through the case of John Peter
Zenger?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Truth is a defense against libel
Truth can be libel if it attacks authority
Libel does not equal sedition
Libel is treason
_____ 4. Which of the following guarantees freedom of the press in the United States?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Declaration of Independence
First Amendment to the Constitution
Articles of Confederation
Magna Carta
_____ 5. The name for unethical, irresponsible journalism that emphasizes hoaxes,
screaming headlines, frauds and self-promotion is called what?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Seditious journalism
Libelous journalism
Muckraking journalism
Yellow journalism
_____ 6. This type of journalism fought to bring to light social injustices and right wrongs
in places like hospitals.
a. Seditious journalism
b. Libelous journalism
c. Muckraking journalism
d. Yellow journalism
_____ 7. During which era was the telegraph the most useful to reporters?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Revolutionary
Civil Rights
Civil War
Vietnam War
_____ 8. Before the Penny Press newspapers were filled with?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Ads, letters to the editor, random things
Only war news
News about natural disasters and crime
Sports scores
_____ 9. Who was notorious for yellow journalism?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Patty Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
John Peter Zenger
Ida Tarbell
_____ 10. Nellie Bly was famous for writing about:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Women’s issues
Social investigative reporting
Sports
Education
_____ 11. Which of the following stories might you read today that would be similar to
something Bly would have written?
a.
b.
c.
d.
NFL sues Tom Brady
Conditions in veterans’ hospitals
A new super commuter train
Life of a new president
_____ 12. “The Federalist Papers” were signed by:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Alexander Hamilton
George Washington
Joseph Pulitzer
Publius
_____ 13. “The Federalist Papers” were written to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Convince the British to go home
Convince the voters of Massachusetts to ratify the constitution
Convince the voters of New York to ratify the constitution
Convince the colonists that the colonies should go to war with Britain
_____ 14. How did the Penny Press change the financial stability of newspapers?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Newspapers went bankrupt
Uses advertising to pay the bills
All finances based on money from sales
Papers wouldn’t cost more than 25 cents.
_____ 15. The telegraph led to what style of journalist writing?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Inverted square
Inverted pyramid
Essay-driven style
Wire service
_____ 16. Why would a newspaper want to subscribe to a wire service in the later
1800’s?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Save on payroll
So they could fire bad reporters
Cover Civil War battles and receive news instantly
It was the trend at the time
_____ 17. Stirring up trouble and printing false reports after the sinking of “The Maine”
is an example of what type of journalism?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Investigative
In-depth
Yellow journalism
Muckracking
_____ 18. Which war put CNN in the national spotlight?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Civil War
WWII
Afghanistan
Gulf War I
_____ 19. What type of action in the 1950s allowed that signaled the decline of
newspapers?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Censorship
Popularity of radio
television
computers
____ 20. In what year did CNN first start broadcasting?
a.
b.
c.
d.
1979
1980
1987
1991
_____ 21. MTV was the first television station to play all:
a.
b.
c.
d.
News
Music
Sports
Reality TV
_____ 22. What was the release of classified documents to the New York Times
regarding the Vietnam war called?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Pentagon Papers
Ellsburg Leak
New York Times’ Vietnam Leak
White House Papers
____ 23. In addition to bringing social injustice to life, Nellie Bly was also considered:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Empathetic for her stunts
Charitable
Role Model for women
All of the above
____ 24. Edward R. Murrow became famous because he:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Helped start CNN
Informed people of events of WWII in newspapers
Broadcasted the lasted news from London every night on the radio
Invented the radio
____ 25. Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward ushered in a new type of investigative
journalism that focused on:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Exposing government corruption
Going undercover for months
Concealing sources
More concise or clearer writing
Short answer (2 points each)
26. Why is the Zenger verdict so important today?
27. Explain the Civil War’s impact on Journalism.
28. How did newspapers aid the Revolutionary War?
29. Why would something like “The Federalist Papers” not be printed in a newspaper
today?
30. Why was yellow journalism such a bad thing for newspapers?
31. What does the inverted pyramid do, and when did reporters start using it?
32. Please describe one example of how muckraking was used?
33. Why did newspapers begin to lose popularity during WWII?
34. Why is the creation of CNN so important in the media world?
35. Please describe the events that caused everyone to start using CNN as their main
source of minute by minute news.
36-40. Please write the First Amendment on the back of the multiple choice
answer sheet.
Name: __________________________________
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