Sample test questions
Which four of the 5 W’s and H are usually contained in a lead paragraph for a newspaper story? Who, what, when, and where.
The chief goal of a journalist is
a. accuracy
b. brevity
c. clarity
d. human interest
Information which may not need attribution in a news story includes
a. context or background information
b. direct quotes
c. indirect quotes
d. information from stored sources
If a person takes a trip across the country, it’s probably not news. If the president of the United States takes a trip across the country, chances are you will hear about it on news broadcasts and read about it in the newspaper. What news value is at work here?
a. conflict
b. prominence
c. the bizarre or unusual
d. proximity
If a traffic accident kills two people but it happens 1,000 away from where you are, you probably won’t read about it in the local newspaper. If it happens within your city limits, however, it will be in the newspaper. What news value is at work here?
a. conflict
b. prominence
c. the bizarre or unusual
d. proximity
Explain the news value of impact. An event that affects the lives of many people, such as a tax increase or a violent thunderstorm, is said to have impact.
What are the three major sources of information for a journalist?
personal, observational and stored
In most news stories, most of the information is likely to come from what type of source?
a. personal
b. observational
c. stored
True or False. Information from personal sources in a news story usually comes in the form of a direct or indirect quote.
Define attribution. Attribution in a news story means telling the reader where the information in that story comes from.
True or False Stored sources are located only in local libraries.
True or False One of the most important things a reporter must do is spell people’s names correctly.
True or False Direct quotations may or may not be the exact words that a person used.
The best news stories should come from
a. a minimum of 10 sources
b. only one source
c. more than one source
d. two sources but only those that have directly opposing views
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