BSJ Bachelor of Journalism: Journalistic Arts Skills 3

Question 1

Which legal doctrine protects a journalist from being compelled to reveal a confidential source in most US states?

Accepted Answer

Shield law

Answer

Shield laws, enacted in most US states, provide journalists with varying degrees of protection against being forced to disclose confidential sources in court.

Question 2

When writing a lede for a hard news story, which element is typically LEAST essential?

Accepted Answer

Historical background of the issue

Answer

Historical background is considered context that belongs in the body of the story, not the lede, which focuses on the immediate 5 W's of the current event.

Question 3

A reporter receives an unsolicited press release and publishes it verbatim without additional reporting. This practice is called:

Accepted Answer

Churnalism

Answer

Churnalism refers to the practice of publishing press releases or PR material with little or no independent verification or added journalistic value.

Question 4

In data journalism, what is a 'data scraping' technique used for?

Accepted Answer

Automatically extracting structured data from websites

Answer

Data scraping uses automated tools or scripts to extract and collect structured information from websites for journalistic analysis.

Question 5

Which editing pass focuses specifically on correcting grammar, punctuation, and spelling rather than story structure?

Accepted Answer

Copy editing

Answer

Copy editing addresses surface-level correctness including grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style guide compliance, distinct from structural or conceptual editing.

BSJ - Bachelor of Journalism Practice Test

BSJ - Bachelor of Journalism Practice Test

BSJ Bachelor of Journalism: Journalistic Arts Skills 3