NAB Broadcasting Ethics & Professionalism 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a broadcaster airs a retraction, what element is most critical for the retraction to be considered adequate?
- Airing it once during a low-viewership time slot
- Making it as prominent and timely as the original erroneous report (Correct answer)
- Only correcting errors when legally compelled to do so
- Framing the retraction so it does not reflect poorly on the station
Correct answer: Making it as prominent and timely as the original erroneous report
Ethical corrections must be as visible and prominent as the original error to adequately inform the audience.
Question 2: The FCC's 'lowest unit charge' rule in political broadcasting requires broadcasters to:
- Charge political candidates the lowest rate offered to any commercial advertiser for the same time slot (Correct answer)
- Provide free airtime to all federal candidates equally
- Cap total political ad revenue at 10% of gross billing
- Give incumbent candidates preferred scheduling
Correct answer: Charge political candidates the lowest rate offered to any commercial advertiser for the same time slot
The lowest unit charge rule ensures candidates pay no more than the cheapest rate the station charges commercial advertisers for comparable spots.
Question 3: A news anchor has a significant financial stake in a company that is the subject of a major investigative report. The ethical course of action is to:
- Anchor the segment but disclose the financial interest on air
- Remove themselves from all coverage of that company and disclose the conflict to management (Correct answer)
- Assign the story to a reporter with no conflict but not disclose it publicly
- Proceed normally since financial interests do not affect journalistic judgment
Correct answer: Remove themselves from all coverage of that company and disclose the conflict to management
Journalists with financial conflicts of interest must recuse themselves from relevant coverage to preserve credibility and integrity.
Question 4: Which type of content is subject to FCC indecency regulations on broadcast television and radio?
- Content aired between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM
- Content aired between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM when children may be in the audience (Correct answer)
- All content regardless of time of broadcast
- Only live programming, not pre-recorded content
Correct answer: Content aired between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM when children may be in the audience
FCC indecency rules apply during the 'safe harbor' daytime hours of 6 AM to 10 PM when children are likely to be viewing or listening.
Question 5: A station manager is pressured by a major sponsor to pull an investigative report critical of that sponsor's product. The ethical response is to:
- Pull the story to protect the advertising relationship
- Air the story as planned without alteration due to advertiser pressure (Correct answer)
- Soften the story's conclusions to satisfy the sponsor
- Delay the story indefinitely pending 'further review'
Correct answer: Air the story as planned without alteration due to advertiser pressure
Allowing advertisers to influence editorial decisions violates the principle of editorial independence fundamental to broadcast journalism.
Question 6: What is 'checkbook journalism' and why is it generally considered unethical in broadcasting?
- Using expense accounts for travel, which inflates costs unfairly
- Paying sources for exclusive interviews, which can incentivize fabrication and compromise objectivity (Correct answer)
- Accepting corporate sponsorships for news segments
- Hiring freelance journalists on a per-story basis
Correct answer: Paying sources for exclusive interviews, which can incentivize fabrication and compromise objectivity
Paying sources for stories can motivate people to fabricate or exaggerate information and creates a financial conflict that undermines credibility.
Question 7: Under FCC rules, what is the 'public file' requirement for broadcast stations?
- Stations must submit all scripts to the FCC before airing
- Stations must maintain a publicly accessible file containing licenses, political advertising records, and ownership information (Correct answer)
- All employees must have their credentials filed with the FCC
- Stations must publish their ratings data monthly in a public database
Correct answer: Stations must maintain a publicly accessible file containing licenses, political advertising records, and ownership information
FCC rules require broadcast stations to maintain a public inspection file so community members can review compliance and ownership information.
NAB Broadcasting Ethics & Professionalism 3
When a broadcaster airs a retraction, what element is most critical for the retraction to be considered adequate?