NAB Broadcasting Ethics & Professionalism 3

Question 1

When a broadcaster airs a retraction, what element is most critical for the retraction to be considered adequate?

Accepted Answer

Making it as prominent and timely as the original erroneous report

Answer

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:

Accepted Answer

Charge political candidates the lowest rate offered to any commercial advertiser for the same time slot

Answer

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:

Accepted Answer

Remove themselves from all coverage of that company and disclose the conflict to management

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

Content aired between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM when children may be in the audience

Answer

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:

Accepted Answer

Air the story as planned without alteration due to advertiser pressure

Answer

Allowing advertisers to influence editorial decisions violates the principle of editorial independence fundamental to broadcast journalism.

(NAB) National Association of Broadcasters Certification Practice Test