How Free Is The Press Question Answers BSEB Class 12 English Rainbow Book

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How Free Is The Press Question Answers

 

BSEB Class 12 English Rainbow Book Lesson 8 How Free Is The Press Question Answers 

 

How Free Is The Press Question Answers: Looking for How Free Is The Press important questions and Answers for BSEB Class 12 English Rainbow Book? Look no further! Our comprehensive compilation of important questions will help you brush up on your subject knowledge. Practicing BSEB Class 12 English question Answers can significantly improve your performance in the board exam. Improve your chances of scoring high marks by exploring How Free Is The Press Question Answers now. The questions listed below are based on the latest BSEB exam pattern. All the exercises and Questions Answers given at the back of the lesson have also been covered. 

 

BSEB Class 12 English Chapter 8 How Free Is The Press Textbook Question and Answers

 

Exercises

B.1.1. Read the following sentences and write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements:

  1. Press is free everywhere.
  2. There is no internal censorship on the press.
  3. Proprietors have their personal interests as well
  4. Advertisers contribute to the revenue of the newspaper. 

Answer-

  1. Press is free everywhere.– False
  2. There is no internal censorship on the press.– False
  3. Proprietors have their personal interests as well.- True
  4. Advertisers contribute to the revenue of the newspaper.– True

 

B.1. 2. Answer the following questions briefly

1) What do free ‘people’ take for granted?
Answer-
Free ‘people’ take for granted the fact that without a free Press, there can be no freedom.

2) Are there restrictions on Press in time of war?
Answer-
Yes, there are restrictions on Pess in times of war. At such times all liberties have to be restricted.

3) What do you mean by the term ‘free press’?
Answer-
Free Press refers to the rights of newspapers, magazines, etc., to report news without being controlled by the government

4) Who is the master — the state or the people?
Answer-
The State is not the master but the servant of the people.

5) What does the unofficial censorship seek to do ?
Answer-
Unofficial censorship by the Press exists not so much to express opinion but to manufacture it.

6) Name two sources of revenue newspapers usually survive on.
Answer-
Two main sources of revenue that a newspaper usually survives on is-

  1. The advertisers
  2. The wealth of the company or the man that owns the paper

 

B.2.1. Complete the following sentences on the basis of the unit you have just studied:

  1. Accurate reporting has given place to reporting which is at best slipshod and at worst tendentious because it is assumed that ………………
  2. Sensational headlines, false emphasis and supposition of context are some of the ways to   ………………..
  3. ………………… is the special accomplishment of the Press interviewer. 
  4. The date in the newspaper report had to be changed to  …………………………………

Answer-

  1. Accurate reporting has given place to reporting which is at best slipshod and at worst tendentious because it is assumed that public does not have the wit to distinguish between the truth and falsehood, secondly the public does not care if a statement is false provided it is titillating and both of these statements mean that the public can be made to believe anything.
  2. Sensational headlines, false emphasis and supposition of context are some of the ways to distort both fact and opinion.
  3. Garbling is the special accomplishment of the Press interviewer. 
  4. The date in the newspaper report had to be changed to conceal the fact that the news was already ‘cold’.

 

B.2. 3. Answer the following questions briefly :

1. What are the two basic assumptions about the public?
Answer-
There are two basic assumptions about the public-

  1. a) that they have not the wit to distinguish truth from falsehood; 
  2. b) that they do not care at all that a statement is false, provided it is titillating. 

Neither assumption is flattering

2. What is supposition of context?
Answer-
Supposition of context refers to extracting a subsidiary paragraph from a whole piece of writing and reporting it everywhere, under sensational headlines, in such a manner as to convey that this passing allusion formed the whole subject matter of the address. For example, Out of the 8000 words about theology in the author’s speech, the reporters picked the only one which they presumed their readers capable of understanding —to wit, ‘fornication’. 

3. Name two things that make the reports unreliable reading?
Answer-
Bland perversions together with the interviewer’s playful habit of making statements himself and attributing them to his victim make reported interviews singularly unreliable reading

B.3.1. Read the following sentences and write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements:

  1. The author was very fond of gardening and keeping cats.
  2. The author had delivered 20,000 words in the space of an hour and a quarter
  3. To misrepresent a man’s attitude and opinion is no offence.
  4. To get misleading statements corrected is very easy.
  5. Any public person is subtly made to feel that if he offends the press he will suffer for it.
  6. The press can make or break reputation.

Answer-

  1. The author was very fond of gardening and keeping cats.-False
  2. The author had delivered 20,000 words in the space of an hour and a quarter.-False
  3. To misrepresent a man’s attitude and opinion is no offence.-True
  4. To get misleading statements corrected is very easy.-False
  5. Any public person is subtly made to feel that if he offends the press he will suffer for it.-True
  6. The press can make or break reputation.-True

 

B.3.2. Answer the following questions briefly : 

1) Why do books rarely criticise the Press?
Answer– Books rarely criticize the Press because books which venture to do so are rare it is not easy to find a paper honest enough to print an article on the subject

2) How do the newspapers greet the slightest effort to hinder the irresponsible dissemination of nonsense?
Answer- The slightest effort to hinder the irresponsible dissemination of nonsense is greeted by a concerted howl: ‘This is a threat to the Freedom of Press’.

3) Name the seven charges the author makes against the Press?
Answer- The seven charges the author makes against the Press are False Emphasis, Garbling, Inaccuracy, Reversal of the Fact, Random Invention, Miracle-Mongering, and Flat Suppression.

C. 1. Long Answer Questions

1. The editorial policy of a popular daily is controlled by two chief factors. Which are they? Explain
Answer-
The editorial policy of a daily newspaper is guided by two main factors. Firstly, it needs to take care of the interest of advertisers that help provide the finances to carry the circulation of the newspaper at such a large scale. Hence, no widespread newspaper will support a public policy no matter how much it is in the benefit of the people because it may not be in sync with the interest laid down by the advertisers. Thus, any offer to control the promotion of a branded good (for example – margarine of 1939) will be violently disapproved on hygienic grounds by the dailies that promote branded advertising. Similarly, a product that disagrees to pay the extremely high advertising costs to a powerful daily, will be publicly declared as wrong and will be bashed by them on hygienic and moral grounds to the extent that it will disappear from the entire market. Hence, the public is not free to use any product that does not associate itself with the branding world. All of it can be justified by understanding that circulating on a large scale brings with it the horror of bankruptcy if the daily newspaper has to depend only on its sales as a primary source of revenue. 

The second chief factor that controls a newspaper’s revenue is how deep are the pockets of the man or the company that owns it as they control the policies based on their personal and political motives. For example, if the owner of a big newspaper fails to get an appointment with any government official, they will attain the motive to start a revengeful campaign through every domain that comes under him, against the minister or the party that has disappointed him. The public obviously knows nothing about the grudge behind these types of attacks. 

2. What is garbling? How does Sayers illustrate this form of distortion?
Answer-
Garbling refers to giving a confused version of a story. Sayers illustrated this form of distortion with a personal example – a special accomplishment of the Press interviewer. At the time of production of the author’s latest play, she was asked about her plans for the future to which she replied that she never made any plans. She expressed that she liked writing plays over novels even though novels attracted more money and in spite of the financial factor, if she was faced with an opportunity to write a play like, another commission for the Canterbury Festival, she would write it without thinking twice. This reply of hers was published in a manner suggesting that she would not write anymore plays except in situations where she is being paid a commission.

Outright and deliberate distortions of this sort combined with the interviewer’s habit of being playful and drafting the statements on their own and crediting them to their victim has resulted in reported interviews being untrustworthy and irresponsible. There should always be some scope for the journalist’s creative imagination. The author recalls reading with full interest how her eyes ‘glittered behind her glasses’ while saying something but since it was a telephonic interview, the author assumed that the interviewer’s eyes must have had the power of double magnifying glass. 

3. Describe in your own words the instances of deliberate miracle-mongering.
Answer-
Deliberate miracle-mongering refers to intentional spreading of stories, outstanding achievement etc. An instance of miracle-mongering that the author shared about the time when a local daily reported that she had delivered a 20,000 words’ speech during a public address in about an hour and 15 minutes. It is such impossible reporting because the reporter had the entire script in his hands and it was somewhere around 8000 words. To be accurate, it was an error of 150 percent which is significant enough to know if one’s reporting should be trusted.

4. How are letters of protest treated by the newspapers? Describe in your own words.
Answer-
Letters of protest may be written to the newspapers expressing disapproval or objection but they might either be ignored completely or published in part or full, with a comment saying that the words published earlier were actually spoken and that the speaker must not take the majority of the paper’s crucial space. There is also a chance that the letter is answered privately by the editor. It can be called a very clever scheme that does absolutely nothing to make amends regarding the person’s reputation in the public. It is very rare to receive a full apology and correction from a local newspaper. The author quotes a letter of apology that is intended to her by an old-school editor. It begins by saying thank you to the author for writing the letter which is their ‘duty’ to print as they strive to attain balance in the news in order to maintain their good name. The author throws light upon three meaningful words drawn out of the letter – duty, reputation and balanced. 

5. Have you ever written a letter of protest to any newspaper? What was the fate of this letter?
Answer-
No, I have never written a letter of protest to any newspaper. However, if anyone was to write one, it may be (a) ignored; (b) printed in full or in part, accompanied by an editorial comment to the effect that the words reported were actually said, and that the speaker must not expect to monopolise the whole of the paper’s valuable space; (c) answered privately by the editor — a manoeuvre that does nothing to correct the false impression left in the public mind. Only occasionally, and usually from a provincial paper, does one receive full apology and correction

6. ‘He that is unfaithful in little is unfaithful also in much.’ How does Dorothy L. Sayers cite trivial personal examples to prove that the newspapers misrepresent in various ways? Do you agree with her?
Answer-
‘He that is unfaithful in little is unfaithful also in much’ Dorothy L. Sayers cite trivial personal examples in support of this statement. According to her, if a common court case cannot be correctly reported, how are we to believe the reports of world events? If an interviewer misinterprets the novelist whom we have all seen, what does he do with the foreign statesman whom we have never seen? If the papers can be convicted of False Emphasis, Garbling, Inaccuracy, Reversal of the Fact, Random Invention, Miracle-Mongering, and Flat Suppression in cases where such distortions are of advantage to nobody, what are we to suppose about those cases in which vested interests are closely connected? And, above all, what are we to make of the assumptions on which all this is based — that the reader is too stupid to detect falsehood and too frivolous to even resent it?

Yes, I agree with her entirely. Decent journalists and responsible editors are not pleased with this current scenario but this pressure of today is reducing the number of editors and reporters who have been able to maintain a decent amount of ‘duty, balance and reputation’. 

7. What is the author’s attitude to the freedom of Press? Do you agree with her?
Answer-
Without a free Press there can be no free people is a thing that all free people take for granted. The author explains how we limit the meaning of ‘the freedom of press’ in a sense that only highlights independence from government’s control and direction. In this particular aspect, the British Press is supposedly free because it can openly bring to light the immoral behavior and injustice of the servants of the state, with total freedom. However, every newspaper is chained up by its absolute rulers and like every cruel Servant, it possesses the power to fully control the minds and views of its readers and the general public. Hence, we may conclude that the freedom of public opinion is not largely limited by the government, but by the ‘unofficial censorship’ by the Press itself that does not simply share the opinion, but declares it. Even the smallest attempt to interfere in the irresponsible spreading of nonsense is welcomed by a loud cry and is alarmingly considered as a threat to the Freedom of Press. Even the ministers or famous personalities know that they can not interfere or control the Press.

Yes, I agree with her because she has explained with multiple instances that the Press can make or break someone’s reputation.

8. ‘Indeed, we may say that the heaviest restriction upon the freedom of public opinion is not the official censorship of the Press, but the unofficial censorship by a Press which exists not so much to express opinion as to manufacture it.’ How does the writer view the relationship between the press and the public opinion? Explain.
Answer-
‘Indeed, we may say that the heaviest restriction upon the freedom of public opinion is not the official censorship of the Press, but the unofficial censorship by a Press which exists not so much to express opinion as to manufacture it.’

Every newspaper is chained up by its absolute rulers and like every cruel Servant, it possesses the power to fully control the minds and views of its readers and the general public. The editorial policy of a daily newspaper is guided by two main factors. Firstly, it needs to take care of the interest of advertisers that help provide the finances to carry the circulation of the newspaper at such a large scale. Hence, no widespread newspaper will support a public policy no matter how much it is in the benefit of the people because it may not be in sync with the interest laid down by the advertisers. 

The second chief factor that controls a newspaper’s revenue is how deep are the pockets of the man or the company that owns it as they control the policies based on their personal and political motives. For example, if the owner of a big newspaper fails to get an appointment with any government official, they will attain the motive to start a revengeful campaign through every domain that comes under him, against the minister or the party that has disappointed him. The public obviously knows nothing about the grudge behind these types of attacks. 

But still more serious, because more subtle, than the control applied to individual papers by various kinds of interest is the control and censorship exercised by the Press upon the news and opinions which it spreads. The control rests upon and exploits two basic assumptions about the public: (a) that they have not the wit to distinguish truth from falsehood; (b) that they do not care at all that a statement is false, provided it is titillating. 

C. 3. COMPOSITION

1. Write a letter to the Editor of an English daily highlighting the poor sanitation in your locality.

Answer-
XYZ Street
September 27, 2022

The Editor
Bihar Times
Patna

Subject- Complaining about poor sanitation in my locality

Sir/Madam,

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to bring the attention of the concerned authorities towards the grave issue of poor sanitation in my locality.

It brings me immense pain to tell you that despite multiple complaints, the sewers in our area still remain uncovered inviting heaps of mosquitoes over them, exposing the residents to a lot of health issues. I can not even begin to talk about the foul smell it causes. Just like every other locality, children go outdoors to play and they are at a high risk of falling in them. It was only last week that the vegetable vendor’s cart tyre got stuck in one such open sewer. 

Sir, we can not wait for any other disaster to happen before the authorities take any action. Because one thing is clear, this poor sanitation is sure to cause epidemics if sufficient measures are not taken in time to curb it.

Yours faithfully,
Poonam

2. Write the summary of the lesson in about 150 words
Answer-
The essay begins by bringing to light how freedom of press is taken lightly by everyone despite the fact that freedom of people can not exist without it. We often think of ‘the freedom of press’ in a sense that only highlights independence from government’s control. But the editorial policy of a daily newspaper is guided by two main factors- advertisers and the man or the company that owns it. The information is controlled more by the Press itself as compared to the outside factors. It is based on two assumptions about the public – first, that the public is not smart enough to figure out the truth from the lies and second, that the public does not care if a statement is false, if it arouses excitement. 

If the newspapers are actually accused of False Emphasis, Garbling, Inaccuracy, Reversal of the Fact, Random Invention, Miracle-Mongering, and Flat Suppression especially in situations where the misstatements do not benefit anyone, how can they be trusted with cases where personal interests of owners are involved. The newspapers are the first to make noise with their slogans in times of crisis – ‘Let the people know the facts!’ but what is actually a fact is a divine that is called by the people only at times of emergency when the easy life of peace is distorted.

D. WORD STUDY

D.1. Dictionary Use 

Ex. 1. Correct the spelling of the following words:

srewd propriter  precarius
restricsion disastrus bankrupcy
insite censorsip  titilating

Answer-

Srewd- shrewd Propriter- proprietor   Precarius- precarious
Restricsion- restriction Disastrus- disastrous Bankrupcy- bankruptcy
Insite- insight Censorsip- censorship  Titilating- titillating

 

Ex. 2. Look up a dictionary and write two meanings of the following words — the one in which it is used in the lesson and the other which is more common

denounced resolute precarious gratuitous
dissemination cynical  withheld 

Answer-

Denounced 
As per lesson- publicly declare to be wrong or evil
Other meaning- accused

Resolute
As per lesson- admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering
Other meaning- determined

Precarious
As per lesson- dangerous
Other meaning- liable to failure

Gratuitous
As per lesson- intentional
Other meaning- unjustified

Dissemination
As per lesson- spreading
Other meaning- distribution

Cynical 
As per lesson- skeptical
Other meaning- sarcastic

Withheld- 
As per lesson- keep back
Other meaning- restrain

 

D.2. Word-formation

Read the following sentences carefully:

  1. a) A common case cannot be correctly reported.
  2. b) It must increase its sale to justify its advertising rates.
  3. c) When we speak of ‘the freedom of the press, we usually mean freedom in a very technical and restricted sense – namely, freedom from direction or censorship by the government

You see that in the first example the adverb ‘correctly’ is derived from the adjective ‘correct’. In the second example ‘advertising’ which is a present participle, is derived from the verb ‘advertise’. In the last example, ‘censorship’ has been derived from the noun ‘censor’. In fact. a number of words can be derived from a root word as illustrated below:

accept (v): accepted (adj), acceptance (n),
acceptable (adj),  acceptably (adv)   acceptability (n)

Make as many words as possible from the words given below :

resolve allude  invoke  restrict   renew

Answer-
Resolve- resolved, resolving, resolvable, resolvability
Allude- alluding, alluded, allusion, allusive
Invoke- invoked, invoking, invocable, invocation
Restrict- restricted, restriction, restricting, restrictive, restrictable
Renew- renewed, renewable, renewing

D.3. Word-meaning

Ex 1. Find from the lesson words the meanings of which have been given in Column A. The last part of each word is given in Column B:

Column A  Column B
the policy of suppressing publication of any item ……………………….ship
causing great loss …………………………ous
the state of being without money ……….. …………….ptcy
cause the downfall  ………………………..ert
pleasantly stimulating …………………………ting
stir to action ……………………….. ite
the proprietor of anything ….. ………………….. ner 

Answer-

Column A  Column B
the policy of suppressing publication of any item censorship
causing great loss disastrous
the state of being without money bankruptcy
cause the downfall  subvert
pleasantly stimulating titillating
stir to action incite
the proprietor of anything owner

 

Ex. 2. Fill in the blanks with suitable options given in the brackets:

  1. We all become very …………..  by the news reporting. (excited, exciting)
  2. I do not …………… the incidents. (recollect, recollects)
  3. You may ……………. between the two English dailies. (chose, choose)
  4. Unfavourable season …………………  crop.(effect, affects)
  5. Press should not be ………………..  (monopolised, monopolise)
  6. The report was …………….  (distorting, distorted) 

Answer-

  1. We all become very excited by the news reporting.
  2. I do not recollect the incidents. 
  3. You may choose between the two English dailies.
  4. Unfavourable season affects
  5. Press should not be monopolised.
  6. The report was distorted. 

D. 4. Phrases
Ex.1. Read the lesson carefully and find out the sentences in which the following phrases have been used. Then use these phrases in sentences of your own: 

at such time so far on occasion
placed upon keep up   driven off  
to bear upon creeping into make of

Answer-

  • At such time- Why are you out at such an odd time?
  • So far- I have only met half of the staff so far
  • On occasion- Only on occasion, are we allowed to wear casuals to the office. 
  • Placed upon- For a stranger, you have placed too much stress upon him.
  • Keep up- In order to keep up with the pace, one must always be on their toes.
  • Driven off- They drove off the invaders
  • To bear upon– That ruling bears upon our application
  • Creeping into- Suspicion crept into her voice

Make of– How much you make out of a situation, depends upon your capability.

E. GRAMMAR
Ex.1. Read the following sentences, taken from the lesson, carefully: 

If the opportunity to write a play were to present itself— for example, another commission for the Canterbury Festival – I should undoubtedly write it. 

The sentence given above sets a condition and so it is called a conditional sentence. Mark that the singular subject ‘the opportunity to write a play’ is followed by a plural verb ‘were’. Such structure is used when we have to express an unreal condition. Consider some more examples:

If I were a bird I would fly to you.
If I were young I would do it.
If she were a singer she would sing a song. 

Write ten more sentences on this sentences, based on this structure: 

If+ (S+ were) + S+ would/should + V1 

Answer-

  1. If I were in Canada, I would go to Niagara falls.
  2. If I were retired, I would settle in the mountains.
  3. If she were a cook, she would prepare us a meal.
  4. If I were the editor, I would issue a public apology.
  5. If I were in your place, I would have done it differently.
  6. If I were a fish, I would swim to you.
  7. If you were cautious, you would have never risked it.
  8. If she were wise, she would have made peace with you.
  9. If I were in your place, I would wait for another offer.
  10. If he were honest, he would have returned what he borrowed.

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BSEB Class 12 English Chapter 8 How Free Is The Press Extra Question and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

 

  1. What does “freedom of the press” typically mean in the restricted sense?
  1. Freedom from external economic influences.
  2. Freedom from government censorship or direction.
  3. Freedom to report anything without consequence.
  4. Freedom to align with personal biases.

Ans: B. Freedom from government censorship or direction.

 

  1. Why does the author say the British Press is singularly free?
  1. It can interfere with public opinion.
  2. It operates without economic constraints.
  3. It can criticize government policies and conduct public campaigns.
  4. It faces no competition from other media.

Ans: C. It can criticize government policies and conduct public campaigns.

 

  1. What does the author identify as the largest restriction on press freedom in Britain?
  1. Government censorship.
  2. Public opinion.
  3. Advertiser interests and proprietors’ control.
  4. Lack of skilled journalists.

Ans: C. Advertiser interests and proprietors’ control.

 

  1. How does the editorial policy of a widely circulated newspaper get influenced?
  1. By independent expression of public opinion.
  2. By the vested interests of advertisers and proprietors.
  3. By a collective representation of journalists.
  4. By the will of the general public.

Ans: B. By the vested interests of advertisers and proprietors.

 

  1. What is the main difference between cheap daily newspapers and more expensive weeklies?
  1. Cheap dailies are less influenced by advertisers.
  2. Expensive weeklies depend more on advertising revenue.
  3. Expensive weeklies are freer in expressing independent opinions.
  4. Cheap dailies have more truthful reporting.

Ans: C. Expensive weeklies are freer in expressing independent opinions.

 

  1. What example does the author give to illustrate sensational headlines?
  1. The misreporting of her servant’s actions.
  2. Her supposed hobbies of gardening and keeping cats.
  3. The claim that she would write no more plays.
  4. The theological address reduced to a focus on “fornication.”

Ans: D. The theological address reduced to a focus on “fornication.”

 

  1. What is “garbling,” as described in the text?
  1. Complete misrepresentation of facts.
  2. Using partial truths to create false impressions.
  3. Inaccurate paraphrasing of statements.
  4. Ignoring context to skew meaning.

Ans: C. Inaccurate paraphrasing of statements

 

  1. How did the press misreport the author’s burglary incident?
  1. They added fictitious details for sensationalism.
  2. They ignored the incident completely.
  3. They reported it accurately but altered the location.
  4. They correctly reported the timeline but distorted her reaction.

Ans: A. They added fictitious details for sensationalism

 

  1. What does the author imply about random and gratuitous invention?
  1. It is a harmless error in reporting.
  2. It serves to make newspapers more entertaining.
  3. It reflects a disregard for truth.
  4. It is motivated by advertiser interests.

Ans: C. It reflects a disregard for truth.

 

  1. What is “miracle-mongering” in the context of press reporting?
  1. Misquoting individuals for dramatic effect.
  2. Exaggerating or fabricating details for sensationalism.
  3. Reporting supernatural events accurately.
  4. Creating fictional stories to attract readers.

Ans: B. Exaggerating or fabricating details for sensationalism.

 

  1. What is the most serious danger posed by sensational headlines, according to the author?
  1. They are humorous but not factual.
  2. They lead to public distrust of newspapers.
  3. They distort reality without legal consequences.
  4. They focus on trivial matters rather than important ones.

Ans: C. They distort reality without legal consequences

 

  1. How does the author describe public influence on the press?
  1. The public has direct control over press policies.
  2. The public can influence the press by switching papers.
  3. The public has little real power over press decisions.
  4. The public uses protests to hold newspapers accountable.

Ans: C. The public has little real power over press decisions.

 

  1. What does the author mean by “Flat Suppression”?
  1. Deliberate omission of facts.
  2. Misreporting stories for political gain.
  3. Publishing false headlines.
  4. Ignoring or undermining letters of protest.

Ans: D. Ignoring or undermining letters of protest.

 

  1. What does the author suggest about the reader’s ability to distinguish truth from falsehood?
  1. Readers are generally very discerning and skeptical.
  2. Readers are incapable of distinguishing truth from falsehood.
  3. Readers do not care about truth as long as the story is interesting.
  4. Both B and C

Ans: D. Both B and C

 

  1. What is the tone of the author toward the modern press?
  1. Optimistic and encouraging.
  2. Cynical and critical.
  3. Neutral and objective.
  4. Apologetic and forgiving.

Ans: B. Cynical and critical

 

  1. What quality does the author wish to see more in the press?
  1. Sensationalism and creativity.
  2. Duty, balance, and reputation.
  3. Greater influence of advertisers.
  4. Faster reporting of news.

Ans: B. Duty, balance, and reputation

 

  1. What does the author suggest is the reader’s main weapon against press inaccuracies?
  1. Their individual vote.
  2. Writing angry letters to editors.
  3. A penny a day and their wit and will.
  4. Protesting through public demonstrations.

Ans: C. A penny a day and their wit and will.

 

  1. Why does the author argue that “every nation gets the Press it deserves”?
  1. Readers demand sensationalism and disregard truth.
  2. Governments heavily control the press.
  3. The press mirrors the economic and social conditions.
  4. Readers demand higher journalistic standards.

Ans: A. Readers demand sensationalism and disregard truth

 

  1. What is the role of advertisers in shaping newspaper policies?
  1. They have minimal influence over editorial decisions.
  2. They shape policies to protect their vested interests.
  3. They ensure balanced and fair reporting.
  4. They finance only nonprofit newspapers.

Ans: B. They shape policies to protect their vested interests

 

  1. Why does the author criticize the tendency of newspapers to depend on News Agencies?
  1. They shape policies to protect their vested interests.
  2. It improves accuracy but limits scope.
  3. It centralizes reporting to a few sources.
  4. It creates uniformity across papers.

Ans: A. They shape policies to protect their vested interests.

 

  1. What does the author suggest about journalistic misrepresentation?
  1. It is an unintentional error caused by lack of skill.
  2. It is unavoidable due to time constraints.
  3. It is rare in modern journalism.
  4. It is deliberate and often serves vested interests.

Ans: B It is deliberate and often serves vested interests.

 

  1. What does the anecdote about the author’s hobbies highlight?
  1. Random fabrication in the press.
  2. Accurate reporting of personal details.
  3. The importance of hobbies in journalism.
  4. The press’s deep interest in public figures.

Ans: A. Random fabrication in the press.

 

  1. Why does the author criticize sensational headlines?
  1. They exaggerate facts to increase newspaper sales.
  2. They prioritize financial news over public interest.
  3. They highlight irrelevant details, distorting the overall message.
  4. They simplify complex issues for better understanding.

Ans: C. They highlight irrelevant details, distorting the overall message.

 

  1. What does the author imply by the statement, “Every nation gets the Press it deserves”?
  1. The quality of the Press reflects the intelligence and interests of its audience.
  2. Nations with higher literacy rates have better Press standards.
  3. The Press operates independently of public preferences.
  4. Governments determine the quality of the Press through regulations.

Ans: A. The quality of the Press reflects the intelligence and interests of its audience.

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Extract Based Questions

 

A. When we speak of ‘the freedom of the press’, we usually mean freedom in a very technical and restricted sense — namely, freedom from direction or censorship by the government. In this respect, the British Press is, under ordinary conditions, singularly free. It can attack the policy and political character of ministers, interfere in the delicate machinery of foreign diplomacy, conduct campaigns to subvert the constitution, incite citizens to discontent and rebellion, expose scandals and foment grievances, and generally harry and belabour the servants of the State, with almost perfect liberty. On occasion, it can become a weapon to coerce the Government to conform to what it asserts to be the will of the people.

 

Q1. What do we usually mean by ‘the freedom of the press’?

Ans: Freedom from direction or censorship by the government.

 

Q2. How is the British Press described under ordinary conditions?

Ans: It is singularly free.

 

Q3. What actions can the British Press take against the government?

Ans: It can attack policies, interfere in diplomacy, expose scandals, and incite citizens to discontent and rebellion.

 

Q4. How can the British Press influence the government?

Ans: It can act as a weapon to coerce the government to conform to what it asserts is the will of the people.

 

Q5. What liberty does the British Press have regarding state servants?

Ans: It can harry and belabour state servants with almost perfect liberty.

B. The editorial policy of a popular daily is controlled by two chief factors. The first is the interest of the advertisers from whom it gets the money which enables it to keep up its large circulation. No widely circulated newspaper dare support a public policy, however much in the national interest, that might conflict with the vested interests of its advertisers. Thus, any proposal to control the marketing of branded goods (as, for example, of margarine in 1939) will be violently opposed, on the loftiest hygienic grounds, by the papers that carry the branded advertising. On the other hand, any product that refuses to pay the high advertising rates of a powerful national organ will be (again on the highest moral and hygienic grounds) denounced, smashed and driven off the market; yet you are not allowed to use any product that dissociates itself from the advertising ring. All this is understandable, since a big circulation spells bankruptcy if the paper has to depend on its sales for its revenue. Every newspaper lives in a perpetual precarious balance; it must increase its sales to justify its advertising rates, and to increase its sales, it must sell itself far below the cost of production; but if it sells more copies than its advertising will pay for, it faces financial disaster. Consequently, the more widespread and powerful the organ, the more closely it has to subserve vested interests.

 

Q1. What is the first chief factor controlling the editorial policy of a popular daily?

Ans: The interest of the advertisers, who provide the money to maintain the newspaper’s large circulation.

 

Q2. Why might a widely circulated newspaper avoid supporting certain public policies?

Ans: Because such policies might conflict with the vested interests of its advertisers.

 

Q3. How do newspapers react to products that refuse to pay high advertising rates?

Ans: They denounce, criticize, and attempt to drive such products off the market.

 

Q4. Why must newspapers sell below the cost of production?

Ans: To increase their sales and justify high advertising rates.

 

Q5. What risk does a newspaper face if its circulation exceeds what its advertising revenue can support?

Ans: It faces financial disaster or bankruptcy.

C. The second chief source of a newspaper’s revenue is the wealth of the man or company that owns it; accordingly, its policy is largely determined by the personal spites and political ambitions of its proprietor. The failure, for example, of a great newspaper magnate to secure a government appointment may be the signal for the unleashing of a virulent campaign, in every organ which he controls, against the minister or the party which has disappointed his ambitions. The public, knowing nothing of the personal bias behind the attack and little of the vast network of control which ties up whole groups of the London and Provincial Press in the hands of a single man or combine, sees only that great number of (what appear to him to be) independent organs are united in a single, savage, and persistent condemnation. Unless he is exceptionally shrewd, exceptionally cynical, or of exceptionally resolute and independent mind, he can scarcely help being influenced, and having his vote influenced; and it is odds that he will never realise the nature of the pressure brought to bear upon him.

 

Q1. What is the second chief source of a newspaper’s revenue?

Ans: The wealth of the man or company that owns it.

 

Q2. How can a proprietor’s personal ambitions influence a newspaper’s policy?

Ans: If a proprietor’s ambitions, such as securing a government appointment, are thwarted, they might use the newspaper to launch a campaign against the minister or party involved.

 

Q3. What misconception does the public have about the press controlled by a single owner or combine?

Ans: The public often perceives multiple newspapers as independent, not realizing they are controlled by the same proprietor or combine.

 

Q4. How does this control influence the voting behavior of the public?

Ans: The public, unaware of the personal bias or coordinated campaigns, may be influenced by what appears to be unanimous condemnation and adjust their vote accordingly.

 

Q5. What qualities are necessary for a person to resist such influence?

Ans: A person must be exceptionally shrewd, cynical, or resolute and independent-minded to resist this influence.

D. Flat Suppression: letters of protest may be written. These may be (a) ignored; (b) printed in full or in part, accompanied by an editorial comment to the effect that the words reported were actually said, and that the speaker must not expect to monopolise the whole of the paper’s valuable space; (c) answered privately by the editor — a manoeuvre that does nothing to correct the false impression left in the public mind. Only occasionally, and usually from a provincial paper, does one receive full apology and correction. Let me quote, honoris causa, a note written to me from an editor of the older school: ‘Thank you for your letter, which we thought it our duty to print … we try to preserve our reputation for balanced news.’ Here are three old-fashioned words, duty, reputation, balanced: do they still represent what the reader demands, or expects, from Fleet Street? 

 

Q1. What are the three possible responses to letters of protest mentioned in the passage?

Ans: (a) They may be ignored, (b) printed in full or part with editorial comment, or (c) answered privately by the editor.

 

Q2. What does the editorial comment often emphasize when letters of protest are printed?

Ans: It emphasizes that the reported words were indeed said and that the speaker cannot expect to monopolize the newspaper’s space.

 

Q3. What is the effect of a private editor’s reply to a protest letter?

Ans: It does not correct the false impression left in the public mind.

 

Q4. How often does one receive a full apology and correction from a newspaper?

Ans: Very occasionally, and usually from a provincial paper.

 

Q5. What three old-fashioned values did the editor of the older school emphasize?

Ans: Duty, reputation, and balanced news.

E. But supposing the reader does care about accuracy, does he resent contempt for his intelligence, does he want the truth what is said and done — what steps is he to take? How is he to get at the facts which are withheld; or smothered under these mountains of distortion and absurdity? How is he to make his will felt? Is he to write angry letters, or transfer his daily penny from one organ to another? Will anybody care if he does? They will care if he protests in sufficient numbers. But his penny is a small weapon to oppose against the vested interests and the pooled money of the great combines. His helplessness is a measure of the freedom which the Press enjoys — but is the reader free?

 

Q1. What does the passage suggest the reader cares about?

Ans: Accuracy, truth, and the desire to avoid contempt for their intelligence.

 

Q2. What challenge does the reader face in uncovering the facts?

Ans: Facts are often withheld or smothered under distortion and absurdity.

 

Q3. What actions can a reader take to protest against inaccuracies in the press?

Ans: The reader can write angry letters or switch to another newspaper.

 

Q4. Why is the reader’s penny considered a small weapon?

Ans: Because it is weak compared to the vested interests and pooled money of powerful press combines.

 

Q5. What does the passage imply about the freedom of the press versus the reader’s freedom?

Ans: While the press enjoys significant freedom, the reader’s freedom is limited by their inability to influence or oppose powerful press interests effectively.

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