Never Let the Truth Get in the Way of a Good Story

Part II: Part I appears in the spring 2007 edition of Communication: Journalism Education Today.
CLICK HERE for plot information.

Parter Test B
By Cheryl Pratt

Media reporters begin good stories by uncovering facts. Reporters in training can learn to listen closely. They will discover how well they see and hear by answering the questions about The Paper, which depicts a high-action journalism day. Circle the letter that is the best answer for each question.

Your teacher will assign you a partner who is taking a different test. Your “editing” job will be to fact check your partner’s test and convince him or her to change any incorrect answers.

B-1.  What newspaper does Henry work for?
a.  The Sun
b.  The Sentinel
c.  The Times
d.  The Star
e.  The New Yorker

B-2.  Which paper “covers the world”?
a.  The Sun
b.  The Sentinel
c.  The Times
d.  The Star
e.  The New Yorker

B-3.  Where are the victims from?
a.  New York
b.  New Jersey
c.  Texas
d.  California
e.  Arizona

B-4.  Which photographer do they send to the perp walk?
a.  Stacey
b.  Robin
c.  Phil
d.  Marty
e.  Sam

B-5.  What was Marty’s profession before she took maternity leave?
a.  A banker
b.  A stock broker
c.  A television reporter
d.  A newspaper reporter
e.  A chef

B-6.  According to Henry, what two things do you need to get into any building in the world?
a.  A walkie-talkie and a cell phone
b.  A walkie-talkie and a clipboard
c.  A clipboard and a friendly smile
d.  A clipboard and a confident wave
e.  A hat and a scarf

B-7.  Who got in a fight in the movie?
a.  Alicia & Henry
b.  Zoe & Bernie
c.  McDougal & Zandusky
d.  Both A & C
e.  None of the above

B-8.  How many times are the presses stopped?
a.  0
b.  1
c.  2
d.  3
e.  4

B-9.  Who is Zandusky?
a.  A former reporter
b.  A police officer
c.  The parking commissioner
d.  A stock broker
e.  A member of the mob

B-10.  What headline did Henry want to run?
a.  “Busted!”
b.  “Gotcha!”
c.  “They Didn’t Do It!”
d.  “You’re Out!”
e.  “Innocent!”

A-11.  Why did the police arrest the boys even though they knew they were innocent?
a.  They needed New York to look “safe” for other tourists.
b.  They needed to “enhance” their arrest record.
c.  They didn’t like the boys.
d.  They wanted to plant their fingerprints on the gun.
e.  They wanted to ruin the boys’ futures.

B-12.  Where did Henry interview the police officer?
a.  At the bar
b.  In the taxi
c.  At the restaurant
d.  In the restroom
e.  At the party

B-13.  Why was Alicia concerned about meeting the 8 o’clock deadline?
a.  She wanted to get to her party.
b.  The paper didn’t have the money for the overtime.
c.  The boys were going to jail at 9.
d.  The subway was going to start running again at 8:30.
e.  Henry needed to meet his wife for dinner.

B-14.  Who said: “Given the information we had at the time, the story is right. We only have to be right for a day.”
a.  Henry
b.  Alicia
c.  McDougal
d.  Zandusky
e.  The police officer

B-15.  Who said: “Congratulations, you’ve officially become everything you used to hate!”
a.  Henry
b.  Alicia
c.  McDougal
d.  Zandusky
e.  The police office

B-16.  Who said: “You make my wife cry when she reads the paper. You make my kids scared to go to school!”
a.  Henry
b.  Alicia
c.  McDougal
d.  Zandusky
e.  The police officer

B-17.   What is the major theme of the film
a.  Family relationships
b.  Staff relationships
c.  Monetary issues
d.  Newspaper ethics
e.  Political cover-ups

B-18.   Near the end of the movie, who gets shot?
a.  Henry
b.  Alicia
c.  McDougal
d.  Bernie
e.  Zandusky

B-19.   Near the end of the movie, a shot is fired at the bar. Who owns the gun?
a.  Henry
b.  Alicia
c.  McDougal
d.  Bernie
e.  Zandusky

B-20.  What time was on the clock when the movie ended?
a.  12:00
b.  4:00
c.  6:00
d.  7:00
e.  10:00