Quiz for Citizen Journalists

Citizen journalism requires an understanding of the ethical questions that all journalists must consider. The questions here give only an introduction to them, but they are ones that all journalists, including citizen journalists, should be able to answer.

Your score in no way precludes you from writing... for there is not, nor can there be, a "test" for journalism. This is for you alone, so that you can judge for yourself whether you are ready to partake fully in journalistic endeavors.

What is your age?
Under 18 Years Old
18 to 24 Years Old
25 to 30 Years Old
31 to 40 Years Old
41 to 50 Years Old
51 to 60 Years Old
Over 60 Years Old
What is your gender?
Male
Female
1. A "fact" is:
Something I know to be true.
Dependent on the circumstances.
Established through research.
Completely subjective.
2. What is the purpose of a citizen journalism story?
To gain attention for the writer.
To further an agenda, political or otherwise.
To create a well-informed community.
To rival professional journalism.
3. What's the difference between advocacy and reporting?
Reporting is always objective.
There is none; everything is advocacy.
Reporting contains no analysis.
Advocacy leads the reader, reporting does not.
4. It is acceptable (and legal) to:
Quote an entire story from elsewhere, as long as you give credit.
To use someone else's work without credit, as long as you have changed it a little.
To quote a public speech in its entirety.
To copy a photo from the web for use elsewhere.
5. It is acceptable to:
Deceive someone in the interest of the story.
Use photos taken in public without getting authorization.
Take pictures through someone's window, as long as you are on the street.
Hide your sources, so someone else can't get the story.
6. For the purposes of dramatizing a story, one may:
Leave out the boring parts.
Alter a photograph, as long as it doesn't distort the story.
Focus on salacious details.
Take a personal approach.
7. How much should you trust a first-person account of an incident?
Completely. They were there, weren't they?
Only if you trust the teller.
Not at all. Everything is subjective.
Only when it dovetails with other information.
8. Should you let subjects of stories see them before publication?
Never. They might demand changes, biasing the story.
Whenever possible.
Only if there is a "he said/she said" aspect.
Always. A story should never go out without permission from the subject.
9. Statistics...
Should be taken at face value. They are numbers, after all.
come after lies, and damned lies.
need to be approached with caution: they can fool you.
Are no concern to the citizen journalist.
10. What special rights does a citizen journalist have?
All of those granted to any journalist.
None. Journalism itself is a right of the people.
Special entry to government buildings and access to officials.
Protection of sources, guaranteed by the federal government.

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