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Journalists and Broadcasters Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Journalists and Broadcasters Quizzes, Trivia

Journalists and Broadcasters Trivia

Journalists and Broadcasters Trivia Quizzes

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5 quizzes and 55 trivia questions.
1.
  Giants of American Twentieth Century Journalism editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
The world of twentieth century journalism is indeed a fascinating one. This quiz will cover a variety of types of journalism--newspapers, radio, TV, sports, film criticism, journalistic novels, and photography.
Average, 15 Qns, chessart, Mar 06 15
Average
chessart gold member
1194 plays
2.
  More Giants of 20th Century American Journalism   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
There are too many giants of 20th-century journalism to be covered in one quiz. So here is a second installment.
Average, 10 Qns, chessart, Jun 23 15
Average
chessart gold member
475 plays
3.
  Famous Journalists and Reporters   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Most people remember famous world events, but many remember the broadcasters who passed them along. Here is a quiz on some of the more memorable personalities.
Tough, 10 Qns, Oddball, May 21 10
Tough
Oddball
1005 plays
4.
  Famous War Correspondents    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Questions about war correspondents - those who did it for a living and those who, at some stage of their careers, covered wars and conflicts. Much of the information is taken from Phillip Knightley's book, 'The First Casualty'. Have fun.
Average, 10 Qns, jeffa, Mar 11 15
Average
jeffa
520 plays
5.
  Famous Journalists of Yesterday    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Here's a look at some of the print and broadcast journalists of recent years
Average, 10 Qns, robert362, Mar 24 12
Average
robert362
991 plays
trivia question Quick Question
Which giant of twentieth century journalism wrote the runaway bestseller "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", a history of Nazi Germany?

From Quiz "Giants of American Twentieth Century Journalism"




Related Topics
  Journalists [World] (6 quizzes)


Journalists and Broadcasters Trivia Questions

1. Arguably the most influential newspaper editor of the 20th century, this Kansan gained fame in 1896 with his essay, "What's the Matter with Kansas".

From Quiz
More Giants of 20th Century American Journalism

Answer: William Allen White

From his humble beginnings as editor of the Emporia (Kansas) Gazette, William Allen White (1868-1944) became a nationally-recognized spokesman for small town Americana. He was an influential player on both the national and international stages right up until his death. For example, FDR relied on White to drum up opposition to the isolationist sentiment in the U.S. leading up to World War Two. In his famous editorial "What's the Matter with Kansas", he bemoaned the population loss that was occurring as more and more people left the state, and he blamed the Populist Party for the state's problems. His editorial was reprinted across the nation as a way of drumming up support for the 1896 Republican presidential candidate, William McKinley, and this brought him into contact with many national Republican Party leaders.

2. We'll start off with a man who is considered the father of twentieth century broadcast journalism. Who is this man, whose reports from London for CBS radio during World War Two always started out with the dramatic words, "This is London"?

From Quiz Giants of American Twentieth Century Journalism

Answer: Edward R. Murrow

Murrow's innovation was to broadcast directly from the scene of world events. Prior to this time, radio news broadcasts consisted primarily of an anchor person reading to the audience from a studio. As television grew in the 1950's, Murrow became host of the CBS TV show "See It Now", which discussed world affairs. The most famous "See It Now" episode was a 1954 show in which Murrow strongly criticized Senator Joe McCarthy and his "red scare" tactics. The show led to McCarthy's decline and eventual censure by the Senate. The other choices are CBS reporters who worked under Murrow in London during World War Two. The group became known as "Murrow's Boys".

3. He is widely regarded as the first war correspondent, largely on the basis of his despatches from the field during the Crimean War. Who was he?

From Quiz Famous War Correspondents

Answer: William Howard Russell

'The miserable parent of a luckless tribe', Russell reported for the London 'Times'. In addition to the Crimean War, he also reported on - among other conflicts - the Indian Mutiny, the U.S. Civil War, and the Franco-Prussian War.

4. He was instrumental in showing the true power of the news anchor by helping turn popular opinion against the Vietnam War:

From Quiz Famous Journalists and Reporters

Answer: Walter Cronkite

Cronkite's legendary sign off phrase, 'That's the way it is', was heard in millions of homes through the 1960's and 70's. After reporting on the stunning 1968 Tet Offensive, he offered the opinion that the war would end in a stalemate. When President Lyndon Johnson caught wind of this, he reportedly said that if they lost Cronkite, they've lost America.

5. This controversial figure was the first woman to anchor a major network.

From Quiz Famous Journalists and Reporters

Answer: Jessica Savitch

Despite her role as a pioneer for women in journalism, Savitch's career at NBC was a constant source of controversy, from her reputed backstage tirades to an on-air slurred news update that hinted heavy drug use and all but finished her career. Savitch died in a car accident on Oct. 23, 1983. Ironically, her obituary was overshadowed by the terrorist bombing of a Marine base and the invasion of Grenada on the same date.

6. The newsman who provided commentary and opinion on the Walter Cronkite CBS news show was ____?

From Quiz Famous Journalists of Yesterday

Answer: Eric Sevareid

First-class commentary

7. Which wisecracking writer, a founding member of the famous Algonquin Roundtable, when informed that Calvin Coolidge had died, responded, "How could they tell"?

From Quiz More Giants of 20th Century American Journalism

Answer: Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) was an ardent defender of civil liberties, and wrote for several magazines during her long career, as well as writing a number of screenplays while living in Hollywood. The Algonquin Round Table consisted of a group of friends who met daily for lunch at the Algonquin Hotel in New York during the 1920s. The other choices are members of this group.

8. The new network C-SPAN was created in 1979 to cover the U.S. Congress. Who is the visionary journalist who created this network and served as its CEO until 2012?

From Quiz Giants of American Twentieth Century Journalism

Answer: Brian Lamb

Lamb's 1977 proposal called for the cable companies to fund a non-profit network which would cover public affairs in a non-partisan manner. The idea was approved and C-SPAN has served a vital role in the journalistic world ever since.

9. He is considered the father of modern journalism, from his on-air reports of WWII from the rooftops of London during the Blitz to his daring challenge of McCarthyism:

From Quiz Famous Journalists and Reporters

Answer: Edward R. Murrow & Edward R Murrow & Edward Murrow & Murrow & Ed Murrow

Real name Egbert Roscoe Murrow, he was born in 1908 and began working for CBS in 1935, staying there until 1961, four years before his death. In that time, he hosted the shows 'See It Now' and 'Person To Person'. His last years were spent as director of the United States Information Agency (USIA).

10. Which already-famous newsman gained further fame for opposing Joseph McCarthy?

From Quiz Famous Journalists of Yesterday

Answer: Edward R. Murrow

He made his name as a journalist during the second World War, with his broadcasts from London and Europe.

11. One of the longest-running radio shows ever was a news and commentary program on ABC Radio lasting from 1951 until 2009. Who was this conservative Chicago broadcaster with a unique broadcasting style, who enjoyed telling "the rest of the story"?

From Quiz More Giants of 20th Century American Journalism

Answer: Paul Harvey

Harvey was known for his unique blend of news and commentary. He was seamless in his transition between news, commentary, and commercial messages, an approach which advertisers seemed to like.

12. Who was the author of the first syndicated gossip column, which ran from the 1920s to the 1960s, and was syndicated in over 2,000 newspapers and had fifty million readers a day?

From Quiz Giants of American Twentieth Century Journalism

Answer: Walter Winchell

In addition to his widely-read newspaper column, Winchell also had a radio show with twenty million listeners. Winchell was always controversial and was both hated and feared, due to his power to destroy a person's reputation. His decline started in the 1950s, when he was a staunch defender of Senator Joe McCarthy, who was later censured by his Senate colleagues and soon after died in disgrace. Then Winchell was attacked by Jack Paar, who took issue with Winchell for some false and slanderous comments Winchell had made about Paar. Since Paar had a national forum in "The Tonight Show", Winchell didn't stand a chance in this dispute, and he retired in disgrace. He spent his last two years as a recluse, and it is said that only his daughter came to his funeral.

13. 'This...is London' was the opening sentence of many of this famous CBS correspondent's radio broadcasts during World War II. After the war, he moved to television, and, among other achievements, took on Joe McCarthy. So who was he?

From Quiz Famous War Correspondents

Answer: Edward Murrow

Murrow is widely regarded as the father of modern broadcast journalism.

14. Despite 35 years of dedicated service to CBS News, from '60 Minutes' to '48 Hours', this reporter's career was periodically marred by an on-air walkoff after a late tennis match and a bizarre mugging, which contributed to the title of an REM song.

From Quiz Famous Journalists and Reporters

Answer: Dan Rather

The song was titled 'What's the Frequency, Kenneth', which the mugger reportedly kept asking Rather during the attack. Rather has held many prestigious positions, ranging from co-editor of '60 Minutes' to anchor of the weekend and weeknight editions of the 'CBS Evening News'. He has served as CBS News bureau chief in London and Saigon and was the White House correspondent during the Johnson and Nixon administrations and also anchored and reported for '48 Hours' since its premiere in 1988.

15. This reporter was prominent for his coverage of WW II

From Quiz Famous Journalists of Yesterday

Answer: Quentin Reynolds

16. Among the many jobs of this Oklahoma native were his syndicated newspaper column, which ran from 1922 to 1935, and his radio broadcasts, running from 1929 to 1935. Who is this versatile humorist, who supposedly never met a man he didn't like?

From Quiz More Giants of 20th Century American Journalism

Answer: Will Rogers

Rogers wrote and lectured in the style of Mark Twain, who died in 1910. Rogers was born in 1879, and died in a plane crash in 1935 while flying in Alaska with famous aviator Wiley Post.

17. Which giant of twentieth century journalism wrote the runaway bestseller "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", a history of Nazi Germany?

From Quiz Giants of American Twentieth Century Journalism

Answer: William L. Shirer

Upon graduating from college in 1925, Shirer left for Europe, preferring Europe to what he called "the land of Prohibition, fundamentalism, puritanism and Coolidgeism". He spent the next twenty years reporting from various places in Europe, primarily Paris, Vienna, Berlin, and also India. After the end of World War Two Shirer finally came back to the U.S. and worked for CBS radio till he was fired by Edward R. Murrow in 1947; this firing took place despite the fact that Shirer's show was the highest-rated news commentary show on radio at the time. This caused a rift between the two old friends which never healed. After being fired from CBS, Shirer could not find steady work, apparently as a result of being blackballed by the broadcast industry. It was this lack of work, and the need to support his family, that led to his writing "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich". As he describes in his memoir "A Native's Return", the U.S. government had stored tons of documents brought back to the U.S. from Nazi Germany, and, incredibly, nobody had ever bothered to do any reviewing, sorting, or cataloging of the documents. Shirer undertook this task, and that work, coupled with his personal observations from his time stationed in pre-war Berlin, resulted in his bestselling book.

18. This chap was stationed in Berlin when war broke out. In addition to publishing his Berlin diaries, he wrote a widely read account of Nazi Germany. His name?

From Quiz Famous War Correspondents

Answer: William Shirer

The book, of course, is 'The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich'.

19. This journalist was most famous for his role a NBC co-anchor with David Brinkley from 1956 to 1970:

From Quiz Famous Journalists and Reporters

Answer: Chet Huntley

The NBC Huntley-Brinkley Report's ceremonial closing, 'Good night, David,' 'Good night, Chet' was heard for the last time on August 1, 1970, when Huntley retired from broadcasting, but Brinkley altered his words to 'Good-bye, Chet.' As he signed of, Huntley left his audience with one final plea: 'Be patient and have courage--there will be better and happier news some day, if we work at it.' Huntley died March 20, 1974.

20. This fellow was the driving force behind the Washington Post for a long time.

From Quiz Famous Journalists of Yesterday

Answer: Ben Bradlee

Remember 'All the President's Men'

21. This WLS radio reporter was propelled into the history books when he covered the explosion of the airship 'Hindenburg':

From Quiz Famous Journalists and Reporters

Answer: Herbert Morrison

Morrison uttered the famous 'Oh, the humanity...' on May 6, 1937 in Lakehurst, New Jersey as the dirigible was attempting to land at the Naval Air Station. Nehlson was the sound engineer that Morrison referred to when he yelled, 'Can you get this, Charlie...'

22. This journalist gained fame as a humorist.

From Quiz Famous Journalists of Yesterday

Answer: Art Buchwald

Many prizes and awards.

23. CNN, the first all-news television channel in the United States, was started in 1980 by which visionary entrepreneur?

From Quiz More Giants of 20th Century American Journalism

Answer: Ted Turner

Turner lived in the CNN network headquarters in Atlanta for the first five years of CNN's existence, not leaving for his own apartment until the network finally broke even in its fifth year. Other networks started by Turner in the latter part of the 20th century include TNT, TBS, and TCM. In 1991 Turner became the first media figure to be named "Time" magazine's Man of the Year (now Person of the Year).

24. Which giant of early twentieth-century sports journalism penned the immortal words, "For when the One Great Scorer comes/To mark against your name,/He writes - not that you won or lost -/But how you played the Game."

From Quiz Giants of American Twentieth Century Journalism

Answer: Grantland Rice

Rice's sportswriting career covered the entire first half of the twentieth century. His column for the "New York Herald Tribune", called "The Sportlight", was the most influential sports column of its day. It was common during the first third of the twentieth century for sports pages to publish poetry; Rice was certainly no slacker in this regard, as he published three books of poetry. In his 1954 memoir, "The Tumult and the Shouting", Rice writes that he used to keep a scrapbook of poetry from the sports pages. Ernest Thayer wrote the classic "Casey at the Bat", while Franklin Pierce Adams wrote the famous poem "Tinker to Evers to Chance", and Jack Norworth wrote the words to "Take Me out to the Ball Game".

25. This BBC correspondent, known by his trademark white suit, served with disinction in Bosnia (where he was wounded) and then quit journalism to become a Member of Parliament in 1997. His name?

From Quiz Famous War Correspondents

Answer: Martin Bell

Martin Bell became the first independent MP (elected as such) in the United Kingdom in almost half a century.

26. The breaking news of John Lennon's murder on Dec. 8, 1980, was made on television by this unlikely reporter:

From Quiz Famous Journalists and Reporters

Answer: Howard Cosell

Millions were watching a 'Monday Night Football' game (Miami vs. New England) when the bulletin came across. Since ABC was the only network still broadcasting at the time of the shooting (about 11 pm EST when the other networks had turned to local programming), Cosell broke the news from the announce booth.

27. Through his reporting of the Gulf War, this journalist was known as 'The Scud Stud':

From Quiz Famous Journalists and Reporters

Answer: Arthur Kent

Kent captured many viewers imaginations by broadcasting from Saudi Arabia during Iraqi missle attacks, much like Edward R. Murrow did from London 50 years before.

28. One of the most famous gaffes in newspaper history occured when a headline announced the results of a U.S. presidential election by incorrectly stating that this man had lost the election

From Quiz Famous Journalists of Yesterday

Answer: Harry S Truman

"DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN" was the banner headline on the front page of the "Chicago Daily Tribune" on Wednesday 3rd November 1948. Truman had in fact defeated Thomas E Dewey, Governor of NY, in an upset.

29. Which longtime film critic of the "Chicago Sun-Times" was the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for film criticism?

From Quiz Giants of American Twentieth Century Journalism

Answer: Roger Ebert

Ebert won his Pulitzer in 1975. In 2005 he became the first film critic to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Ebert, who died in 2013, was well-known for his movie review show on TV, paired with Gene Siskel from 1975 until Siskel's death in 1999, and after that paired with a variety of co-hosts.

30. A respected Britsh correspondent, he was the first reporter into Port Stanley during the Falklands War and is also a military historian. Who is he?

From Quiz Famous War Correspondents

Answer: Max Hastings

Hastings has reported on conflicts in Northern Ireland, Biafra, Vietnam, Cambodia, the Middle East, Cyprus, Rhodesia, India, among other trouble spots. His autobiography is called, appropriately enough, 'Going to the Wars.'

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