Based on Current Understandings of the First Amendment, Which of the Following

question 59

Multiple Choice

Based on current understandings of the First Amendment, which of the following statements regarding government regulation of the media is LEAST accurate?

• A) Having declared the airwaves on which television and radio broadcast public property, the government has more control over those media than it does over others.
• B) Because the livelihood of public officials depends heavily on their reputations, courts have made it easy for them to successfully sue print media for libel.
• C) The government is rarely authorized to prevent the publication of material that it does not want exposed.
• D) Although the government limits the number of media outlets that a single entity can own, these limitations have been lessened in recent years.
• E) The courts may allow the government to bar the publication of materials if the information contained therein poses a threat to national security.

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Definitions:

Consciousness

The state of being aware of and able to think about one's own existence, sensations, thoughts, and surroundings.

Scientific Inquiry

The process of asking questions and conducting investigations and experiments to discover truths and facts about the natural world.

Universal Mental Characteristics

Fundamental cognitive and emotional traits that are believed to be shared among all humans regardless of culture or background.

Evolutionary

Pertaining to the process of evolution; dealing with how organisms develop and change over time according to natural selection and genetic variation.