June 1st, 2021 • Quill Blog, Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
June — and final — News Biz Quiz
I’d like to begin this, the final Quill News Biz Quiz, by saying thanks. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed these quizzes over the last few months and perhaps even gotten some new insight into how media itself can shape the news. As for me, I’m signing off to start work on my PhD in mass communications at: a) Syracuse University’s Newhouse School b) Faber College c) Grand Lakes University d) Wossamatta U e) UC Sunnydale The correct answer is a, obviously, but bonus points for you if you can name the source of the fictional higher education locations on this list.
April 30th, 2021 • Featured, Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz: A renamed Times section, new AP style points, more
Ah, spring, the time of year when our minds turn to blooming flowers, escaping a year of COVID captivity and, of course, the May News Biz Quiz! It’s been a good month for comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable, so let’s get started!
April 1st, 2021 • Featured, Quill Blog, Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz: Oprah, Jeopardy, media leaders, more
No foolin’ — it’s time for another News Biz Quiz! Yes, this one does have a story that fooled some news outlets. It also has Oprah making fools out of some British royals and late newsman Roger Mudd fooling a politician with a seemingly easy question.
March 1st, 2021 • Featured, Quill Blog, Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz: Podcasts, McClatchy, Tiger Woods, more
Welcome to March’s News Biz Quiz which, like the month itself, comes in like a lion and goes out like…well…name another thing with big, sharp teeth and you’ve pretty much got the idea. But in between we’ll ask about coverage of Tiger Woods, the U.S.
February 1st, 2021 • Featured, Quill Blog, Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
New/improved News Biz Quiz: Press secs, Larry King, more
Welcome to the newly reformatted and expanded News Biz Quiz. Starting with this month, it will appear monthly. To play, simply answer the following questions dealing with the last few weeks of news about the news. Total your score and compare that to either your journalistic colleagues or the scoring key right there in the blue box.
January 11th, 2021 • Featured, Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz: The journalistic fallout from Jan. 6
It was another tough week for journalism. You know that. So, obviously, most of this week’s questions have to do with what happened on Jan. 6 and the editorial fallout. 1. What somewhat-controversial three-letter collective noun appeared in the headlines of (among others) The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe and Houston Chronicle on Jan.
January 4th, 2021 • Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz: Web traffic, a POTUS call and more
It’s a new year and that means new questions for the News Biz Quiz. 1. Rank these news sites in terms of average (organic) web traffic in 2020 (statistics through Dec. 12): Yahoo! News New York Times CNN The Guardian USA Today 2.
December 21st, 2020 • Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
News Biz: McClatchy unionization, an 1897 letter to the editor, more
A mass McClatchy unionization effort and a timeless question-and-answer highlight this week’s News Biz Quiz. 1. Danish researchers took to CNN recently to debunk what Fox host’s misinterpretation of a study they did, in which they did NOT seek to repudiate the practicality of mask-wearing.
December 14th, 2020 • Quill Blog, Quill Archives
News Biz Quiz: The Doctor is in … unless Joseph Epstein has his way
Dear Joseph Epstein — kiddo — you may want to jump to question 5. For the rest, start at the beginning and see how you do with this edition of the News Biz Quiz. Both the House and Senate have passed a defense spending bill which refuses to delete Section 230 of what 1996 legislation (full name or Act acceptable), which protects against lawsuits stemming from user comments on internet sites? Time Magazine named tech entrepreneur Eric Yuan its Businessperson of the Year.
December 7th, 2020 • Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
New Biz Quiz 12/7: Cord cutting, staffing and more
More cord-cutters may still be able to get their local newscasts, but who’s staffing those newsrooms, exactly? Those topics and more in this week’s News Biz Quiz. 1. Which streaming service says it’ll offer newscasts from as many as 100 local TV markets by the end of 2021?
November 30th, 2020 • Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz for 11/30: Newcomers making headlines
New is in the news with a press secretary designate and a change in ownership at a major media company. Have you been keeping up? 1. The Boston Globe Company has named its co-owner, Linda Henry, as CEO. She’s part of the family that owns the Boston Red Sox, as well as what English Premier League soccer team, which plays home games at Anfield in Merseyside?
November 23rd, 2020 • Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz for 11/23/2020: Person of the Year reveal, Pinedale Mall memories, more
This year, as you’re hopefully socially distanced while eating turkey and watching the Detroit Lions or Dallas Cowboys, be sure to include in your Thanksgiving list those people doing the hard work of daily journalism — some of whom are mentioned in this week’s News Biz Quiz.
November 16th, 2020 • Quill Archives
News Biz Quiz for 11/16/2020
Do they allow inmates at Camp Cupcake to read Wine Spectator? What pairs well with half-baked insider trading schemes, anyway? There’s lots to chew on in this week’s News Biz Quiz. “Read News, Speak Free” is the slogan of what conservative social media platform which became the most-downloaded software on the Apple App Store on the weekend many news organizations called the 2020 election for President-elect Joe Biden? Three news photographers who captured images of President Trump golfing on the day his electoral loss was announced by the news networks had to shoot their images from nearly a mile away across what body of water? A California District Court judge said Mayor Christina Shea violated the First Amendment when she blocked some viewers of her Facebook profile, following controversial statements she made in the wake of this summer’s police brutality protests.
November 9th, 2020 • Quill Blog, Quill Archives
News Biz Quiz: Election edition
The election may have an outcome, but we still have questions…in this week’s News Biz Quiz. 1. Arrange these news networks by the order in which they (FINALLY!) called the 2020 presidential election on Saturday, Nov. 7: NBC CBS ABC CNN Fox News 2.
November 2nd, 2020 • Quill Blog, Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz for 11/2: Election inaccuracies, disinformation and a legendary sports scribe
“BREAKING: Dewey Defeats Truman!” Or maybe not. It regularly takes a while — sometimes days, even — to get full results from an election. So we shouldn’t call the outcome and risk disenfranchising voters until we’re sure. In the meantime, while we all patiently wait, try this week’s News Biz Quiz.
October 26th, 2020 • Quill Blog, Quill Archives, News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz for 10/28: New meaning to ‘media exposure’
In this week’s News Biz Quiz, we learn what the term “media exposure” is NOT supposed to mean, and there’s no joy in Mudville as sports networks lose carriers. 1. Okay, let’s dispense with this straightaway: What legal analyst was suspended from his job at The New Yorker and placed on leave by CNN after (accidentally, he says) exposing himself on a Zoom call with colleagues?
October 19th, 2020 • Quill Archives
News Biz Quiz for 10/19: a buyout, a merger and a gossip columnist documentary
Hello, Mr. and Mrs. America, from border to border and coast to coast and all the ships at sea, let’s go to press…with this week’s News Biz Quiz! A University of Mississippi study shows that what group of people is appearing on three times more magazine covers than in past years?
October 5th, 2020 • Quill Blog, News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz for 10/5: Anything but a slow news week
There have been no shortage of national news stories this week. But we’ve got some questions about the news behind the news. Good luck. During its current session (which begins this week), the U.S. Supreme Court will review proposed changes to media ownership rules which have been stuck down by lower courts, but could lead to even greater consolidation if SCOTUS lets them stand.
September 28th, 2020 • Quill Blog, News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz for 9/28: A merger, a debate and more.
This week’s events in the media world have been far from trivial. But how much did you pick up on the details. Test yourself with these questions, culled from the headlines and beyond. D.C. District Court Judge Carl Nichols has temporarily halted the Trump Administration from banning what social media app from U.S.
September 21st, 2020 • Quill Blog, News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz for 9/21: What did Trump call “the most beautiful thing”?
The news doesn’t slow down and neither does the News Biz Quiz. Here are this week’s questions: 1. In a campaign speech on September 18, President Trump called it “the most beautiful thing” that what MSNBC host (and former host of CNN’s “Your Money”) was hit in the knee with a rubber bullet while covering a May protest in Minneapolis over George Floyd’s killing by police?
September 14th, 2020 • News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz for 9/14: Woodward’s book, HOG overhaul, more
Just because we had a conference over the weekend doesn’t mean we’re skipping the News Biz Quiz for this week. But, first, let’s take a moment to congratulate SPJ2020 Pub Trivia winner Kelly Kissel who triumphed against a very tough field in ten rounds of questions.
September 8th, 2020 • News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz for 9/8: A military reversal, an in-house sports network and more
It’s a short week but there’s no shortage of media news. Here are this week’s quiz questions. And here’s hoping you can join us for live SPJ Trivia at the SPJ2020 conference. I’ll be joining Quill editor Lou Harry for hands-on-buzzer fun with a wide range of questions.
August 31st, 2020 • News Biz Quiz
Have you been paying attention? News biz quiz for 8/31/20
When Quill launched the News Biz Quiz last week (catch up here), what we didn’t tell you was that SPJ’s upcoming virtual conference will feature a live trivia competition. Thus, you can consider this a practice round. More details on the conference format coming your way soon but check out the full conference schedule here.
August 25th, 2020 • News Biz Quiz
News Biz Quiz for 8/25/20
Of course, you have been following the news. That’s your job. But have you been following the news about the news biz? Let’s find out. In this new, weekly feature at Quillmag.com, we’ll pose a set of questions covering both consequential stories and “they did WHAT?!”
July 23rd, 2020 • Featured, Quill Blog, Quill Archives
Awards: Getting your best work recognized shouldn’t be an afterthought
Come 2021, it’s a safe bet some of the stories, web graphics, podcasts and editorial cartoons about COVID-19 will be honored with awards. The virus has spawned a crush of good journalism, and while such awards aren’t the highest priority, they can be important to a team’s morale.
