Reporting and Editing

Editing and copy desk

11 Previous Year Questions from 2009–2024 · answers and explanations included

Visual recall · Copy-desk flow

Check→clarify→cut→headline→proof

Year-frequency chart

109
110
311
213
114
116
224
Previous Year Question practice

Questions, answers & explanations

Open each answer after attempting the question.

11 of 11 questions
Question 1 of 11Original Question No.: 11Asked in: December 2009 Paper II

The items that indicate inside content in a newspaper are called

  1. Ears
  2. Ear Panels
  3. Flags
  4. Teasers
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Correct answer

D. Teasers

The keyed response is option 4, “Teasers”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this editing and copy desk question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 2 of 11Original Question No.: 3Asked in: June 2010 Paper II

Identify the single most significant trend in Indian Newspaper Industry.

  1. Better distribution
  2. Use of interesting type faces
  3. Dominance of language newspapers
  4. Changing editorial styles
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Correct answer

B. Use of interesting type faces

The keyed response is option 2, “Use of interesting type faces”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this editing and copy desk question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 3 of 11Original Question No.: 26Asked in: December 2011 Paper II

Which of the following is a right sequence of a news story?

  1. Dateline – Byline – Headline – Lead
  2. Body – Lead – Tail – Byline
  3. Headline – Dateline – Byline – Lead
  4. Headline – Lead – Byline – Body
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Correct answer

D. Headline – Lead – Byline – Body

Option 4 gives the keyed pairing or order: Headline – Lead – Byline – Body. Reconstruct the dates or associations in editing and copy desk before comparing the four sequences.

Question 4 of 11Original Question No.: 27Asked in: December 2011 Paper II

Which of the following is a correct sequence of flow of a news story?

  1. Source – Reporter – Editor – Sub Editor
  2. Reporter – Editor – News Editor – Print
  3. Source – Reporter – News Editor – Print
  4. Reporter – Editor – Desk – Associate Editor
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Correct answer

C. Source – Reporter – News Editor – Print

Option 3 gives the keyed pairing or order: Source – Reporter – News Editor – Print. Reconstruct the dates or associations in editing and copy desk before comparing the four sequences.

Question 5 of 11Original Question No.: 34Asked in: December 2011 Paper II

Identify the correct sequence of the following promotion posts in the newspapers:

  1. Sub Editor – Chief Sub Editor – Assistant Editor – Associate Editor
  2. Chief Sub Editor – Sub Editor – Assistant Editor – Associate Editor
  3. Associate Editor – Assistant Editor – Chief Sub Editor – Sub Editor
  4. Assistant Editor – Associate Editor – Sub Editor – Chief Sub Editor
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Correct answer

A. Sub Editor – Chief Sub Editor – Assistant Editor – Associate Editor

Option 1 gives the keyed pairing or order: Sub Editor – Chief Sub Editor – Assistant Editor – Associate Editor. Reconstruct the dates or associations in editing and copy desk before comparing the four sequences.

Question 6 of 11Original Question No.: 45Asked in: December 2013 Paper III

The Italian type faces are invented by

  1. John Baskerville
  2. John Gutenburg
  3. Harold Lexington
  4. Aldus Manutins
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Correct answer

D. Aldus Manutins

The keyed response is option 4, “Aldus Manutins”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this editing and copy desk question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 7 of 11Original Question No.: 47Asked in: December 2013 Paper III

Nicholas Jenson created the first of _______ type faces.

  1. Old style
  2. Transitional
  3. Modern
  4. Ultramodern
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Correct answer

A. Old style

The keyed response is option 1, “Old style”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this editing and copy desk question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 8 of 11Original Question No.: 30Asked in: December 2014 Paper III

Adjacency is a

  1. Ear Panel
  2. Index
  3. Morgue
  4. Commercial break
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Correct answer

D. Commercial break

The keyed response is option 4, “Commercial break”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this editing and copy desk question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 9 of 11Original Question No.: 46Asked in: July 2016 Paper III

A cutline under a graphic illustration is popularly identified as

  1. line cast
  2. pictureline
  3. legend
  4. blackline
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Correct answer

C. legend

The keyed response is option 3, “legend”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this editing and copy desk question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 10 of 11Original Question No.: 75Asked in: June 2024 - 3 September 2024, Shift II

The sentence which defines the ‘caption' used in newspapers is and/or. (A) Elucidation of an image (B) Black and White image (C) Illustration of an image (D) High resolution image (E) Defocused image Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

  1. (A) and (C) only
  2. (D) and (B) only
  3. 8) and (D) only
  4. (B) and (E) only
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Correct answer

A. (A) and (C) only

The keyed response is option 1, “(A) and (C) only”. It directly fits the factual or conceptual cue in this editing and copy desk question; use the other choices as contrast points during revision.

Question 11 of 11Original Question No.: 90Asked in: June 2024 - 3 September 2024, Shift II

Match List - I with List - I. List - I List - I (A) Muckraking (I) Page Design (B) Embedded (Il) News Intro (C) Gutter (Ill) Investigative Reporting (D) Stacatto (IV) War Reporting Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

  1. (A)-(IV), (B)-(IID), (C)-(2), (B)-()
  2. (A)-(IID), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-@)
  3. (A)-(II), (B)-(IV), (C)-(D, (D)-(ID
  4. (A)-(IV), (B)-(II), (C)-(I), (D)-()
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Correct answer

C. (A)-(II), (B)-(IV), (C)-(D, (D)-(ID

Option 3 gives the keyed pairing or order: (A)-(II), (B)-(IV), (C)-(D, (D)-(ID. Reconstruct the dates or associations in editing and copy desk before comparing the four sequences.

References

  1. Question papers and answer keys: UGC NET Mass Communication and Journalism — December 2009 Paper II; June 2010 Paper II; December 2011 Paper II; December 2013 Paper III; December 2014 Paper III; July 2016 Paper III; June 2024 - 3 September 2024, Shift II.
  2. Nayyar, Deepak. Modern Mass Communication: Concepts and Processes.
  3. Sterling, Christopher H., general editor. Encyclopedia of Journalism.
  4. University Grants Commission. UGC NET syllabus listing, Subject Code 63: Mass Communication and Journalism.