Bihar Board Class 12th English (Rainbow Part 2 Prose) Chapter 8 How Free is the Press) Solutions

1. Press under ordinary condition is free,.............. (a) No-where (b) Everywhere (c) in some places (d) Britain Answer:

The author clarifies that under ordinary conditions, the press is considered free specifically in Britain, where it can criticize government policies without direct censorship.

2. The editorial. policy of a popular daily is controlled by (a) pubic opinion (b) interest of advertisers (c) the interest of the government (d) the interest of the leaders Answer:

A newspaper's survival often depends on advertising revenue. Therefore, its editorial stance is frequently influenced by the need to appease its advertisers and protect this crucial income source.

3. A big circulation does not spell bankruptcy if the paper has to depend on its revenue............ (a) on its sales (b) on its editorial (c) on its advertisements (d) on the government Answer:

Even with high sales, a newspaper cannot cover its costs through copy sales alone. Financial stability is guaranteed primarily by the revenue generated from advertisements.

4. The proprietor of the newspaper has............. (a) the interest of the people (b) national interest (c) social interest (d) personal interest Answer:

The owner or proprietor of a newspaper often shapes its policy to serve their own personal ambitions, financial goals, or political views, which may not align with broader public interest.

Bihar Board Class 12 English Book Very Short Type Questions & Their Answer

Question 1. What does “the freedom of the press” means?

Answer: Freedom of the press, in the context discussed, refers to a specific and limited freedom. It primarily means the absence of direct government control, censorship, or prior restraint over what is published. It does not imply absolute freedom from other influencing factors.

Question 2. What role British Press plays under ordinary conditions?

Answer: Under normal circumstances, the British press acts as a watchdog. It is free to criticize government ministers, their policies, and their character. It can expose scandals and oppose measures it deems undemocratic, thereby holding power to account.

Question 3. What effect brings freedom to the nation?

Answer: A free press helps establish and maintain the core principle of democracy: that the government (the state) exists to serve the people, not to rule over them. It empowers citizens by providing information and a platform for scrutiny.

Question 4. What are the sources of a newspaper's revenue?

Answer: A newspaper primarily relies on two sources of income: (1) Advertising revenue from businesses and individuals, and (2) The financial backing of the wealthy individual or corporation that owns the publication.

Question 5. What is the role of decent journalists?

Answer: Ethical journalists strive to uphold high professional standards. Their role involves a strong sense of duty to the truth and public, maintaining balance in reporting, and protecting the reputation of their profession through honest work.

Question 6. What does Dorothy L. S Ayers discuss in her essay?

Answer: In her essay "How Free is the Press?", Dorothy L. Sayers critically examines the true extent and nature of press freedom. She argues that while free from government censorship, the press is constrained by commercial interests and often misuses its power.

Bihar Board Class 12 English Book Textual Questions and Their Answer

B. 1.1. Read the following sentences and write T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statements

(i) Press is free everywhere. - F
The essay argues that true freedom is limited even in places like Britain due to commercial pressures.

(ii) There is no internal censorship on the press. - F
There is significant "unofficial censorship" from advertisers and proprietors that controls content.

(iii) Proprietors have their personal interests as well. - T
Newspaper owners often push their own agendas and ambitions through their publications.

(iv) Advertisers contribute to the revenue of the newspapers. - T
Advertising is a primary and essential source of income for most newspapers.

B. 1.2. Answer the following questions briefly

Question 1. What do free ‘people’ take for granted?

Answer: People living in free societies generally assume that a free press is a fundamental requirement for liberty itself. They believe that without the ability of the press to report and criticize freely, overall freedom cannot exist.

Question 2. Are there restrictions on Press in time of war?

Answer: Yes, during wartime, significant restrictions are placed on the press (and other liberties) in the interest of national security. The government imposes censorship to control the flow of sensitive information.

Question 3. What do you mean by the term ‘free press’?

Answer: In the technical sense discussed, a 'free press' means a press that is not subject to direct government censorship, control over content, or prior approval before publication.

Question 4. Who is the master the state or the people?

Answer: In a democracy, the people are the masters. The state (or government) is merely their servant, appointed to administer and work for the welfare of the public.

Question 5. What does the unofficial censorship seek to do?

Answer: Unofficial censorship, exerted by advertisers and owners, does not aim to reflect existing public opinion. Instead, it seeks to manipulate and create public opinion that serves specific commercial or personal interests.

Question 6. Name two sources of revenue newspapers usually survive on.

Answer: The two main financial lifelines for a newspaper are: (1) Payments from advertisers, and (2) The capital and wealth of the individual or corporate entity that owns the newspaper.

B.2.1. Complete the following sentences on the basis of the unit you have just studied

(a) Accurate reporting has given place to reporting which is at best slipshod and at worst tendentious because it is assumed that the public lacks the intelligence to tell truth from falsehood, and moreover, does not mind falsehood if it is entertaining.

(b) Sensational headlines, false emphasis and supposition of context are some of the ways to deliberately distort both facts and opinions.

(c) Garbling is the special accomplishment of the Press interviewer.

(d) The date in the newspaper report had to be changed to hide the fact that the news was old and no longer current.

B.2.3. Answer the following questions briefly

Question 1. What are the two basic assumptions about the public?

Answer: The press often operates on two cynical assumptions about its readers: first, that they are not smart enough to differentiate between truth and lies, and second, that they are indifferent to falsehood as long as it is sensational or amusing.

Question 2. What is suppression of context?

Answer: Suppression of context is a manipulative technique where only a selective part of a statement or event is reported, omitting the surrounding information. This changes the original meaning and creates a misleading impression.

Question 3. Name two things that make the reports unreliable reading.

Answer: Reports become unreliable due to: (1) Garbling – where interviewers distort or invent quotes, and (2) Suppression of Context – where selective reporting twists the intended meaning.

B.3.1. Read the following sentences and write ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false statement

(i) The author was very fond of gardening and keeping cats. - F (This was a misrepresentation by the press; it was not true.)

(ii) The author had delivered 20,000 words in the space of an hour and a quarter. - F (This was an exaggerated, impossible claim made by a newspaper.)

(iii) To misrepresent a man’s attitude and opinion is no offence. - T (The author states that the press does not consider this a serious wrongdoing.)

(iv) To get misleading statements corrected is very easy. - F (It is described as very difficult and often futile.)

(v) Any public person is subtly made to feel that if he offends the press he will suffer for it. - T (The press's power creates a climate of fear.)

(vi) The press can make or break reputation. - T (This is a central theme of the essay, highlighting the press's immense influence.)

B. 3.2. Answer the following questions briefly

Question 1. Why do books rarely criticise the Press?

Answer: Authors and publishers fear retaliation. If a book criticizes the press, newspapers may either completely ignore it (denying it publicity) or publish dismissive and mocking reviews to damage its credibility and sales.

Question 2. How do the newspapers greet the slightest efforts to hinder the irresponsible dissemination of nonsense?

Answer: Any attempt to curb irresponsible reporting is met with a loud, unified protest from newspapers, who immediately cry, "This is a threat to the freedom of the press!" This deflects criticism and protects their practices.

Question 3. Name the seven charges the author makes against die Press.

Answer: The seven charges are: (1) False Emphasis, (2) Garbling, (3) Inaccuracy, (4) Reversal of facts, (5) Random Invention, (6) Miracle Mongering, (7) Flat Suppression.

C. |. Bihar Board Class 12 English Book Long Answer Questions

Question 1. The editorial policy of a popular daily is controlled by two chief factors. Which are they? Explain.

Answer: The editorial direction of a major newspaper is primarily dictated by two powerful forces. Firstly, the interests of its advertisers. Since advertising provides the bulk of revenue, newspapers cannot afford to support policies or publish content that might offend their advertisers, even if those policies are in the national interest. To attract advertisers, they need high circulation, which often leads to sensationalism and avoiding controversial stances. Secondly, the personal interests of the proprietor. The wealthy individual or company that owns the paper uses it as a tool to promote their own political views, business ambitions, or personal ideology. Their financial power allows them to run the paper according to their whims, independent of advertiser pressure, but equally detached from pure public service.

Question 2. What is garbling? How does Sayers illustrate this form of distortion?

Answer: Garbling refers to the deliberate distortion or twisting of a person's statements during an interview, often by putting words in their mouth. Sayers provides a personal example. When asked about her future plans, she said she never made firm plans, preferred writing plays over novels despite lower pay, and would write for the Canterbury Festival if commissioned. The printed interview, however, stated: "Miss Sayers said that she would write no more plays, except on commission." This completely reversed and misrepresented her actual sentiment, turning her preference into an ultimatum. This instance shows how garbling makes published interviews unreliable and misleading.

Question 3. Describe in your own words the instances of deliberate miracle* mongering.

Answer: Miracle-mongering is when the press fabricates or exaggerates facts to create an impossibly sensational story. Sayers shares an incident where she gave a speech of about 8,000 words. The reporter, who had the full text, published that she had delivered 20,000 words in just one hour and fifteen minutes. This would require speaking at an inhumanly fast rate, making it a "miracle." The press invented this dramatic but false detail to make the story more exciting, disregarding truth and plausibility entirely.

Question 4. How are letters of protest treated by the newspapers? Describe in your own words.

Answer: Getting a correction for a misreport is extremely difficult. Newspapers handle letters of protest in dismissive ways: (1) They may simply ignore the letter. (2) They might print it but add an editor's note asserting their original report was correct and that the complainant is wasting valuable space. This compounds the injury. (3) Sometimes, the editor sends a private apology, but this does nothing to correct the false impression in the public's mind. A full, public apology and correction are very rare, a practice more common among older, more principled editors.

Question 5. Have you ever written a letter of protest to any newspaper? What was the fate of this letter?

Answer: [Note: This is a personal response question. The original text provided an analytical answer instead. A student-friendly, generic answer is provided below.]
No, I have never written a letter of protest to a newspaper. Based on the author's description, such letters often face flat suppression (being ignored). If published, they might be printed with an editorial comment defending the paper's mistake. Occasionally, a private apology might be received, but a full public correction is rare. The process seems designed to discourage readers from challenging inaccurate reporting.

Question 6. ‘He that is unfaithful in little is unfaithful also in much.’ How does Dorothy L. Sayers cite trivial personal examples to prove that the newspapers misrepresent in various ways? Do you agree with her?

Answer: Sayers uses minor personal incidents to demonstrate the press's carelessness with truth. She mentions being falsely reported as fond of gardening and cats, and the miracle-mongering about her speech length. Her argument is that if the press is dishonest in small, trivial matters, its reporting on serious issues cannot be trusted either. [Student's Opinion] I agree with her to a large extent. Her examples effectively show a pattern of negligence and sensationalism. However, it's also important to acknowledge that a free press plays a vital role as a watchdog in a democracy, exposing corruption and injustice. The ideal is a press that combines this watchdog function with the high ethical standards Sayers advocates, avoiding the distortions she criticizes.

Question 7. What is the author's attitude to the freedom of Press? Do you agree with her?

Answer: Dorothy L. Sayers holds a critical and skeptical attitude towards press freedom. She believes that while technically free from government control, the press is enslaved by commercial interests and wields its power irresponsibly. She argues it misleads the public, is unaccountable, and uses the cry of "freedom" to shield itself from criticism. The press, in her view, manufactures rather than reflects public opinion. [Student's Opinion] Her critique is powerful and highlights real dangers like sensationalism and bias. I agree that these problems exist and that the press must be more responsible. However, I also believe that despite its flaws, a free press is indispensable for democracy. The solution is not less freedom, but more accountability and ethical journalism, ensuring the press truly serves the public, not just its owners and advertisers.

Question 8.

‘Indeed, we may say that die heaviest restriction upon the freedom of public opinion is not the official censorship of the Press, but the unofficial censorship by a Press which exists not so much to express opinion as to manufacturé it.’ How does the writer view the relationship between the press and the public opinion? Explain.

Answer:
The writer presents a critical view of the press's role. She argues that in a free country, the press holds immense power, but this power is often misused. While the press is expected to be a mirror of public opinion, the author believes it often acts more like a manufacturer of opinion. The real threat to free thought is not government censorship, but the press's own tendency to shape, distort, or even create narratives to serve its own interests or biases. This "unofficial censorship" is more dangerous because it is subtle and presented as objective news, thereby misleading the public and controlling what they think about.

C. 3. Composition 1. Write a letter to the Editor of an English daily highlighting the poor sanitation in your locality.

Answer:

2. Write a summary of the lesson is about 150 words.

Answer:
The lesson critically examines the concept of a free press. While acknowledging that freedom from government control is vital for democracy, it argues that no newspaper is entirely free. Financial dependence on advertisers can bias their reporting. More importantly, the author highlights a dangerous form of "unofficial censorship" where the press itself manipulates public opinion instead of reflecting it. Through techniques like distortion, suppression of facts, sensationalism, and inaccuracy, the press can create false narratives. This power allows it to build or destroy reputations arbitrarily. The essay concludes that this unchecked influence is a form of tyranny, as any attempt to hold the press accountable for misinformation is wrongly shouted down as an attack on its freedom.

D. WORD STUDY D. 1. Dictionary Use

Ex. 1. Correct the spelling of the following words:

Answer:
srewd — shrewd
propriter — proprietor
precarius — precarious
restricsion — restriction
disastrus — disastrous
bankrupcy — bankruptcy
insite — incite
censorsip — censorship
titilating — titillating

Ex. 2. Lookup a dictionary and write two meanings of the following words—the one in which it is used in the lesson and the other which is more common.

Answer:
denounced : (i) publicly declared to be wrong or evil (as used in the lesson). (ii) informed against someone.
resolute : (i) admirably purposeful and determined. (ii) firm and unwavering.
precarious : (i) dangerously insecure or unstable. (ii) dependent on chance.
gratuitous : (i) done without good reason; uncalled for. (ii) given or done free of charge.
dissemination : (i) the act of spreading information widely. (ii) the scattering of seeds.
cynical : (i) believing that people are motivated purely by self-interest. (ii) contemptuously distrustful.
withheld : (i) refused to give something that is due. (ii) held back or restrained.

D. 2. Word-formation

Make as many words as possible from the words given below

Answer:
resolve — resolution, resolute, resolver, unresolved, resolvable.
allude — allusion, allusive, allusively.
invoke — invocation, invocable, invoking.
restrict — restriction, restrictive, restricted, unrestricted, restricting.
renew — renewal, renewable, renewed, renewing.

D. 3. Word-meaning

Ex. 1. Find from the lesson words the meanings of which have been given in Column-A. The last part of each word is given in Column-B

Answer:
Column-A: the policy of suppressing publication of any item. -> Column-B: censorship
Column-A: causing great loss -> Column-B: disastrous
Column-A: the state of being without money -> Column-B: bankruptcy
Column-A: cause the downfall -> Column-B: subvert
Column-A: pleasently stimulating -> Column-B: titillating
Column-A: stir to action -> Column-B: incite
Column-A: the proprietor of anything -> Column-B: owner

Ex. 2. Fill in the blanks with suitable options given in the brackets

(a) We all become very excited by the news reporting. (excited, exciting)
(b) I do not recollect the incident (recollect, recollects)
(c) You may choose between the two English dailies. (chose, choose)
(d) Unfavorable season affects crop. (effect, affects)
(e) The press should not be monopolised. (monopolized, monopolize)
(f) The report was distorted. (distorting, distorted)

D. 4. Phrases

Ex. 1. Read the lesson carefully and find out the sentences in which the following phrases have been used. Then use these phrases in sentences of your own.

Answer:
at such time: At such time of national crisis, unity among citizens is paramount.
so far: So far, the new policy has shown positive results, but long-term effects are unknown.
on occasion: He is usually quiet, but on occasion, he delivers a powerful speech.
placed upon: Great trust was placed upon the young leader to guide the team.
keep up: To succeed in this course, you must keep up with the daily readings.
driven off: The guard dogs drove off the intruders from the property.
to bear upon: The new evidence will strongly bear upon the outcome of the trial.
creeping into: A sense of doubt was creeping into her mind about the plan.
make of: What did you make of the principal's announcement today?

E. Grammar

Write ten more sentences on this sentence, based on this structure: If+(S+were) + St+would/should + V1

Answer:
1. If I were the Prime Minister, I would focus on education reform.
2. If she were here, she would know exactly what to do.
3. If they were more careful, they would not have lost the document.
4. If the weather were good, we would go for a picnic.
5. If you were more patient, you would achieve better results.
6. If my father were younger, he would travel the world.
7. If we were in Delhi, we would visit the Red Fort.
8. If he were a bird, he would fly across the ocean.
9. If the room were bigger, we could fit more guests.
10. If I were a millionaire, I should donate half my wealth to charity.