Chapter 1: Mass Communication, Culture, and Media Literacy
Baran: Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture, 9e TB–1 | 7
whole or part.
35. The ability to enjoy, understand, and appreciate media content; an understanding of media
content as a text that provides insight into our culture and our lives; and an understanding of
the ethical and moral obligations of media practitioners are elements of
a. literacy.
b. social responsibility.
c. media literacy.
d. ethics.
36. The common assumption that others are influenced by media messages but we are not is
a. the third-person effect.
b. a violation of the second principle of media literacy.
c. the otherness effect.
d. the CNN effect.
37. An understanding of and respect for the power of media messages, the development of
heightened expectations of media content, a knowledge of genre conventions, and the ability
to recognize when conventions are being mixed are examples of
a. the third-person effect.
b. impediments to media literacy.
c. media literacy skills.
d. good television-viewing skills.
38. Categories of expression within the different media—for example, the evening news and
documentaries—are media
a. conventions.
b. production values.
c. genres.
d. formats.
39. The characteristic, distinctive, standardized style elements of a given form of media
expression—for example, the upbeat music that introduces the local evening news—are
media
a. conventions.
b. production values.
c. genres.
d. formats.
40. Knowledge of media’s conventions is important because
a. they keep us involved in the material.
b. we can identify when a content producer is attempting to fool us.
c. they cue or direct our meaning making.
Chapter 1: Mass Communication, Culture, and Media Literacy
d. it enhances our experience of the media.
41. The specific internal language of a given medium—for example, the choice of lighting in a
soap opera—is a media
a. convention.
b. production value.
c. genre.
d. format.
42. According to Marshall McLuhan, fish know they are wet.
43. Communication requires a sharing of meaning.
44. When a professor lectures to a large class of students, this is an example of mass
communication.
45. Evening news, documentary, horror film, and gossip magazine are examples of genres.
46. From the beginning, newspapers have been an advertiser-supported medium.
47. If you explain an idea to a friend in a letter, you have encoded your message.
48. Biases and predispositions are common forms of noise.
Baran: Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture, 9e TB–1 | 9
© 2017 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or
distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in
whole or part.
49. People rarely succeed in contesting the dominant culture.
50. Different bounded cultures can share a common dominant culture.
51. Gutenberg not only became world famous as a result of his invention, but rich as well.
52. An understanding of and respect for the power of media messages is an important media
literacy skill.
53. Genres are such things as choice of lighting, editing, special effects, camera angle, and size
and placement of a headline.
54. After Gutenberg’s introduction of the printing press to 1450s Europe, the technology spread
slowly but steadily throughout the continent.
55. Media literacy is a skill that can be acquired and developed.
56. Define communication.
57. What does it mean to say that there must be a “sharing of meaning” for communication to
occur?
Baran: Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture, 9e TB–1 | 10
© 2017 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or
distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in
whole or part.
58. Differentiate between encoding and decoding.
59. Define culture.
60. What does it mean to say that “media are cultural storytellers”?
61. What does it mean to say that “mass communication serves as a cultural forum”?
62. What is technological determinism?
63. What was Gutenberg’s advance over existing methods of mechanical printing?
64. How did the mass production of printed materials foster the development of capitalism?
65. Define literacy.
66. Define media literacy.
67. Define and explain multiple points of access.
Baran: Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture, 9e TB–1 | 11
© 2017 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or
distribution in any manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in
whole or part.
68. Define and explain the third-person effect.
69. How do genre conventions and production values differ?
70. What is the relationship between communication and culture?
71. What is the impact of technology on communication?
72. How does culture limit and liberate?
73. Do you see the audience as the consumer or the product in our mass media system? Explain
your answer.
74. What are the eight elements of media literacy as defined by Art Silverblatt and your textbook
author? Describe each.
75. What are the seven media literacy skills? Describe each.