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1.
The transition to an information economy was characterized by _____.
A)
an increasingly centralized and permanent workforce
B)
intense product rivalry between one country and another
C)
an emphasis on mass markets rather than niche markets
D)
the rise of mass media corporations
2.
Limited competition describes the following situation:
A)
when a single firm dominates an industry.
B)
when a market has many producers and sellers, but only a few products within a
particular category.
C)
when only a few firms dominate an industry.
D)
when customers pay directly for media goods, such as a cable TV or magazine
subscription.
3.
The 1996 Telecommunications Act _____.
A)
placed limits on cable company rate increases
B)
allowed telephone companies to buy cable firms
C)
allowed a company in the Top 20 market to own a newspaper and a TV station, as
long as there were at least eight TV stations in the market
D)
used regulation to guard against ownership concentration
4.
Government deregulation and corporate strategy are leading to a mass media industry
controlled by _____.
A)
hundreds of small companies
B)
monopolies
C)
oligopolies
D)
national conglomerates
5.
The billion-dollar mergers and takeovers that swept the mass media since the 1990s
were possible because of _____.
A)
speculation on Wall Street.
B)
deregulation.
C)
the collapse of communism.
D)
the rise of the World Wide Web.
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6.
Media that rely primarily on direct payment to collect revenues include all of the
following except _____.
A)
daily newspapers
B)
consumer magazines
C)
movies
D)
over-the-air radio stations
7.
Today’s flexible media system, in which new products are constantly rushed to the
marketplace, favors _____.
A)
small boutique media companies that can develop products
B)
individual entrepreneurs who can tailor a unique media product to meet a niche
market
C)
large companies that can easily absorb losses incurred from failed products
D)
government-subsidized companies that do not have to be concerned with making a
profit
8.
The trend of downsizing _____.
A)
is a euphemism for laying off workers
B)
is supposed to make companies more productive, competitive, and flexible
C)
has forced many employees to scramble for jobs
D)
All options are correct.
9.
What does it mean when we say that media corporations “exercise hegemony” in our
society?
A)
They make large profits.
B)
They are monopolies.
C)
They control the government.
D)
They influence values.
10.
The significant tendencies in major mainstream media today are toward _____.
A)
community ownership and civic action
B)
specialization and synergy
C)
partisanship and deference
D)
national ownership and community action
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11.
What type of advantage promotes ownership patterns among the different media forms
in which several media subsidiaries under one corporate umbrella work to develop
versions of a similar product?
A)
Agenda setting
B)
Validity
C)
Mixed ownership
D)
Synergy
12.
In 2006, Disney CEO Robert Iger merged the company with _____.
A)
Pixar
B)
ABC
C)
CBS
D)
No option is correct.
13.
How has globalization affected American media companies?
A)
They have a smaller market share because so few people in the world speak
English.
B)
Most foreign governments greatly restrict American media in their countries.
C)
The technology gap between countries means that few people overseas can access
American media.
D)
Global audiences permit American companies that lose money on products to turn
a profit overseas.
14.
Because of antitrust laws, most media monopolies today operate on a(n) _____ level.
A)
national
B)
international
C)
local
D)
federal
15.
In our market economy, consumers have _____, but not very much control over the
types of products that they might actually want.
A)
freedom of choice
B)
enormous power
C)
freedom from thought
D)
No option is correct.
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16.
Our society has been reluctant to debate the inequalities inherent in mass media
ownership and has gradually collapsed the critical distinctions between _____.
A)
capitalism and the free market
B)
democracy and free speech
C)
space and time
D)
capitalism and democracy
17.
The United States has been accused of cultural imperialism because _____.
A)
U.S. corporations own most of the world’s mass media
B)
the Pentagon dictates foreign policy in most foreign countries
C)
American styles in fashion, food, and entertainment dominate the global markets
D)
All options are correct.
18.
Cultural imperialism is _____.
A)
a concept in journalism ethics that argues that a journalist must know the culture he
or she is reporting on
B)
the theory that globalization is good for media because it makes media more
culturally diverse
C)
the idea that large and powerful countries can dominate and even change the
culture of smaller countries through media
D)
the argument that people are more affected by media that are familiar to them
19.
News Corp.’s purchase of MySpace was a tremendous success.
A)
True
B)
False
20.
A monopoly exists when a small number of firms control an industry, either nationally
or locally.
A)
True
B)
False
21.
In an oligopoly, just a few firms dominate an industry.
A)
True
B)
False
22.
The government trend toward deregulation was actually begun during the Carter
administration.
A)
True
B)
False
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23.
The television network Fox is owned by News Corp.
A)
True
B)
False
24.
Synergy typically refers to the promotion and sale of different versions of a media
product across the various subsidiaries of a media conglomerate.
A)
True
B)
False
25.
The purpose of antitrust laws is to encourage diversity and competition in the
marketplace.
A)
True
B)
False
26.
Revenue for media companies comes from advertisers.
A)
True
B)
False
27.
The era of downsizing coincided with an increase in workers who belong to labor
unions.
A)
True
B)
False
28.
Because today’s flexible economy demands fast product development, smaller media
companies have an advantage over their larger competitors.
A)
True
B)
False
29.
To lower costs, many manufactures of media equipment like televisions, VCRs, and
computers have exported work overseas to take advantage of cheaper labor.
A)
True
B)
False
30.
As media corporations have grown larger, they also have been able to manage public
debate about their increasing power.
A)
True
B)
False
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31.
Public debates about the structure and ownership of the mass media are encouraged by
media owners, who consider such discussions to be in their best interests.
A)
True
B)
False
32.
Most media monopolies today operate at the local, not the global, level.
A)
True
B)
False
33.
Media powerhouses push for more government regulation to control their competition.
A)
True
B)
False
34.
To circumvent U.S. antitrust laws, most media companies diversify among different
product lines, thus never completely dominating an industry.
A)
True
B)
False
35.
Hulu is a video-streaming service that only carries content from NBC Universal TV
(Comcast).
A)
True
B)
False
36.
Because films are so popular, independent production companies have little problem
raising funds to distribute their films nationwide.
A)
True
B)
False
37.
Most citizens of developed countries have a wide range of media products available to
them, but have little say in which media are created and circulated.
A)
True
B)
False
38.
_____ competition refers to a media market with many producers and sellers but only a
few products within a particular category.
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39.
This corporation owns the ABC network: _____.
40.
In a(n) _____, society’s least powerful members are persuaded to accept the values
defined by its most powerful members.
41.
_____ is the phenomenon of American media, fashion, and food dominating the global
market and shaping the cultures and identities of other nations.
42.
Explain the significance of the transition to an information economy.
43.
What are the three basic structures of today’s mass media industries, and how do they
differ?
44.
Describe the importance of the 1996 Telecommunications Act.
45.
Name and describe the trend for governments to take a decreasing role in monitoring the
structure and content of media (as well as other industries).
46.
How have media mergers changed the economics of mass media?
47.
Describe the rise of globalization in mass media.
48.
Describe three good examples of synergy.
49.
What is the role of synergy at Disney?
50.
What are the differences between freedom of consumer choice and consumer control?
51.
Explain why U.S. media are globally dominant and give examples.
52.
Why do some critics charge that concentration of media ownership by large
conglomerates is antidemocratic?
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53.
How can we maintain democracy in a world of media mergers and conglomerates?
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Answer Key
1.
D
2.
B
3.
B
4.
C
5.
B
6.
D
7.
C
8.
D
9.
D
10.
B
11.
D
12.
A
13.
D
14.
C
15.
A
16.
D
17.
D
18.
C
19.
B
20.
B
21.
A
22.
A
23.
A
24.
A
25.
A
26.
A
27.
B
28.
B
29.
A
30.
A
31.
B
32.
A
33.
B
34.
A
35.
B
36.
B
37.
A
38.
Limited
39.
Disney
40.
hegemony
41.
Cultural imperialism
42.
43.
44.
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45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.