A company seeking to become vertically integrated in the book industry may want to
purchase which of the following companies?
a. A record label
b. A paper mill
c. A chain of movie theaters
d. None of the above
Answer:
“Mammy,” “Jezebel,” and “Sapphire” are common media stereotypes of __________.
a. Black females
b. Latinas
c. Asian females
d. White females
Answer:
Hypertext refers to:
a. A text where readers use a computer to choose from a range of “links”
b. A text that is laden in multiple meanings and interpretations
c. A text that the reader reads on a computer
d. An embellished, beautified text
Answer:
Which of the following is not associated with the minimal effects model?
a. Those with strong political beliefs are the most likely to be affected by media
coverage.
b. Media messages tend to reinforce existing belief.
c. Media effects usually occur through a “two-step” flow of influence.
d. In understanding voter behavior, social characteristics are more important than
media.
Answer:
Agenda-setting refers to the ability of:
a. Politicians to influence the media’s agenda
b. The media to influence the public’s agenda
c. The public to influence the media’s agenda
d. The media to influence politicians’ agenda
Answer:
Which of the following seems to be the subject of the fewest number of studies?
a. Race and media
b. Gender and media
c. Class and media
d. All have been equally addressed in research studies
Answer:
The idea that American media and culture are so powerful that they subjugate other
cultures is called ____.
a. cultural imperialism
b. hegemony
c. ideology
d. mainstreaming
Answer:
The first practical printing press with movable type dates back to the:
a. 1200s
b. 1400s
c. 1600s
d. 1800s
Answer:
Which of the following is not one of the significant influences on news content,
according to Herman and Chomsky’s “propaganda model”?
a. The profit orientation of media companies
b. Journalists’ heavy reliance on official sources
c. The liberal bias of individual journalists
d. Advertising
Answer:
There are more female than male executives in media organizations today.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
The “global village” was a term coined by:
a. Canadian scholar Marshall McLuhan
b. Pop artist Andy Warhol
c. U.S. sociologist Herbert Gans
d. President John F. Kennedy
Answer:
Which of the following explanations about the historical development of advertising in
the 20th century is true?
a. Ads were often a gateway to integrate society and erase differences among people.
b. Ads were banned from radio for most of the early 20th century.
c. Ads using racial stereotypes were banned.
d. Ads were a chief tool for the masses to challenge the ruling class.
Answer:
Which of the following best describes the cultural imperialism thesis?
a. Media products from different nations have intermingled to produce a new global
culture.
b. The fast pace of electronic media has undermined the power of culture.
c. Media products from the West have come to dominate cultures of other nations.
d. Global communication now means that culture is no longer grounded in a physical
location.
Answer:
The growing importance of television in American political campaigns has led to:
a. An increased emphasis on “grassroots” organizations
b. A loss of substance in favor of appearance
c. More emphasis on carefully crafting party platforms
d. More in-depth analysis of issues
Answer:
The hypodermic media effects model assumes minimal effects of media on individuals.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
For other nations, importing U.S.-made media products:
a. Has no impact on the production of media in their own countries
b. Is more expensive than producing their own
c. Costs about the same as producing their own
d. Is less expensive then producing their own
Answer:
Neil Postman argued that the dominance of television and an image-oriented culture
undermined rational public discourse in mid-20th century America.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
“Spin” refers to a form of propaganda involving the creation and diffusion of a specific
interpretation of an event, with the aim of creating consensus and public support.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Developing countries generally support cultural imperialism.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
One of the myths about government regulation of the media is that:
a. The media industry generally opposes all forms of government intervention
b. All national governments have some form of media regulation
c. Democratic societies have generally supported freedom of the press
d. The United States generally has fewer regulations on media compared to Europe
Answer:
Which of the following is not a discrediting technique sometimes used by media against
social movements?
a. Overestimating the number of demonstrators at a protest
b. Downplaying content in favor of spectacle
c. Portraying demonstrators as deviant and unrepresentative of the population
d. Giving comparable coverage to much smaller counterdemonstrators
Answer:
News companies are taking various measures to keep costs down lately. Which of the
following does not belong to such measures?
a. Decrease the number of journalists on staff
b. Limit investigative reporting
c. Focus the news on preplanned official events
d. Increase international news coverage
Answer:
The technology and media usage gap between the rich and poor, highly educated and
less educated, developed world and developing world, and so forth, is known as the
___________.
a. digital divide
b. information crevice
c. information highway
d. knowledge gap
Answer:
Networks’ tendency to minimize the risk of losing money on programs is known as
_____
a. Profit-driven logic of safety
b. Program diversification
c. Fin-sync rule
d. Prime time program bias
Answer:
In explaining the role of media in society, sociologists often refer to the process known
as socialization. Briefly describe what this concept means. In your answer, make sure to
include at least one example.
Answer:
Which of the following does not fit with David Morley’s theory of audience member?
a. Audiences can read the preferred reading
b. Audiences can develop a “negotiated” reading
c. Audiences are passive viewers
d. Audience can read the oppositional reading
Answer:
An example of the incorporation of oppositional cultural forms is:
a. Television programs about students
b. News articles that quote prisoners
c. Advertisements on the Internet
d. A Janis Joplin song selling Mercedes-Benz cars
Answer:
Which of the following explanations about news “objectivity” is not true?
a. Objectivity is socially constructed.
b. Objectivity emerged as a scientific solution to the crisis of journalism.
c. Objectivity is always achieved in every news report.
d. Objectivity is a routine practice.
Answer:
Social movements have adopted new tactics such as public demonstrations in order to
attract media attention.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
The television “work-family” consists primarily of images of:
a. Family-run businesses
b. People who work at home
c. Parents who bring their children to work with them
d. Characters who develop a supportive community in the workplace
Answer:
“Horizontal” integration refers to the integration of media companies of similar sizes.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
Which of the following media conglomerations is not American?
a. Viacom
b. Bertelsmann
c. Time-Warner
d. Walt Disney
Answer:
The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) regulates U.S. interstate and international
communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable.
a. True
b. False
Answer:
“Advergames” is an example of _______ marketing.
a. viral
b. guerilla
c. preferential
d. mass
Answer:
Why do the authors sometimes use reader or user rather than receiver or audience?
Answer:
How does the rise of the Internet challenge the idea that technologies determine the
evolution of media?
Answer:
Sociologists often link discussions of social relations to the concepts of “Structure” and
“Agency.” What are they, and how do they relate to each other? Do they have equal
relationships? Are they at odds? In your discussion, include at least one specific
example.
Answer:
Economic news generally favors the perspectives of businesses and investors.
a True
b. False
Answer:
According to the authors, what are the differences between the study of sociology and
mass communication?
Answer:
How was broadcasting different from previous ways of distributing and consuming
media?
Answer:
What are some differences between face-to-face and mass-mediated communication for
readers? How does this distinction affect politics?
Answer:
What is the difference between total media exposure, the multitasking proportion, and
total media use? Explain why these distinctions are important for understanding young
adult media use.
Answer: