Deck 3: Mass Media Industries: Historical Perspective

Question 1

The penetration stage of a medium is characterized by

A) a technological innovation.
B) a channel that appeals to a large, heterogeneous population.
C) a medium generating the most revenue compared with other media.
D) a loss of audience members.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The blending together of previous separate channels is known as

A) multimedia.
B) convergence.
C) cross-media.
D) combination.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The peak stage is reached when a medium

A) commands the most attention from the public.
B) generates the most revenue compared with other media.
C) has achieved significant penetration.
D) All of the above

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Mass media industries have exhibited a high degree of commonality in the way they have developed over time.
B) The life cycle pattern provides a useful framework for examining the media industries.
C) Each industry has been shaped by different historical influences, technological innovations, and audience needs.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 5

Broadcast TV has left the peak stage because

A) books and magazines have entered the adaptation stage.
B) the radio industry has repositioned itself.
C) cable channels have eroded broadcast TV's hold on the audience.
D) All of the above

Question 6

The three types of convergence are

A) perceptual, psychological, and physical.
B) technical, economical, and physical.
C) technological, marketing, and psychological.
D) technological, economical, and psychological.

Question 7

The life cycle pattern of the mass media, in the correct order, is

A) innovation, penetration, peak, adaptation, and decline.
B) innovation, penetration, peak, decline, and adaptation.
C) invention, growth, peak, adaptation, and downfall.
D) invention, peak, penetration, competition, and decline.

Question 8

Repositioning of a medium on the market is achieved by

A) continuing to meet the same set of needs as in the past.
B) competing with a new medium for meeting a set of needs.
C) identifying a new set of needs that the medium can meet.
D) None of the above

Question 9

Most of the mass media are currently in which stage?

A) Innovation
B) Decline
C) Adaptation
D) Penetration

Question 10

Which stage of media industry development is equivalent to the "birth" life cycle stage?

A) Genesis
B) Incubation
C) Innovation
D) Invention

Question 11

The invention of the motion picture camera is an example of

A) technological innovation.
B) marketing innovation.
C) adaptation.
D) redefinition.

Question 12

When radio lost some of its audience to television, it repositioned itself on the market by means of

A) eliminating general entertainment programs.
B) targeting niche audiences.
C) becoming more mobile.
D) All of the above

Question 13

A peak medium that is challenged by a new medium will enter which stage of development?

A) Competition
B) Challenger
C) Decline
D) Downfall

Question 14

In the adaptation stage, a medium

A) redefines its position in the market.
B) converges with other media.
C) generates more revenue than any other form of media.
D) None of the above

Question 15

What medium reached a peak in the 1960s after taking audiences away from radio and film?

A) Broadcast television
B) Newspapers
C) Cable television
D) Magazines

Question 16

Which media is currently at its peak?

A) Broadcast television
B) Cable television
C) Computers
D) Film

Question 17

Broadcast television's peak stage lasted until

A) the 1970s.
B) the 1980s.
C) the 1990s.
D) the 2000s.

Question 18

A successful marketing innovation begins with

A) the invention of new technology.
B) the identification of a need.
C) improved content that attracts a new audience.
D) None of the above

Question 19

Cable TV's peak is being threatened by which medium?

A) Broadcast TV
B) Computers
C) Convergence
D) None of the above

Question 20

The computer medium can be the delivery system for

A) books.
B) magazines.
C) film.
D) All of the above

Question 21

At its peak stage, a medium commands the most attention from the public.

Question 22

The mass media workforce makes up less than what percentage of the adult population in the United States?

A) 1%
B) 5%
C) 10%
D) 25%

Question 23

What is the percentage of minorities working in journalism in the United States?

A) 20%
B) 30.5%
C) 15%
D) 7.5%

Question 24

Computers are now in the innovation stage.

Question 25

Marketing innovations are developed in the second stage in the life cycle of a medium, after a technological innovation has been accepted by the public.

Question 26

The expected rate of growth in employment in the media in the United States in this decade is

A) 6%
B) 8%
C) 10%
D) 20%

Question 27

Reflecting on media convergence processes helps increase media literacy.

Question 28

Today, media companies think about all the ways they can distribute their messages across as many channels as possible.

Question 29

In our current society, the radio is often on for many hours and usually holds people's full attention.

Question 30

Each of the mass media industries has its own unique history.

Question 31

During the decline stage, one medium loses audience acceptance because another medium provides the messages needed by the audience in a better way.

Question 32

You can increase your media literacy by considering

A) devices you use to access media messages.
B) media companies that create messages you access.
C) types of media you have access to.
D) All of the above

Question 33

Amazon.com generates sales of a million copies of books by selling 10 copies each of 100,000 different books targeted at various niche markets rather than trying to sell one million copies of a single best-selling book. This is an example of

A) the least common denominator strategy.
B) the niche sales approach.
C) long-tail marketing.
D) stratified marketing.

Question 34

Psychological convergence refers to

A) the merging of people's points of view due to biased media coverage.
B) a change in people's perceptions about geographic and social barriers.
C) the coming together of small audiences to form a mass audience.
D) None of the above

Question 35

Which industries employ the largest percentage of women?

A) Newspapers and computers
B) Books and magazines
C) Radio and cable television
D) Newspapers and radio

Question 36

What is the percentage of men working in the production sector of the motion pictures industry?

A) 95%
B) 75%
C) 55%
D) 35%

Question 37

Apart from the digitization of messages, what is another important technological advancement contributing to convergence?

A) Laser writing
B) Copper wire signals
C) Analog codes
D) Fiber optics

Question 38

You can increase your media literacy by considering

A) media convergence.
B) media workforce.
C) the future of the media.
D) All of the above

Question 39

Women who are employed in the media industries are usually in positions of lower status, earn less money, and have less education.

Question 40

Each of the mass media industries began as a technological innovation.

Question 41

Discuss how reflecting on how you are affected by convergence can help increase your media literacy.

Question 42

Explain how the development of the mass media industries can be understood using a life cycle metaphor.

Question 43

Radio is a good example of what a mass medium does during the adaptation stage. Explain how radio adapted after losing its audience to television.

Question 44

Explain the three types of media convergence and discuss how they affect media today.

Question 45

Discuss the profile of the mass media workforce in the United States today.