Question 1

The Mayan Calendar, which has survived hundreds of years, is best characterized as which of the following types of media?

Accepted Answer

The Mayan Calendar is considered time-biased media because it is designed to endure over long periods, emphasizing longevity and continuity over time.

Question 2

After the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, movies made in the Western world showed a substantial rise in villains from Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the text, what would be one of the primary reasons behind the increase in the number of these movie characters?

Accepted Answer

B

Question 3

According to the text, which of the following is used to define the unidirectional flow of communication?

Accepted Answer

Mass media refers to communication channels that are used to reach a large audience, often with a unidirectional flow of information from the sender to the receiver. Examples include television, radio, newspapers, and magazines.

Question 4

An anthropologist in the Yucatan peninsula discovers an ancient Mayan temple, the sides of which are adorned by complex hieroglyphs documenting aspects of the Mayan people's lives. What kind of media are hieroglyphs?

Accepted Answer

The answer of An anthropologist in the Yucatan peninsula discovers...

Question 5

Which theorist conceptualized a distinction between time-biased and space-biased media?

Accepted Answer

The theorist who conceptualized a distinction between time-biased and space-biased media is Harold Innis, a Canadian communication theorist. He argued that different forms of media have different characteristics that affect how information is transmitted and received. Time-biased media, such as stone or clay tablets, emphasize the preservation and longevity of the message and are therefore better suited for communicating over long distances and time spans. Space-biased media, such as paper or papyrus, prioritize the dissemination of information over large areas and are better suited for faster communication.

Question 6

According to the text, what does a critical perspective on the media attempt to demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

A critical perspective on the media attempts to demonstrate how a monopolized media reproduces the dominant ideology's ideas, values, and norms. It focuses on how media ownership and control are in the hands of a few, which affects the messages that the public receives. Option A is incorrect because critical perspective on the media does not assert that multimedia outlets reproduce local community values and interests; rather, it highlights how media outlets are controlled by the dominant ideology. Option C is incorrect because while there may be some decentralization, critical perspective still highlights a few dominant players who control the media. Option D is incorrect because while current trends and values in society may play a role in the media's content, critical perspective focuses on how media ownership and control affect the messages that the public receives.

Question 7

According to the text, which of the following media consumption patterns is most popular?

Accepted Answer

The text states that "the internet is now the most popular platform for media consumption." Therefore, surfing the internet is the most popular media consumption pattern.

Question 8

Nazi Germany was the first totalitarian state to use radio as a propaganda tool. Which of the following best characterizes this use of media?

Accepted Answer

The use of radio in Nazi Germany was space-biased, meaning that it reached a wide audience across a large geographic area. The Nazi regime used radio as a tool to disseminate propaganda to the masses, often using speeches and rallies to promote their ideology and manipulate public opinion. The language and symbols used in this propaganda were also important, but the spatial reach of radio made it a particularly effective medium for spreading Nazi propaganda.

Question 9

When Craig is in sitting in his living room in Toronto, Jane in her living room in Winnipeg, and Tina in her bedroom in Vancouver, all watching CTV National News at 11 p.m., what form of media are they subjecting themselves to?

Accepted Answer

They are all watching the same news program at the same time, indicating a large audience. This fits the definition of mass media, which refers to the communication of information to large audiences through various channels such as television, radio, and newspapers. Interactive media requires some level of user participation, streamlining media refers to the efficient delivery of content to the user, and targeted media is personalized content delivered to a specific audience.

Question 10

Which theoretical approach is associated with the idea that the media are part of a culture industry that functions to create mass deception?

Accepted Answer

The theoretical approach that is associated with the idea that the media are part of a culture industry that functions to create mass deception is critical theory. This approach emphasizes the role of power and domination in society, and sees the media as tools that reproduce and reinforce existing social inequalities. Critical theorists argue that the media are controlled by a small group of elites who use them to shape public opinion and maintain their own power and privilege. The concept of the culture industry refers to the commercialization and standardization of cultural products, which according to critical theorists, serves to manipulate and control the audience.

Question 11

Which of the following is a critical assertion about the media derived from orthodox Marxism?

Accepted Answer

Orthodox Marxism asserts that the media serves the economic interests of the dominant class. This means that the media is seen as a tool to maintain the power of the ruling class by promoting their interests and maintaining their control over society. This view argues that the media does not serve the interests of the working class or the general public, but rather, it serves the interests of the owners of the media and the dominant economic classes.

Question 12

According to Marshall McLuhan, in which of the following ways did printing change our sense perceptions?

Accepted Answer

According to McLuhan, printing technology introduced a linear, cause-and-effect mode of thinking, changing perceptions of the world from a more holistic and interconnected perspective.

Question 13

Jeff watched a show on television last night about the relationship between religion and violence in Western society. He is now convinced that the solution to reduce violence will be found through religious teachings, although he personally has not been to church in 10 years. According to the text, what was likely the main contributing factor that explains why Jeff's opinion was swayed so profoundly?

Accepted Answer

The text suggests that the show reflected a dominant ideology, which likely influenced Jeff's opinion to the point that he became convinced of its validity. It is important to note that this does not necessarily mean that the show was presenting a biased or inaccurate report, but rather that it presented information in a way that aligned with a particular worldview or set of beliefs.

Question 14

When people play video games, they are transmitting and receiving messages. The flow of messages between the device and the user is best characterized by which of the following terms?

Accepted Answer

The flow of messages between the device and the user in video games is best characterized as interactive media, as the user actively engages with and influences the content being transmitted through their actions in the game. Streamlined media typically refers to a simplified and efficient form of communication, while targeted media is focused on specific audiences or demographics. Communication media is a broader term that can encompass a variety of mediums used for transmitting messages.

Question 15

According to the text, which of the following statements most accurately depicts current media consumption practices?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the text, which of the...

Question 16

According to Marshall McLuhan and his followers, in which of the following ways does television, as compared to print, affect culture?

Accepted Answer

Marshall McLuhan and his followers believed that television brought people together through a shared experience that was more inclusive than print. Unlike print, which requires literacy and privileged access to books and newspapers, television was accessible to a wider audience and created a sense of global village. McLuhan argued that television created a sense of community and commonality among people, regardless of their social or cultural backgrounds.

Question 17

Society has been described as having "amnesia" when it comes to understanding the long-term impacts of breaking news stories. For instance, most people support and encourage charities created from global tragedies such as the earthquake in Haiti; however, the impact of such tragedies is quickly forgotten. Which form of communication is used to describe the short-term media messages that hit global headlines but lose importance shortly after?

Accepted Answer

Space-biased media refers to forms of communication that are designed to reach a wide audience quickly but do not last long, such as news broadcasts and online articles.

Question 18

A media analyst warns that the "media conglomerate" is selectively contributing to hysteria about global warming because the focus is only on stories that allege man-made carbon emissions are the problem. The analyst further states that there are plenty of opposing opinions from credible scientists that don't get airtime. He concludes that we are being deceived with an unbalanced, media-selected view. Which theoretical perspective has informed this critic's observations?

Accepted Answer

The critic's observations reflect a critical perspective, as they are questioning the power dynamics and biases present in the media conglomerate's reporting on global warming.

Question 19

When British songwriter Adele became known worldwide, the world was brought together through her shared meanings and understandings of heartbreak and dating relationships. Which of the following terms best characterizes the sharing of information and cultural understandings of life experiences?

Accepted Answer

Communication is the best term to characterize the sharing of information and cultural understandings of life experiences, as it encompasses both verbal and nonverbal methods of transmitting ideas and messages.

Question 20

According to the text, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are examples of which of the following forms of media?

Accepted Answer

Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are examples of interactive media because they allow users to interact with each other through messages, comments, likes, and shares.

Quiz 5: Communication and Mass Media