Question 1

When critically looking at the history of media ownership in Australia,sociologists note:

Accepted Answer

Media ownership in Australia can be described as an acute oligopoly. This means that a small number of media corporations have a significant amount of power and control over the mass media. The concentration of media ownership in Australia is one of the highest in the world, meaning that a small number of corporations control a large proportion of the media market. This can lead to a lack of diversity in opinions and perspectives presented in the media, and potentially limit the public's access to information.

Question 2

Consumers know that buying a popular label will cost a lot more but they purchase it anyway for its social and cultural significance.

Accepted Answer

This is a common consumer behavior known as "prestige pricing" where consumers are willing to pay more for products with popular and recognizable labels as a way to signify their social status and cultural values.

Question 3

Which of the following completes the circuit of value which Adorno and Horkheimer pose is set up by the culture industry?

Accepted Answer

Adorno and Horkheimer argue that the culture industry creates a circuit of value where the audience pays for the products that are being advertised to them through the media. This completes the cycle of production and consumption that sustains the culture industry. Options B and D are not related, while option C is only tangentially related to the concept of the circuit of value.

Question 4

Which of the following ideologies identified by Marx as circulating in the mass media is INCORRECTLY described?

Accepted Answer

Marx did not describe the ideology of racism as creating two classes based on race and capital. Rather, Marx believed that racism was a tool used by the bourgeoisie to divide the working class and prevent them from coming together to challenge the ruling class. The other three ideologies listed (consumerism, individualism, and possessive individualism) are all concepts that Marx described as perpetuated by the mass media to maintain the capitalist system.

Question 5

What is a key feature of online social networking sites such as Facebook in regard to social interaction with others?

Accepted Answer

Online social networking sites such as Facebook enable the efficient control of a large volume of relationships. Users can easily add or remove friends, manage privacy settings, and communicate with multiple people at once through features like messaging, posting, and commenting. This allows for a high level of social interaction with others, which is a key feature of these platforms. The other choices (A, C, and D) are not accurate descriptions of key features of online social networking sites.

Question 6

Theories of mass media have found:

Accepted Answer

American functionalists viewed mass communication as a means of reinforcing social solidarity and shared history. They believed that the media could create a common culture that would bind diverse individuals together by sharing common experiences and values. This view of mass media as a means of promoting social cohesion has been a widely accepted theory in the sociology of media.

Answer: C
 Robert Merton and Talcott Parsons were critical of the media and believed that it could be socially destructive, weakening social ties and undermining traditional community values. They argued that the media could lead to a breakdown of traditional social norms and values, leading to social disintegration and breakdown. This view of the media as a negative force in society has been influential in shaping public policy related to media regulation and censorship.

Answers A and D are both incorrect. There is no evidence to suggest that the media is occupying a reduced status in modern social life, and conservatives are not generally supporters of the rise of mass culture.

Question 7

The world is in mourning because Nelson Mandela has just died.For media theorist McLuhan,the importance and power of this statement lies in:

Accepted Answer

McLuhan's theory focused on the impact of media on society, and the simultaneous transmission of news about Mandela's death to the masses through different media platforms is a clear example of this impact.

Question 8

Drawing on the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies' (CCCS)approach that 'in order to analyse society,products need to be understood in relation to social reality' choose one media product as an example and apply this idea.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Drawing on the Centre for Contemporary Cultural...

Question 9

The network society differs from pre-network societies in each of the following ways EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

The other options - A, B, and C - all describe ways in which the network society differs from pre-network societies, but option D does not. In fact, option D seems to be incorrect, as there has not been a significant decline in TV usage in the network society. TV is still a dominant medium, but it coexists with other forms of media that were not available in pre-network societies.

Question 10

To what does Baudrillard's 'simulcra' refer?

Accepted Answer

Baudrillard's 'simulcra' refers to the way image-based media (such as television or advertising) can create a hyper-real representation of reality that is more 'real' than actual reality itself. This can lead to a blurring of the boundaries between reality and simulation, and a difficulty in distinguishing between them.

Question 11

Write a list of statements that explain the extent and limits the internet offers as a virtual community.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Write a list of statements that explain...

Question 12

Which sociologists were the first to analyse the media as a culture industry?

Accepted Answer

Adorno and Horkheimer were the first sociologists to analyse the media as a culture industry in their book "Dialectic of Enlightenment" (1944). They argued that the media industry operates like a factory, mass-producing standardized cultural products that serve to reinforce dominant societal values and maintain the status quo.

Question 13

What is created when groups of people interacting socially on the internet do so to the extent that they form a network of personal relationships?

Accepted Answer

When groups of people interacting socially on the internet form a network of personal relationships, they create a virtual community. A virtual community is a group of people who use technology to communicate and interact, forming relationships and sharing common interests or goals. This can include social media platforms, online forums, and other virtual spaces where people can connect and engage with one another.

Question 14

When analysing the ideologies of the mass media,contemporary Marxists argue that individuals are:

Accepted Answer

Contemporary Marxists argue that individuals are not necessarily brainwashed or living under a delusion, but rather are constrained by dominant ways of speaking and thinking that are disseminated through the mass media. This leads to individuals internalizing and reproducing dominant ideologies without necessarily realizing it. Therefore, choice C - constrained by ways of speaking and thinking - is the best option.

Question 15

In what way does contemporary interactive media such as the internet differ from traditional media?

Accepted Answer

Contemporary interactive media, such as the internet, differs from traditional media in that it is more dialogical in nature. Users can actively engage with and respond to the content, creating a two-way conversation rather than simply receiving information from a central source. Traditional media, such as television or print, is typically one-way communication where there is one sender and many receivers.

Question 16

Which of the following refers to a cyber-society whereby interactive technologies extend social relations and communications causing technologies to become their own reality?

Accepted Answer

The "Second media age" refers to a period where interactive technologies extend social relations and communications, creating a reality where technologies themselves become a significant part of social interaction.

Question 17

The case example of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)reveals:

Accepted Answer

The case example of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reveals that the ABC is open to politicisation by governments, suggesting that it is not entirely independent in its operations. This implies that media policies may not always be able to prevent government interference in public broadcasting. However, the case does not specifically address the other options, so they cannot be determined as true or false based on this example.

Question 18

Critical analysis of the regulation of media in Australia demonstrates:

Accepted Answer

Despite the Australian government's efforts to regulate and promote local content, economic realities have allowed American programming to dominate the media landscape in Australia. The large costs associated with producing original content and the success of American programs make purchasing the rights to these shows a more attractive option for Australian broadcasters. This has led to a concentration of media ownership and a lack of diversity in programming.

Question 19

Locate a television broadcast schedule from the print media or online which shows one day of television programming.Consider pages 333 and 334 in the textbook under the heading 'Public and community broadcasting' and examine whether the topics and programs on the schedule demonstrate these ideas.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Locate a television broadcast schedule from the...

Question 20

The experience of mass media in Australia shows all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Broadcast media traditionally involves a one-way relationship where the sender broadcasts the message to receivers, unlike social media or certain interactive platforms that support a two-way interaction.

Quiz 14: From Mass Media to Social Media