Exam 5: Communication and Mass Media

In North America, where predominant media messages are supportive of capitalism, consumer society, and the growth of the free-market economy, these messages help maintain the status quo. What do these media messages represent?

Consider the following headlines: "If anyone's insulted the voters, it's Mayor Rob Ford" and "Toronto Mayor vows to fight tooth and nail to keep job." According to sociologists, these headlines are examples of which one of the following terms?

In a recent newscast, bankers on Wall Street were interviewed.The common sentiment among the bankers was that capitalism is the best way to organize a society's economy. Based on what you have learned about the political economy of media, which of the following best characterizes the intent behind this newscast?

Canada lives in the shadow of a media giant, the United States of America, and consequently our society is inundated with books, magazines, television, cinema, and Internet content that is American based. The sheer volume of this content greatly exceeds our cultural products. What term is used to characterize this situation?

A Canadian study found that heavy TV viewers are more likely to perceive the world as a dangerous place.

Official news sources are representatives of dominant institutions such as politicians and police.

Which aspect of media coverage has especially frequent "personalization" of the news?

What did Morley conclude with respect to the patterns of television viewing of men and women in the United Kingdom?

What are horizontal integration and vertical integration? How do they impact the TV and newspaper industries?

A researcher conducts an analysis of people's television viewing habits and their perceptions of the world. She concludes that people who watch more television have a greater fear of being victimized by criminals. What of the following best characterizes the researcher's interpretation?

In January 1991, when Americans led an attack on Iraqi forces during the first Persian Gulf War, CNN was the only television network that had people in Baghdad who reported as the bombing on the city began. This event brought CNN legitimacy and popularity because it provided a news value that other networks could not. What news value did this provide for viewers?

Which of the following best characterizes Web 2.0?

Despite the fact that the majority of Canadians support same-sex marriage, and Canada is legislatively tolerant of homosexual (gay) and lesbian relationships through the Charter of Rights and Human Rights legislation, the media still portrays a predominantly heterosexual world. Which of the following terms describes why the media portrays heterosexual relations as normal sexual relations?

Billy is 15 years old, and he watches a lot of television, especially cop shows and gory movies. He also spends a lot of time playing first-person shooter games online. Although Billy lives in a safe area, he carries a knife just to feel safe. According to cultivation analysis, which of the following helps to understand Billy's knife carrying?

Newspaper circulation is declining, especially in Ontario.

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?

Compare and contrast Harold Innis's concepts of time-biased media and space-biased media.

Identify and describe the three types of news sources. As a consumer of media, which of these news sources do you think has the greatest impact on viewers? Explain your reasoning.

Which type of programming has been the focus of worries about the influence of American media on Canadian values and national identity?

According to Randall Collins, Canadian culture is beyond Americanization for which of the following reasons?