Deck 12: The Mass Media

Question 1

When the cell phone was invented, Josh was ten years old. Approximately what age is he today?

A) 10-19 years
B) 20-29 years
C) 30-39 years
D) 40-49 years

Answer 1

D

Question 2

How is mass media communication accomplished typically?

A) through one-way channels
B) through two-way channels
C) through complex channels
D) through omnidirectional channels

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of these men is the Canadian media guru who coined the term global village?

A) Marshall McLuhan
B) John Porter
C) Erving Goffman
D) Jean Baudrillard

Answer 3

A

Question 4

In what year did the first television broadcast occur in Canada?

A) 1921
B) 1931
C) 1941
D) 1951

Question 5

What do we call print, radio, television, and other communication technologies?

A) mass media
B) mass behaviour
C) mass interaction
D) mass communication

Question 6

Maxwell is excited to have contributed to the distribution of the first mass-media product in the Western world. What project did he assist in?

A) the London Times newspaper
B) the Bible
C) Wesley's Book of Hymns
D) The Great Military Strategists of Europe

Question 7

Marion generally watches television for an hour or two per day to unwind after long days at work on her computer, surfing the Internet. With which of the following is she engaged in these activities?

A) mass communication
B) mass media
C) mass interaction
D) mass behaviour

Question 8

What was the dominant mass medium until the 1950s?

A) the telegraph
B) the radio
C) the personal letter
D) the newspaper

Question 9

Todd is really upset by the messages he is interpreting from prime-time television. According to the textbook, which of the following actions would be most effective in interrupting or stopping the messages he receives?

A) He can lobby against the major television networks to get content changed.
B) He can write letters to the newspapers about his concerns.
C) He can stop watching prime-time television.
D) He can work for political campaigns in which people agree with his stance.

Question 10

What significant technology was invented by Johannes Gutenberg?

A) the telegraph
B) the World Wide Web
C) the printing press
D) the microcomputer

Question 11

When the first smart phone was released, Tiffany was ten years old. Approximately what age is she today?

A) 10-19 years
B) 20-29 years
C) 30-39 years
D) 40-49 years

Question 12

Approximately what percentage of their time do Canadians spend interacting with various media today?

A) 20 percent
B) 30 percent
C) 40 percent
D) 50 percent

Question 13

Anna has a part-time job, she goes to school full-time, and she enjoys an active social life. According to the textbook, if Anna is like most Canadians, what does she spend a significant amount of her daily time doing?

A) reading
B) working out
C) watching TV
D) playing video games

Question 14

According to the textbook, what is significant about the movie Oblivion (2013)?

A) It glorifies the female action hero.
B) It glorifies traditional values.
C) It emphasizes the ethos of "rugged individualism."
D) It blurs the lines between fantasy and reality.

Question 15

Which of the following terms is used to signify the fact that humans now live in a world dominated by mass media?

A) the Internet era
B) the global village
C) the electronic connection
D) the World Wide Web

Question 16

According to the textbook, which of the following can be considered the first mass-media product?

A) the first commercial television broadcast
B) the Mesopotamian invention of writing
C) the Bible
D) ARPANET

Question 17

What do we call information that is transmitted from a single source to a large impersonal audience?

A) remote communication
B) indirect communication
C) disconnected media
D) mass media

Question 18

Which theorist said that mass media are extensions of the human body and human mind?

A) Jean Baudrillard
B) Pierre Bourdieu
C) Marshall McLuhan
D) Michel Foucault

Question 19

Why is it possible that the human mind and the human body are extensions of mass media?

A) because many people are heavily influenced by the media they consume
B) because many people have increasing access to "virtual" technologies
C) because humans are creating technologies that may soon yield the first cyborgs
D) because most humans are now connected through the World Wide Web

Question 20

Which of the following media made the coordination of time and the establishment of just six time zones across Canada possible?

A) the telegraph
B) the newspaper
C) the radio
D) the television

Question 21

Which of the following theories focuses on the importance of media as a stress reliever in ways that maintain the social order?

A) feminist theory
B) conflict theory
C) symbolic interactionism
D) functionalism

Question 22

Families have relinquished a great deal of control over the transmission of values, beliefs, and norms to the mass media. What are media engaged in when they take on this role?

A) coordination
B) entertainment
C) social control
D) socialization

Question 23

Robert believes that mass media perform many roles that make social order possible. Which theory do his ideas reflect?

A) functionalism
B) conflict theory
C) symbolic interactionism
D) postmodernism

Question 24

Mass media provide Canadians with various television dramas that devote attention to crime, criminals, police, and the law. By producing so many shows in this genre, which function of media are broadcasters fulfilling?

A) conflict suppression
B) socialization
C) coordination
D) social control

Question 25

Andrew faithfully reads his subscription to Maclean's magazine and The National Post as a way of staying informed about life in Canada. In doing this, what is Andrew a part of?

A) an imagined community
B) a Canadian fantasy
C) a simulated reality
D) a national web

Question 26

By exposing various deviants and showcasing the police and the law, along with model citizens, the media reinforce cultural ideas about who is deserving of rewards and who is deserving of punishments. What does this accomplish?

A) It generates class conflict.
B) It stimulates violence and aggression.
C) It sets boundaries that reinforce the social order.
D) It merges fantasy and reality that encourages adaptation to new social conditions.

Question 27

Michael is planning to run for Mayor of his city, and he has been avidly consuming old television footage from the Kennedy-Nixon presidential debate in 1960. Michael is determined to use television media as effectively as Kennedy did. Whose services should he seek out for this plan?

A) image consultants
B) public opinion pollsters
C) focus groups
D) policy analysts

Question 28

Which of the following means of communication is increasingly less viable due to Canada's size and complexity?

A) print media
B) face-to-face interaction
C) interactive computer technology
D) simultaneous media channels

Question 29

According to the functionalist theory, in contemporary Canadian society the mass media are now a primary mechanism for the transmission of norms, values, and culture. Which of the following previously accomplished this crucial sociological function?

A) the family
B) religious institutions
C) the government
D) schools

Question 30

Through Canadian-controlled radio and television, the government ensures that Canadians have access to important national issues, values, and culture. In this situation, which function of media is the government fulfilling?

A) entertainment
B) socialization
C) coordination
D) social control

Question 31

Many forms of mass media provide people with pleasure, relaxation, and short-term escape from their problems and worries. What function of media does this reflect?

A) coordination
B) entertainment
C) social control
D) socialization

Question 32

Edmund is running for Premier of his province. Recent public opinion polls demonstrate he is falling behind in the polls. In order to boost his ratings, he directs his campaign manager to create commercials that show his opponent as unable to manage getting her children organized for school, much less being able to organize a provincial government. What is Edmund engaging in?

A) conflict media
B) negative advertising
C) destructive promotion
D) impression management

Question 33

Award-winning author Saul Bellow (1964) stated that "a scandal [is] after all a sort of service to the community." Which of the following ideas does this statement reflect?

A) Scandals provide good entertainment value.
B) Scandals demonstrate which behaviours fall within and outside acceptable boundaries.
C) Scandals are enjoyed by people of all classes and therefore bring people together.
D) Scandals socialize children by providing role models and showing them how to act.

Question 34

According to German philosopher Georg Hegel, which of the following does reading the newspaper every day accomplish?

A) It unites the secular social world.
B) It provides a transcendental experience.
C) It demonstrates socially acceptable paths of interaction.
D) It grants people a means to communicate with one another.

Question 35

Chrissy carefully monitors what her three-year-old daughter is watching on television, ensuring that she is only watching non-violent shows that teach important values, such as sharing, cooperation, acceptance of diversity, and so on. Which of the following characterizes the function that media is fulfilling in the lives of Chrissy and her daughter?

A) entertainment
B) socialization
C) coordination
D) social control

Question 36

Which of the following approaches critiques functionalism for exaggerating the degree to which mass media serve the interests of all citizens?

A) symbolic interactionism
B) conflict theory
C) sociobiology
D) postmodernism

Question 37

Which of the following is one of the major factors in the rise of mass media?

A) the technological revolution
B) capitalist industrialization
C) human rights' movements
D) social networking websites

Question 38

Graeme is exhausted and stressed out after a 16-hour-per-day week at work. According to the textbook, how is he likely to relax?

A) by engaging in challenging physical activity
B) by engaging in unchallenging media consumption
C) by engaging in face-to-face social activities
D) by engaging in challenging mind diversions, such as Sudoku or crossword puzzles

Question 39

As societies like Canada become larger and more complex, older methods of communication become less effective. According to the textbook, what does this increasing complexity lead to?

A) the disintegration of the boundary between fantasy and reality
B) the disorganization of key societal institutions across various sectors
C) increased competition for scarce resources among competing classes
D) the development of new means for coordinating the operation of various parts of society

Question 40

Daytime television programs often show people behaving badly as well as the audience reactions to this behaviour. In addition to entertaining people, what important function do these shows fulfill?

A) blurring distinctions between reality and escapism
B) acting as agents of social control
C) coordinating social relations
D) connecting individuals to the nation

Question 41

Which of the following best characterizes the mandate of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission?

A) to protect the cultural rights of First Nations peoples
B) to promote Canadian culture and economic competitiveness
C) to regulate the industry health and safety standards for high tech workers
D) to develop Canada's research and innovation capacity in mass media technology

Question 42

What do we call the practice of a single corporation owning businesses that operate in different commercial sectors?

A) deregulation
B) horizontal integration
C) globalization
D) vertical integration

Question 43

Werner is told by his editor to contact Paul Jones, the Apex Copper Mine public relations representative in Toronto, in order to investigate the possibility that their proposed copper mine in Brazil will cause environmental pollution and health problems. According to Herman and Chomsky, what is wrong with relying on this as the only source for the story?

A) Because the public relations officer is not an expert in heath or the environment, his information may not be accurate.
B) Because the public relations officer is paid to promote the interests of the corporation, his information may be misleading.
C) There is nothing wrong with using this as the only source.
D) Because Jones is in Toronto, he will not know enough about the conditions in Brazil to provide enough helpful information.

Question 44

LMNO Corporation owns a coliseum, a hockey team, several magazines and newspapers, a television network, and various retail outlets. Which of the following best describes LMNO Corporation?

A) concentrated media
B) media conglomerate
C) vertical conglomerate
D) horizontal conglomerate

Question 45

Award-winning journalist Jean Collins has factual information that local mining corporation Big Mine Inc. has been exceeding allowable Canadian standards for environmental pollution. Despite the story's excellent sources and factual accounts, the newspaper's editor decides not to publish the story. According to Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky, why would the editor most likely have refused to publish the story?

A) because newspapers generally do not publish stories that are political in content
B) because the facts cannot be checked appropriately for accuracy
C) because Big Mine Inc. likely contributes a lot of advertising revenues to the paper
D) because Big Mine Inc. will sue the newspaper

Question 46

What do we call the practice of a single company controlling more and more production in a particular industry?

A) horizontal integration
B) vertical integration
C) socio-economic integration
D) productive integration

Question 47

Which of the following corporations has been criticized for using its considerable power to launch "Fox News North" and promote right-wing ideological interests?

A) Shaw Communications Inc.
B) Rogers Communications Inc.
C) Quebecor Inc.
D) CTVglobemedia Inc.

Question 48

According to conflict theorists, mass media can produce inequality. Which of the following is one of the ways that the mass media are responsible for this inequality?

A) by showing people step-by-step procedures for acting in inequitable ways
B) by having ownership and control of media concentrated in a small number of hands
C) by providing avenues for people to act competitively against others
D) by having programming that rewards some people and disadvantages others

Question 49

In a discussion in their sociology class, Pia and Abdul disagree about the role of mass media in Canadian society. Pia insists that since everyone is free to turn off the television or their mobile devices, they obviously choose to watch whatever it is that they are watching. It follows that the mass media are producing programming for the audiences that they can find and that it is false to claim, as Abdul does, that mass media's effects are directed to any particular segment or class in society. Which theoretical approach is this consistent with?

A) functionalism
B) conflict theory
C) symbolic interactionism
D) postmodernism

Question 50

According to conflict theorists, mass media can produce inequality. Which of the following is one of the ways that the mass media are responsible for this inequality?

A) by showing people step-by-step procedures for acting in inequitable ways
B) by giving control of the media to political parties
C) by supporting widespread acceptance of societies' basic injustices and inequalities
D) by having broadening the range of interests that consumers take interest in

Question 51

Sandra is convinced that mass media is nothing but a profit-generating machine controlled by the elite. Which theory do her ideas reflect?

A) social constructionism
B) postmodernism
C) symbolic interactionism
D) conflict theory

Question 52

Damien strongly believes that media support the interests of the elite. Which theory do his ideas reflect?

A) social constructionism
B) ethnomethodology
C) conflict theory
D) symbolic interactionism

Question 53

Which of the following is charged with regulating Canada's broadcasting and telecommunications systems?

A) the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
B) the Canadian Broadcasting Commission
C) the Canadian Council on Public Media
D) the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Council

Question 54

ABC Communications Inc. owns a number of television and radio stations and several newspapers. What is the term used by sociologists to describe this type of ownership?

A) functional integration
B) horizontal integration
C) vertical integration
D) media integration

Question 55

Which of the following best describes the requirements imposed on privately owned television broadcasters in Canada with respect to the Canadian content of their broadcasts?

A) They must achieve a yearly television content of at least 15 percent between 6 a.m. and midnight.
B) They must achieve a yearly television content of at least 30 percent between 6 a.m. and midnight.
C) They must achieve a yearly television content of at least 45 percent between 6 a.m. and midnight.
D) They must achieve a yearly television content of at least 60 percent between 6 a.m. and midnight.

Question 56

According to the textbook, what is the largest media corporation in Canada, based on revenue?

A) Rogers Communications Inc.
B) Shaw Communications Inc.
C) Quebecor Inc.
D) BCE Inc.

Question 57

XYZ Communications owns a coliseum, a hockey team, several magazines and newspapers, a television network, and various retail outlets. Which of the following is this type of ownership an instance of?

A) media bias
B) horizontal integration
C) vertical integration
D) media regulation

Question 58

According to Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky, what mechanism subtly biases the news in a way that supports powerful corporate interests?

A) advertising
B) competitive reporting
C) investigative reporting
D) sourcing

Question 59

What do we call the practice of a single corporation controlling production and distribution of various products across a number of fields?

A) horizontal integration
B) vertical integration
C) socio-economic integration
D) productive integration

Question 60

Which theoretical approach examines the ways that mass media contribute to economic inequality?

A) functionalism
B) conflict theory
C) symbolic interactionism
D) postmodernism

Question 61

What is the complete absence of any criticism by the mass media of capitalism, consumerism, and democracy an example of?

A) the convergence of media opinions
B) the divergence of media opinions
C) the authoritarian control of media
D) national media standards

Question 62

According to the textbook, which of the following best captures the main point, the role of media in war, made by Brian de Palma's film Redacted?

A) that the mass media are controlled by corporate interests
B) that the mass media are the best source of truth about international events
C) that the mass media inevitably present a selective version of events
D) that the mass media inevitably take sides in presenting events

Question 63

Chelsea wears clearly labelled brand-name clothing and makes sure that everyone is aware that she owns an iPhone, a PVR, and a Toyota Yaris. What does her behaviour illustrate?

A) individualism
B) corporatism
C) consumerism
D) narcissism

Question 64

Eric disagrees with his classmate's claim that the mass media operate solely as defenders of Canadian corporate interests. Which of the following is a reason that he could use to support his view?

A) Even though news agencies often rely heavily on government and corporate sources, they very often criticize governments and corporations.
B) Although it is true that U.S. corporations control news reporting, regulations have by and large prevented this in Canada.
C) The CBC provides a clear example of a news source that challenges core values of the corporate elite.
D) Corporate interests are often in conflict with each other, and, when this happens, the mass media report on issues that challenge some of those interests.

Question 65

Despite some limitations, conflict theorists make valid points about the homogeneity of media messages when they focus on which of the following?

A) war efforts
B) core cultural values
C) political parties
D) social problems

Question 66

Which of the following views do conflict theorists and functionalists share with respect to their analysis of mass media?

A) a top-down, deterministic view of the mass media's role in society
B) that core values supported by mass media serve the interests of society in general
C) that powerful elites control the media in support of their own interests
D) that audiences of the mass media interpret the messages in many different ways

Question 67

Jean decides to find an alternative source to run her exposé on the Apex Mine and, once published, both she and the magazine that published the story come under attack by publicists for the mine, who try to discredit her and the magazine. What name does the textbook give to this biasing mechanism?

A) advertising
B) focusing
C) sourcing
D) flak

Question 68

The television program 60 Minutes refused to broadcast a damaging interview with a former Philip Morris executive because the tobacco company threatened the network with legal action. According to Herman and Chomsky, what does this case illustrate?

A) negative journalism
B) currying favour
C) advertising
D) flak

Question 69

Regan has analyzed media and believes that people are active participants who interpret the ideas and information conveyed in media. In her view, they only act on these ideas and information when that seems personally appropriate. Which of the following approaches are Regan's views most in line with?

A) cultural studies
B) conflict theory
C) functionalism
D) social deconstructionism

Question 70

According to the textbook, communication is best understood as a two-step process. Which of the following best characterizes these steps?

A) (1) Government and corporate leaders generate media messages and (2) these opinion leaders then influence the rest of the community to some degree.
B) (1) Government and corporate leaders generate media messages and (2) these opinions are evaluated by community leaders to see if they support their community's values.
C) (1) Respected people of high status and independent judgment evaluate media messages and (2) these opinion leaders then influence the rest of the community to some degree.
D) (1) Respected people of high status and independent judgment evaluate media messages and (2) individuals then interpret the messages for themselves.

Question 71

Which of the following is a criticism levelled at the conflict theory claim that the mass media are the "lap dogs of the powerful"?

A) Daily newspapers are full of examples of stories that challenge the core cultural values of contemporary society.
B) Mainstream news outlets rarely rely on government and corporate sources for their information.
C) News sources from many different countries offer competing perspectives on the same events.
D) Daily newspapers are full of stories that challenge government and corporate viewpoints.

Question 72

Which of the following theories advocates a two-step model of communication?

A) postmodernism
B) feminism
C) functionalism
D) symbolic interactionism

Question 73

What does the film Redacted (2007) suggest regarding war and social media?

A) that social media have no place in armed conflict
B) that social media may present challenges to official interpretations of armed conflict
C) that social media may present multiple stories, thereby endangering the lives of soldiers
D) that social media can create enormous support for armed conflicts

Question 74

News agencies rely heavily upon official press releases, news conferences, and interviews organized by large corporations and government agencies. Both routinely slant information to reflect upon themselves favourably. How does the textbook refer to this process?

A) advertising
B) focusing
C) sourcing
D) flak

Question 75

Olivia is planning to research the various ways that people interpret the hit television series Dexter (2006-2013). As a cultural studies expert, which of the following research techniques is she most likely to use to find out how people interpret the show?

A) survey questionnaires and network viewing rates
B) historical documents from similar shows and observation
C) in-depth interviews and participant observation
D) focus groups and opinion polls

Question 76

Which of the following statements would a working-class woman be most likely to give as an evaluation of a television sitcom?

A) "That's so close to real life."
B) "Nobody acts like that in real life."
C) "That could be my life."
D) "This is not worth watching."

Question 77

Habir argues passionately that media consumers are not merely passive robots. Which theoretical perspective on mass media are his views in line with?

A) functionalism
B) conflict theory
C) interpretive approaches
D) postmodern approaches

Question 78

Which social theorist argues that mass media should be studied in terms of the intentions of those who produced it, along with the interpretations of those who consume it?

A) Marshall McLuhan
B) Noam Chomsky
C) Elizabeth Cole
D) Stuart Hall

Question 79

Which perspective on mass media suggests that humans actively filter, interpret, resist, and sometimes reject media messages, according to their own interests and values?

A) social deconstructionism
B) symbolic interactionism
C) conflict theory
D) functionalism

Question 80

Tristan is passionately opposed to the installation of smart meters that monitor power usage in citizens' homes. According to the two-step flow of communication theory, which of the following would be the most likely to be able to help him persuade others to join him in his campaign?

A) his friends
B) his church minister
C) the local media
D) his union shop steward