Deck 7: Mass Media Content

Question 1

All of the following statements are true, except

A) sometimes we want more reality than fantasy in a media message.
B) sometimes we want more fantasy than reality in a media message.
C) in Hollywood movies we need some reality cues.
D) In the news we don't need any fantasy elements.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The "formula with farce" mentioned in the text refers to

A) the fact that the genre of "reality television" is deceptive and far from reality.
B) the strategy of identifying niche markets.
C) media stories that start with an ordinary situation and then remove the audience from reality one step at a time.
D) the common formula for suspense movies.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The fantasy elements in media messages

A) are unnecessary.
B) signal to audiences that the message resonates with real-life experiences.
C) signal to audiences that the message offers something novel.
D) None of the above

Answer 3

C

Question 4

"Puffery" refers to

A) the fact that Americans can choose from more than 40,000 supermarket items.
B) the fact that the United States produces more waste than any other country in the world.
C) ads making implicit claims that cannot be tested for the truth.
D) None of the above

Question 5

One reason why people go to media rather than getting an experience in real life is that

A) they are bored.
B) they can also get those experiences in real life.
C) it costs less to get those experiences in the media than in real life.
D) None of the above

Question 6

Audiences enjoy tragedies because they make people feel

A) better off compared with unfortunate characters.
B) positive emotions when they see the happy ending.
C) satisfied when bad things happen to the main characters.
D) All of the above

Question 7

Commercial advertisements are included in

A) the narrative meta-genre.
B) the games meta-genre.
C) the persuasion meta-genre.
D) interactive message platforms.

Question 8

The genetic blueprint for a successful movie contains

A) more love, sex, and romance than comedy.
B) more comedy than action.
C) more action than sex.
D) more special effects than action.

Question 9

The inverted pyramid news-writing formula

A) developed as an adaptation to the digital news environment.
B) tells a story in an entertainment format.
C) begins a story with the most important information.
D) begins with teasers and ends with the most important information.

Question 10

In general, which of the following statements about action/horror formulas is NOT true?

A) Violence is a staple.
B) They send the message that it is wrong for police officers to break the law.
C) Characters are stereotypes.
D) Characters are static.

Question 11

All media messages follow

A) rules of entertainment.
B) rules of media genres.
C) conventions that can be expressed as message formulas.
D) All of the above

Question 12

Audience members know how to recognize and understand suspenseful cues in stories. This is evidence that

A) audiences know how to use message formulas.
B) audiences understand media genres.
C) audiences know how to use interactive message platforms.
D) All of the above

Question 13

Reality shows are included in

A) the narrative meta-genre.
B) the games meta-genre.
C) the persuasion meta-genre.
D) interactive message platforms.

Question 14

The next-step reality formula

A) guides viewers in choosing only realistic messages.
B) focuses viewers' attention on the idea that all media messages are both real and fantasy.
C) assists the audience in escaping reality.
D) helps viewers determine which messages are real and which are fantasy.

Question 15

News are included in

A) the narrative meta-genre.
B) the games meta-genre.
C) the persuasion meta-genre.
D) interactive message platforms.

Question 16

The reality elements in media messages

A) are unnecessary.
B) signal to audiences that the message resonates with real-life experiences.
C) signal to audiences that the message offers something novel.
D) None of the above

Question 17

The key element of a put-down comedy is

A) imbalance of power between characters.
B) physical aggression.
C) quirky characters that illustrate the craziness of everyday life.
D) a budding romance between characters.

Question 18

Formulas are

A) conventions that message producers use as guidelines when creating messages.
B) guides that audiences use when extracting meanings from messages.
C) essential to both message producers and message receiver
D) All of the above

Question 19

The three meta-genres of mass media content are

A) narratives, games, and interactive message platforms.
B) information, persuasion, and entertainment.
C) drama, comedy, and romance.
D) news, advertising, and drama.

Question 20

Producers of mass media messages apply message formulas to

A) attract audience members.
B) hold the attention of audience members throughout the entire message.
C) make audience members want to seek additional messages from them.
D) All of the above

Question 21

Producers of media messages apply content formulas to attract audiences.

Question 22

Which of the following is not a popular form of social contact through interactive media platforms?

A) Online friendship
B) Online dating
C) Living in a different world through online environments
D) Wiki editing

Question 23

A tragedy must have characters that are noble and good.

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT a design rule of electronic games?

A) Rewards must only go to good players.
B) The game should be consistent.
C) The game should be unpredictable.
D) The game should be relatively easy to learn.

Question 25

With regard to electronic games, affective tone refers to

A) what designers want gamers to feel as they play.
B) the emotions of the game's main characters.
C) the music heard during game play.
D) the color scheme of game visuals.

Question 26

Messages that share the same content formulas have been placed in the same genres.

Question 27

An important element of the mystery formula is withheld until the mystery is solved.

Question 28

Reality TV programming became a recognizable genre in the year

A) 1980.
B) 1990.
C) 2000.
D) 2010.

Question 29

When you understand the next-step reality organizing principle

A) you can better appreciate media content.
B) you develop a keener aesthetic sense.
C) you ask questions about story patterns.
D) All of the above

Question 30

To increase your media literacy with regard to content, you need to

A) understand message formulas.
B) develop your knowledge structures about the real world.
C) understand your personal needs.
D) All of the above

Question 31

In a romance story

A) an important element of the plot is missing.
B) the story usually begins with a person who is in a wonderful relationship.
C) the story usually begins with a person who is lonely.
D) a serious crime triggers the story.

Question 32

Every media message is a mix of reality and fantasy.

Question 33

"Next-step reality" does not apply to news programs.

Question 34

To get in "the flow," people must immerse themselves in a task so that they lose all track of time and place.

Question 35

Blogs are

A) monologic.
B) informative.
C) dialogic.
D) forms of wikis.

Question 36

People expose themselves to the media to find messages they cannot get in real life.

Question 37

To increase our media literacy, we need to increase our capacity to compare patterns of media messages with corresponding patters in the real world.

Question 38

What do people share through interactive media platforms?

A) Opinions
B) Information
C) Music
D) All of the above

Question 39

When a digital game player is focused on sequential steps in a process leading to a greater accomplishment, this is called

A) flow.
B) telescoping.
C) transportation.
D) None of the above

Question 40

According to the text, the issue of reality entails making a simple decision about whether something actually happened.

Question 41

Name and discuss the steps you need to take to increase your media literacy with regard to content.

Question 42

Discuss the relationships between formulas and genres.

Question 43

Describe the next-step reality formula.

Question 44

Describe the process of video game design, step by step.

Question 45

Name and explain the story formulas of the traditional subgenres of the entertainment genre.