chapter 1, 2, 3

Question 1

socializing

Answer 1

learning process that teaches values, norms and how things work in society

Question 2

socialization

Answer 2

the process whereby we learn and internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of our culture and, in so doing, develop a sense of self

Question 3

social construction of reality

Answer 3

the process of shaping reality through social interaction.

Question 4

agency

Answer 4

any recurring pattern of social behaviour; a term that describes independent actions, autonomous decisions and creativity

Question 5

structure

Answer 5

intentional and undetermined human action

Question 6

digitisation

Answer 6

transformation of an analog signal to a digital signal, so it can be read by a computer

Question 7

technological determinism

Answer 7

technology itself causes social change in ways that are unintentional or unnoticed

Question 8

materiality

Answer 8

argue that the physical aspects of media technology matter but not in a simplistic way

Question 9

autonomous technology

Answer 9

general label for all conceptions and observations to the effect that technology is somehow out of control by human agency (Winner)

Question 10

technological momentum

Answer 10

a technology’s influence changes over time. new technology is controlled by human agency, but established technology is hard to change (Hughes)

Question 11

medium theory

Answer 11

focus on technological aspects of media, beyond content

Question 12

Toronto School

Answer 12

the way media itself extends our senses and alter our social world; it is not the content, but the experience of the medium itself (Innis, McLuhan)

Question 13

Postman

Answer 13

rise of television is the central cause of decline in seriousness of public life

Question 14

Postman’s critics on tv

Answer 14

irrelevance (far), powerlessness (no relation to action), sacrificing historical context (no connection between stories)

Question 15

Pseudo-events

Answer 15

events planned for the express purpose of producing images that can be reported

Question 16

hyperreality

Answer 16

blurring boundaries between the image and reality

Question 17

social constructionism

Answer 17

emphasizes the social construction of technology, focusing on the role of human agents determining the role of technology

Question 18

domestication theory

Answer 18

ordinary users bring society into their lives and use it in their own way, giving social meaning to it over time

Question 19

internet

Answer 19

vast network of interconnected computer networks whose underlying technology was developed over a half century

Question 20

convergence

Answer 20

the blurring of boundaries among types of media

Question 21

production perspective

Answer 21

emphasizes the media production process rather than specific media products

Question 22

modern media companies provide:

Answer 22

1. products, 2. platforms, 3. pipes

Question 23

Organic activity

Answer 23

content generated by the viewing audience

Question 24

media consolidation

Answer 24

concentration of media in fewer hands

Question 25

conglomerate

Answer 25

large companies made up of a number of different companies, all owned by the same corporate parent

Question 26

vertical integration

Answer 26

one owner acquires all the aspects of production and distribution of a single type of media product

Question 27

horizontal integration

Answer 27

one company buys different kinds of media, concentrating ownership across differing media types

Question 28

synergy

Answer 28

result of horizontal integration, creating a combined effect

Question 29

cross-media promotion

Answer 29

powerful strategy compared to repetitive singe-source promotion

Question 30

corporate view

Answer 30

interests of the corporate entities that own mass media

Question 31

media pluralism

Answer 31

the degree to which there is diversity in media content readily available to users

Question 32

homogenization hypothesis

Answer 32

media owned by a few leed to products that lack diversity

Question 33

oligopoly

Answer 33

control by a small number of firms

Question 34

closed system

Answer 34

major companies used a limited number of familiar channels to produce and distribute music that dominated charts

Question 35

open system

Answer 35

major record companies control large-scale manufacturing, distribution and publicity, but draw on independent producers to maintain the vitality of the pop music market

Question 36

profit-driven logic of safety

Answer 36

network programmers follow a logic of safety that revolves around minimizing the risk of losing money on programs; rely on certainty

Question 37

self-censorship

Answer 37

how reporters censor themselves to avoid critical content that will lose advertisors