CMN 596 Midterm

Question 1

Satire / Parody

Answer 1

Content that uses humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize or comment on a particular subject. It is not meant to be taken literally.-The onion

Question 2

Misleading Content

Answer 2

Information that is presented in a way that could deceive or mislead the audience. This could involve omitting important details, using biased language, or presenting opinions as facts.- taking a clip from a video

Question 3

Imposter Content

Answer 3

Content that is created or shared by someone pretending to be someone else. This could include fake social media accounts or websites designed to deceive people. People/sources are impersonated- newyorktimes.co

Question 4

Fabricated Content

Answer 4

Completely false information that is created with the intent to deceive. This could include made-up stories, quotes, or statistics – photoshopped picture of sick person, saying a new pandemic has started

Question 5

False Connection

Answer 5

When headlines, visuals, or captions misrepresent the content of the actual article or video.

Question 6

False Context

Answer 6

When genuine content is shared with false contextual information, misleading audiences.

Question 7

Manipulated Content

Answer 7

Media that has been edited or manipulated in a way that changes the original meaning or context, often used to deceive viewers.- parkland shooting person

Question 8

Propaganda

Answer 8

Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a particular political cause or point of view-WWII, cold war propaganda, Rosie the Riveter

White Propaganda: accurate but selectively picked sources, clear in origins

Grey Propaganda: a mix

Black Propaganda: inaccurate information, presented to mislead

Question 9

Gaslighting

Answer 9

A form of psychological manipulation in which a person seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception, or sanity-convincing an opponent that they voted a certain way

Question 10

Dezinformatsiya

Answer 10

Disinformation spread by a government or organization with the intent to deceive and manipulate public opinion-cold war, soviet union

Question 11

Xuanchuan

Answer 11

misdirectonal post to distract from other things, Chinese media strategy

Question 12

Why do some scholars argue against the use of the term “fake news”

Answer 12

Overused, weaponized to discredit legitimate journalism, undermine trust in media, and make it harder to distinguish between misinformation and mistakes.

Question 13

What is lateral reading

Answer 13

a technique used to evaluate the credibility of online sources, opening multiple tabs to search for information about the source’s reputation, authorship, and affiliations.

Question 14

Economic Incentives -The Great Moon Hoax

Answer 14

In 1835, the New York Sun published a series of articles about the discovery of life on the moon. The motivation behind this hoax was likely to boost the newspaper’s circulation and undermine rival newspapers. The Sun was known for its sensational stories, and this hoax was a way to attract more readers and damage the credibility of competing papers.

Question 15

Moral Panics-The White Negro

Answer 15

Henry Moss was a slave who had white splotches on his face. Fear for race war

Question 16

Partisan Politics-“Jefferson is Dead!”

Answer 16

election of 1800, convince voters Jefferson had died

Question 17

Define the term journalistic objectivity

Answer 17

the principle or idea that journalists should strive to present news and information in an unbiased and impartial manner, free from personal or ideological influence.

Question 18

Identify the different phases of journalistic objectivity from the early 18th century through the early 20th century

Answer 18

Early 18th Century (Colonial America): Publisher Neutrality

• Late 18th Century (War of Independence): Decline in Neutrality
• Early 19th Century (Early Republic): Rise in Partisan Journalism
• Late 19th Century: Yellow Journalism
• Early 20th Century: Introduction of Journalistic Objectivity

Question 19

Benefits to journalistic objectivity

Answer 19

Credibility: Objectivity can enhance a news organization’s credibility by demonstrating a commitment to fairness and accuracy.

Audience Trust: Objectivity can help build trust with audiences, who may be more likely to believe and rely on news reports that are perceived as unbiased.

Accountability: Objectivity can help hold journalists accountable for their reporting, as they are expected to adhere to professional standards of fairness and accuracy.

Question 20

Disadvantages to journalistic objectivity

Answer 20

discourages diversity, equal sides, prevents accurate reporting

Question 21

The Federal Radio Act (1927)

Answer 21

established the Federal Radio Commission (FRC), a response to the unregulated state of the radio industry in the 1920s, which led to interference and a lack of standardization. The FRC was tasked with regulating. The act aimed to bring order to the radio industry and prevent monopoly. Repealed by the Telecommunication Act in 1996

Question 22

The Fairness Doctrine (1987)

Answer 22

The Fairness Doctrine was a policy that Presidential candidates need equal air time-died in 1987

Question 23

What is the “alternative press”

Answer 23

not part of the mainstream or corporate media, offer perspectives and coverage that are different from dominant narratives. These outlets may focus on issues and stories that are overlooked or ignored by mainstream media. - New York Native

Question 24

The Reagan Administration

Answer 24

response to the AIDS crisis was slow and inadequate. President Reagan did not publicly address the issue until 1985, several years after the crisis had begun. affected marginalized communities such as gay men and intravenous drug users. Critics argued that more aggressive action could have helped

Question 25

The Scientific Community

Answer 25

Reported information on morbidity and mortality weekly, specifically for the scientific community, not to the public

Question 26

The Mainstream Press

Answer 26

New York Times was the news
leader
* Limited and sporadic coverage
of HIV/AIDS for the first five
years of the crisis
* Shift in tone and volume of
coverage around 1986

AP only published stories from medical stories-motivated by personal connection

Question 27

The Alternative Press

Answer 27

Community newspapers were on
front lines of reporting
* Challenges of evolving disease
and science coverage
* Included social coverage
* Conflicts within the LGBT
community on how to cover the
issue

Question 28

AIDS Disinformation

Answer 28

Cosmopolitan example, women shouldn’t worry about AIDS because they can’t catch it

Question 29

AIDS Misinformation

Answer 29

UPI and AP: reported that it could spread by close family contact, Criticized by the medical
authorities
New York Native: important news outlet for
information about HIV/AIDS
* Article published May 18, 1981
titled “Disease Rumors Largely
Unfounded”
* Based on interview with Dr.
Steven Phillips from NYC
Department of Health
* Eventual turn toward conspiracy
theories

Question 30

A Three-Part Theory of Sociotechnical Media Effects

Answer 30

Actors: people make meaning from information based on their social positioning, identity, discursive resources, and skill set

Patterns: media messages are polysemic, but structured in a way for various outcomes

Affordances: the material setting of media consumption enables and constrain types of meaning-making and messaging.

Question 31

Magic Bullet Theory

Answer 31

Also known as the hypodermic needle model, this theory suggests that media messages are like bullets shot from a gun, directly penetrating a passive audience’s minds and shaping their thoughts and behaviors. It implies that media has a powerful and direct influence on individuals, who are seen as passive recipients of messages.

Question 32

Limited Effects Model

Answer 32

This theory proposes that media has a limited influence on audiences, and that individuals are not passive recipients but actively filter and interpret media messages based on their existing beliefs, attitudes, and social contexts. It suggests that media effects are mediated by individual differences and social factors.

Question 33

Two-Step Flow Model

Answer 33

This model suggests that media messages first reach opinion leaders or influencers within a community, who then interpret and disseminate these messages to others. The theory posits that opinion leaders play a crucial role in shaping public opinion and mediating the effects of media messages on the larger population

Question 34

Active Audience Theory

Answer 34

This theory challenges the notion of passive audiences and emphasizes the active role of audiences in interpreting and making meaning of media messages. It suggests that audiences are not blank slates but actively engage with media content, bringing their own interpretations, experiences, and cultural backgrounds to their media consumption. Audience as meaning makers

Question 35

Participatory Audiences

Answer 35

This concept reflects the idea that audiences are not just passive consumers of media but active participants who engage with media content in various ways, such as through social media interactions, content creation, and sharing. Participatory audiences contribute to the creation and circulation of media content, blurring the traditional boundaries between producers and consumers of media.

Question 36

Agenda Setting

Answer 36

the media has the power to influence which issues and topics are considered important by the public. By giving more coverage to certain issues, the media can lead the public to perceive those issues as more important than others. Agenda setting highlights the media’s role in shaping the public agenda and influencing what people think about.

Question 37

Priming

Answer 37

setting audiences up to think about things in a particular way, shaping how they accept information by giving them other information

Question 38

Framing

Answer 38

how an issue is presented in the media can influence the way people perceive and interpret that issue. By framing an issue in a particular way, the media can influence the way people understand the causes, consequences, and solutions to that issue.

Question 39

What is hyper-partisan news

Answer 39

news coverage that is extremely biased in favor of a particular political ideology or party, they may use sensationalism and inflammatory language to appeal to their audience, contribute to polarization and the spread of misinformation

Question 40

What are the key elements of “social identity theory”?

Answer 40

Social groups are prototypes that capture similarities and differences between groups

Individuals define themselves in relation to the groups that they belong/don’t belong to- in groups and out groups

Perceived group membership helps up shape self-perception, values and norms based on those perceptions

View others based on social categories based on social categories rather than individuals- depersonalization

Question 41

What are the key characteristics of stories?

Answer 41

Have characters or human-like characters

Have events that follow generic plots

Stories are allusive

Social activity

Question 42

Define the term “deep stories” and provide an example

Answer 42

narratives or stories that capture the underlying emotions, values, and beliefs of individuals or groups. These stories often serve as a way for people to make sense of their experiences and the world around them, and they can shape how individuals perceive themselves and others. Deep stories are not just factual accounts of events, but rather rich, layered narratives that convey deeper truths and meanings- American Dream (anyone can achieve success)

Question 43

How do “deep stories” help us understand why people share problematic information:

Answer 43

Helps us understand why some people hold certain values, ones that might lead them to share problematic information

Question 44

What is “folklore”

Answer 44

the traditional beliefs, customs, stories, songs, and practices that are passed down orally or through cultural practices within a community. Folklore often reflects the values, beliefs, and cultural identity of a particular group of people, and it can encompass a wide range of material, from myths and legends to jokes and superstitions. Original source is missing

Question 45

How is folklore related to “fake news”

Answer 45

the origin of the source is lost, people believe it if it is spread enough

Question 46

What are urban/contemporary legends

Answer 46

sensational stories that are passed around as true and typically spread by word of mouth or through digital media. These stories often have a moral, cautionary, or humorous element and are designed to evoke strong emotions or provoke a reaction- razor blades in Halloween candy

Question 47

How do urban legends relate to “fake news”

Answer 47

they depict areas of public concern

Question 48

The folk theory of democracy and the group theory of democracy

Answer 48

The folk theory of democracy: citizens seek out information about candidates and decide who best represents their policy preferences to make an informed vote choice

the group theory of democracy: places
social identity and attachments at the core of democratic processes and conceptualizes partisanship as a meta-identity that contains and represents a number of different social groupings

Question 49

The issue ownership model of politics and the identity ownership model of politics

Answer 49

The issue ownership model of politics: politicians
align themselves with the issues their party is perceived as having unique competency to address

the identity ownership model of politics: occurs when
candidates or parties are perceived by voters as appropriate, credible “prototypes” of particular groups—as manifesting a good “fit” with a group’s characteristics, values, and norms.