Mass Communication

Question 1

What significant event occurred in the Jyllands-Posten newspaper in Denmark in September 2005?

Answer 1

The publication of 12 cartoons depicting the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, arguing for the principle of free speech in a modern society.

Question 2

How did The Economist magazine (UK) respond to the cartoon controversy in February 2006?

Answer 2

They published an article titled “The limits of free speech – Cartoon Wars,” supporting the idea that publishing any cartoon was a legitimate exercise of free speech.

Question 3

What was the perspective of Al Ahram newspaper (Egypt) on the cartoons in March 2006?

Answer 3

They criticized the cartoons as blasphemous to Muslims in an article titled “Islam and Globalization.”

Question 4

What central theme was debated in response to the publication of the cartoons in Jyllands-Posten?

Answer 4

The balance and limits of free speech versus respect for religious beliefs.

Question 5

How did Al Ahram newspaper in Egypt view the cartoons in March 2006?

Answer 5

They criticized the cartoons as blasphemous to Muslims, reflecting cultural and religious offense.

Question 6

What did Paul Reynold’s BBC article “Cartoons: Divisions and Inconsistencies” discuss in February 2006?

Answer 6

The article addressed the divisions between Muslim and Western cultural perspectives, noting that both sides exhibited inconsistencies, imperfections, and hypocrisy.

Question 7

What is one role of professional media in connecting people?

Answer 7

Professional media link cultures and lifestyles between people from different countries.

Question 8

How do most citizens view media portrayals of other countries?

Answer 8

Most citizens, especially Americans, passively consume information and often accept media portrayals as factual, inheriting any mistakes and biases.

Question 9

What is the impact of an editor approving an article for publication in the modern world?

Answer 9

Once approved, an article becomes available worldwide in seconds, highlighting the media’s significant power and responsibility.

Question 10

How does the mass media use its understanding of persuasion?

Answer 10

The mass media uses its knowledge of how people are persuaded to influence public perspectives and behaviors.

Question 11

What is persuasion in the context of mass communication?

Answer 11

Persuasion is the process by which a person’s perspectives or behaviors are influenced by receiving a message.

Question 12

Who developed the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and when?

Answer 12

Richard Petty and John Cacioppo developed the Elaboration Likelihood Model in 1986.

Question 13

What is the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)?

Answer 13

It is a comprehensive model of persuasion that explains how different strategies influence attitudes and behaviors.

Question 14

What does the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) focus on?

Answer 14

The model focuses on how persuasive communication can be processed in two different ways: through the central route or the peripheral route.

Question 15

According to the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), what are the two types of memory banks humans have?

Answer 15

Working memory and long-term memory.

Question 16

What is the function of working memory vs long-term in the context of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)?

Answer 16

Working memory is where information is processed and assessed.

Long-term memory stores information for future access, but retrieving this information can be time-consuming if not accessed regularly.

Question 17

What is the central route to persuasion in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)?

Answer 17

The central route focuses on the quality of the argument, involves high message elaboration, and engages the long-term memory bank.

Question 18

What is required when processing information through the central route of persuasion?

Answer 18

Effort in processing the information or message, with emphasis on evaluating the quality of the argument.

Question 19

What is the peripheral route to persuasion in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)?

Answer 19

The peripheral route relies on cues such as the speaker’s credentials or attractiveness rather than the quality of the argument, and it uses the working memory bank.

Question 20

What types of cues are often used in the peripheral route to persuasion?

Answer 20

Speaker’s attractiveness, impressive credentials, and attention-grabbing elements like news networks’ attractive anchors, state-of-the-art graphics, bombastic headlines, and sound bites.

Question 21

How does the working memory function in the peripheral route to persuasion?

Answer 21

Working memory handles and assesses information immediately, enabling persuasion through peripheral cues rather than message quality.

Question 22

What do receivers influenced by the peripheral route focus on?

Answer 22

They focus on aspects of the communicative interaction other than the quality of the message, such as the speaker’s attractiveness or presentation style.

Question 23

How are humans related to symbols, and how do symbols affect emotions?

Answer 23

Humans are naturally creatures of symbols, and symbols are subjective to groups of people, evoking emotions such as sadness, anger, fear, and hatred.

Question 24

What are some examples of symbolic political events in the USA, and what emotions did they evoke?

Answer 24

Examples include the Boston Tea Party, Pearl Harbour, and 9/11. These events evoked emotions like sadness, anger, fear, and hatred.

Question 25

What factors contributed to the problems after 9/11, such as harassment of Muslims and international disputes?

Answer 25

A lack of world knowledge, distorted media coverage, and the emotional reactions to the event contributed to a range of problems.

Question 26

What influences people’s impressions of the characteristics and positions of nations and their policies?

Answer 26

Impressions come from personal knowledge/experiences and media (the main source of information).

Question 27

According to “cultivation theory,” how does television impact worldviews?

Answer 27

Cultivation theory suggests that television transmits a world view that is inaccurate.

Question 28

What role do pundits or “opinion makers” play in shaping public perception?

Answer 28

Pundits, or “opinion makers,” influence public perception by providing their opinions and interpretations of events, which can shape how people view nations and their policies.

Question 29

How does persuasion use the central route processing of long-term memory?

Answer 29

Persuasion uses the central route processing of long-term memory to determine the quality of the argument, focusing on high message elaboration and decoding rather than accessory elements of the message.

Question 30

What is required from an individual when using central route processing in persuasion?

Answer 30

Central route processing demands greater mental effort, and the individual may not always be mentally available to apply such effort.

Question 31

How do mass media outlets influence the public’s awareness and behavior?

Answer 31

Mass media outlets influence the public by shaping awareness and behavior, often altering action easily through selective perception and framing content.

Question 32

What is selective perception in the context of media influence?

Answer 32

Selective perception allows the media to generate the subject matter they want to create, influencing the public’s understanding of events.

Question 33

What is “confirmation bias” and how does it relate to media consumption?

Answer 33

Confirmation bias is when individuals choose content that aligns with their pre-existing beliefs, avoiding content that challenges those beliefs.

Question 34

How does priming work in media influence?

Answer 34

Priming involves suggesting an opinion to the public through a series of cues, influencing their attitudes or behaviors.

Question 35

What is “control revolution” in the context of media influence?

Answer 35

Control revolution refers to the media’s power to set an agenda, shaping the content and influencing public opinion and actions.

Question 36

How has public diplomacy changed with the rise of media power?

Answer 36

While traditionally used by governments to affect people, public diplomacy is now also exercised by media outlets, which set their own agenda and may even call for political mobilization as media becomes more polarized.

Question 37

How does media portray society in terms of social group/category polarization?

Answer 37

Media portrays society by polarizing social groups or categories, such as racial (black/white), ethnic (Americans/Japanese), and religious (Christian/Islamic) groups.

Question 38

How does the spectator tend to align with in-groups according to media portrayals?

Answer 38

The spectator aligns with in-groups, reflecting the existing social universe and what is considered socially acceptable to the majority.

Question 39

How does the spectator typically respond to out-groups in media portrayals?

Answer 39

The spectator disregards out-groups, which represent an imported social universe and are often seen as socially unacceptable by the majority.

Question 40

What role does media play in the discriminatory process?

Answer 40

Media can contribute to discriminatory processes through misinterpretations, fallacies, and racial distortions, reinforcing biased perceptions.

Question 41

What is intercultural contact in the context of media?

Answer 41

Intercultural contact occurs when media products (and their social universe) are exported to other nations, which are in transition to accept a new foreign social universe (e.g., Hollywood movies).

Question 42

What is cultural imperialism?

Answer 42

Cultural imperialism is the promotion or imposition of a culture from a more powerful society onto a less powerful one.

Question 43

What is acculturation?

Answer 43

Acculturation is the cultural change that results from contact between two groups, leading to shifts in traditions, practices, or social behaviors.

Question 44

What is power in the context of media and influence?

Answer 44

Power is the ability to influence and change the behavior of others.

Question 45

What is “hard power” and how is it used?

Answer 45

Hard power refers to the use of military and economic means to influence the behavior or interests of others.

Question 46

What is “soft power” as defined by Joseph Nye?

Answer 46

Soft power is the power of a country to attract and persuade others through culture, ideas, behavior, and its capacity to be heard.

Question 47

What does the “Control Revolution” refer to in media influence?

Answer 47

The Control Revolution refers to the media’s ability to influence the consumption of mass audiences.

Question 48

What is agenda setting in media?

Answer 48

Agenda setting is when public figures and important events help shape the content of the media.

Question 49

How does public diplomacy work through media?

Answer 49

Public diplomacy occurs when news media sets its own agenda, influencing and forming international opinion.

Question 50

What problems arise from the lack of content supervision on social media platforms?

Answer 50

The lack of content supervision allows organized groups to manipulate content, spreading false data, exaggerations, disinformation, or hoaxes, often referred to as “fake news.”

Question 51

Can you give an example of “fake news” in the mass media?

Answer 51

A clear example of “fake news” in the mass media is its use during the 2016 U.S. presidential electoral process.

Question 52

What is media, and what are examples of media sources?

Answer 52

Media refers to the various platforms used to share information, including newspapers, television, radio, social media, and websites like Google and Facebook.

Question 53

How does the media influence people’s behavior and perceptions?

Answer 53

The media has the power to influence people’s thoughts, speech, and actions. It can shape public awareness, opinions, and even behavior through strategies like agenda setting and priming.

Question 54

What is media bias, and how do confirmation bias and persuasion relate to it?

Answer 54

Media bias is when media content is presented in a way that favors a particular perspective. Confirmation bias occurs when individuals seek out media that aligns with their pre-existing beliefs, avoiding opposing views. Persuasion involves using media to change or reinforce attitudes and requires either central or peripheral processing.

Question 55

What is a basic model of communication?

Answer 55

A model of communication involves a sender transmitting a message through a channel to a receiver, who provides feedback. This process can be disrupted by noise that distorts or interferes with the message.

Question 56

What is the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) in persuasion?

Answer 56

The Elaboration Likelihood Model explains how people are persuaded through central route processing, which requires high effort and message elaboration, or peripheral route processing, which relies on superficial cues and requires less effort.

Question 57

How does symbolic politics manifest in the media?

Answer 57

Symbolic politics use emotionally charged symbols or events to influence public opinion. Examples include how media coverage of 9/11 evoked emotions like fear and anger, which shaped societal responses and perceptions.

Question 58

How are political perceptions shaped by media coverage?

Answer 58

Political perceptions are shaped by personal knowledge, media content, and the framing of issues. Media can distort reality through selective perception, which can lead to biased understanding and societal division.

Question 59

What is fake news, and why is it significant?

Answer 59

Fake news is the deliberate creation and spread of false or misleading information. It became prominent in events like the 2016 U.S. presidential election and can manipulate public opinion through disinformation and exaggerations.

Question 60

How does the media contribute to group conflict?

Answer 60

Media can heighten group conflict by polarizing social groups (e.g., racial, ethnic, or religious) and reinforcing in-group/out-group divisions. This process can lead to discrimination and social tensions.

Question 61

What is the relationship between media and power?

Answer 61

Media holds power to influence society, either through hard power (e.g., economic or military influence) or soft power (e.g., cultural and ideological influence). The media’s agenda-setting role allows it to shape public discourse and potentially mobilize political action.