Media Industries & Econimics

Question 1

What is Selective Exposure?

Answer 1

people typically seek messages and produce meanings that correspond to their own cultural beliefs, values and interests

Question 2

What is the definition of communication?

Answer 2

the creation and use of symbol systems that convey information and meaning

Question 3

What is convergence?

Answer 3

convergence describes the changes brought by the digital transition and refers to the technological merging of once distinct and incompatible formats into a single format that can be accessed through one device, or refers to the trend of media companies merging together to better position themselves for a world in which all media can be digital

Question 4

What is the definition of mass communication?

Answer 4

the process of designing cultural messages and stories and delivering them to increasingly large and diverse audiences through mass media channels like newspapers, magazines, movies, radio, and television

Question 5

What is the linear model of communication?

Answer 5

says that mass communication is a linear process of producing and delivering messages where senders transmit messages through mass media channels to large groups of receivers

Question 6

What are criticisms of the linear model of communication?

Answer 6

-media messages do not in reality move smoothly from a sender at point A to a receiver at point Z
-may lead us to overestimate the sender’s control

Question 7

What is a monopoly?

Answer 7

in media economics, an organizational structure that occurs when a single firm dominates production and distribution in a particular industry, either nationally or locally

Question 8

What is cultural Imperialism?

Answer 8

the phenomenon of american music, movies, and tv shows dominating international markets and shaping the cultures of other nations

Question 9

What is a hegemony?

Answer 9

a condition that is established when most of the public accepts or buys into a way of thinking about how the world works that favors the dominant class

Question 10

What is an oligopoly?

Answer 10

(the most common structure) a business situation in which a few firms control most of an industry’s production and distribution resources

Question 11

How has deregulation encouraged media conglomeration?

Answer 11

with deregulation, there was less control on businesses from the government, which made it easier for corporations to take over or merge with companies in different sectors of the economy, producing highly diversified conglomerates
-a single media company could then own an almost unlimited number of radio and tv stations, boosting the profits of these media conglomerates

Question 12

What does it mean to take a critical and cultural approach to understanding media?

Answer 12

it means you look not only at the power dynamics that exist within media, but also the interaction of media with society as a whole to examine media at the consumer level versus the higher level

Question 13

What is media literacy?

Answer 13

the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media as well as understand the effect of media

Question 14

What are the elements of the media literacy model?

Answer 14

access, analyze & evaluate, create, reflect, act

Question 15

What are the 3 types of economic structure of the media?

Answer 15

1. monopoly
2. oligopoly
3. conglomerate

Question 16

What are the 4 benefits of conglomeration?

Answer 16

1. cross-promotion
2. cross-production
3. cross-advertising
4. blockbusters

Question 17

What are gatekeepers?

Answer 17

any companies that stand between the ideas/stories that are being put out and the consumers that hear/read/watch those things being put out

Question 18

What is net neutrality?

Answer 18

the idea that ISPs(internet service providers) should provide users with access to all lawful content & applications and should not block or filter content

Question 19

What are the two groups in society?

Answer 19

1. the political class: those who are educated and play a role in society culturally or politically- about 20% of population
2. other 80% of society’s population is to follow orders, and are not to think or pay attention

Question 20

What is the propaganda model?

Answer 20

an institutional analysis of the major media- mainly the national media

Question 21

Who are the elite media and what is their role in the propaganda model?

Answer 21

they are the “agenda-setting” media like the New York Times, Washington Post and NBC. These companies set the general framework for local media(like what content should be included and excluded). They determine, select, shape, control. restrict, and serve the dominant groups in society

Question 22

From Chomsky’s perspective, do media affect society, or does society affect media?

Answer 22

the media affects society because companies-especially the elite media-decide the information being put out to consumers based on what the dominant groups in society want, rather than putting completely unfiltered media out for consumers to have access to all aspects of the media