Mass Comm Bachelor of Communication Bachelor of Communication: Media Literacy and Critical Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which concept describes the process by which media outlets select certain stories to cover while ignoring others, thereby influencing public perception of importance?
- Gatekeeping
- Agenda-setting (Correct answer)
- Framing
- Priming
Correct answer: Agenda-setting
Agenda-setting theory, developed by McCombs and Shaw, holds that media coverage shapes what topics the public considers important.
Question 2: A news story describes an immigration policy using the phrase 'invasion of illegal aliens' rather than 'undocumented migrants arriving.' This is a textbook example of:
- Gatekeeping bias
- Framing (Correct answer)
- Agenda-setting
- Cultivation theory
Correct answer: Framing
Framing refers to the way language and context shape how audiences interpret and understand an issue.
Question 3: When evaluating the credibility of an online source, which of the following is the LEAST reliable indicator of trustworthiness?
- Peer-reviewed citations
- High number of social media shares (Correct answer)
- Named authors with verifiable credentials
- Transparent editorial policies
Correct answer: High number of social media shares
Social media shares reflect popularity, not accuracy, and misinformation often spreads more virally than factual content.
Question 4: The SIFT method for evaluating online information stands for:
- Search, Investigate, Find, Trace
- Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace claims (Correct answer)
- Scan, Identify, Filter, Track
- Source, Intent, Fact-check, Trace
Correct answer: Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace claims
SIFT (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, Trace claims) is a media literacy framework developed by Mike Caulfield.
Question 5: Which media ownership concept refers to a single company controlling multiple media outlets across different platforms and markets?
- Vertical integration
- Horizontal integration
- Conglomeration (Correct answer)
- Convergence
Correct answer: Conglomeration
Conglomeration occurs when one parent company owns diverse media properties across different sectors, such as TV, film, print, and digital.
Question 6: According to cultivation theory, heavy television viewers are more likely than light viewers to:
- Seek out diverse news sources
- Overestimate the prevalence of crime in society (Correct answer)
- Distrust television news anchors
- Prefer print media over broadcast media
Correct answer: Overestimate the prevalence of crime in society
Gerbner's cultivation theory argues that heavy TV exposure cultivates a distorted, often fear-based perception of reality aligned with TV's dramatized content.
Question 7: Which practice involves posting fabricated or misleading news articles designed to look like legitimate journalism in order to deceive audiences?
- Clickbait
- Satire
- Astroturfing
- Disinformation (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Disinformation
Disinformation is deliberately false information spread with intent to deceive, as opposed to misinformation which is false but unintentionally spread.
Mass Comm Bachelor of Communication Bachelor of Communication: Media Literacy and Critical Analysis 2
Which concept describes the process by which media outlets select certain stories to cover while ignoring others, thereby influencing public perception of importance?