Mass Comm Bachelor of Communication Bachelor of Communication: Media Literacy and Critical Analysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The 'spiral of silence' theory in communication suggests that individuals who perceive their opinion to be in the minority will:
- Seek out more information before speaking
- Become more vocal to counter the majority
- Suppress their views to avoid social isolation (Correct answer)
- Turn to social media to find like-minded communities
Correct answer: Suppress their views to avoid social isolation
Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann's spiral of silence theory holds that fear of social isolation causes people to withhold minority opinions from public expression.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes 'lateral reading' as a media literacy strategy?
- Reading an article from top to bottom carefully
- Reading multiple sections of the same article
- Opening new tabs to verify a source using outside information (Correct answer)
- Skimming headlines across multiple news sites
Correct answer: Opening new tabs to verify a source using outside information
Lateral reading means leaving a website to check what other credible sources say about that site, rather than trusting the site's own claims.
Question 3: When a media company owns both the production studio and the distribution channels for its content, this is known as:
- Horizontal integration
- Vertical integration (Correct answer)
- Synergy
- Oligopoly
Correct answer: Vertical integration
Vertical integration means owning multiple stages of the supply chain, such as producing, distributing, and exhibiting content.
Question 4: A political advertisement includes dramatic music and images of crime scenes before making policy claims. This technique is an example of:
- Logical appeals (logos)
- Emotional appeals (pathos) (Correct answer)
- Ethical appeals (ethos)
- Statistical evidence
Correct answer: Emotional appeals (pathos)
Using emotionally charged imagery and music to influence audience feelings before presenting an argument is a pathos-based persuasion technique.
Question 5: Which term describes the phenomenon where people encounter predominantly information that reinforces their existing beliefs due to algorithmic filtering?
- Confirmation bias
- Filter bubble (Correct answer)
- Echo chamber
- Selective exposure
Correct answer: Filter bubble
A filter bubble, coined by Eli Pariser, refers to algorithmic curation that limits a person's exposure to challenging or diverse perspectives.
Question 6: In media literacy analysis, 'decoding' a media text refers to:
- Translating subtitles in foreign-language media
- The audience's process of interpreting and making meaning from media messages (Correct answer)
- Removing encryption from digital content
- Identifying the production techniques used in a video
Correct answer: The audience's process of interpreting and making meaning from media messages
Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model describes how audiences actively interpret media texts, which may differ from the producer's intended meaning.
Question 7: A tobacco company funds a study published in a scientific journal showing its products are not harmful. This is an example of:
- Greenwashing
- Astroturfing
- Manufactured consent (Correct answer)
- Advertorial bias
Correct answer: Manufactured consent
Manufactured consent, as described by Chomsky and Herman, refers to the use of institutional mechanisms—including funded research—to shape public opinion in favor of powerful interests.
Mass Comm Bachelor of Communication Bachelor of Communication: Media Literacy and Critical Analysis 3
The 'spiral of silence' theory in communication suggests that individuals who perceive their opinion to be in the minority will: