survey of media and society

What is intrapersonal communication?

Communication with yourself, such as thinking, reflecting, or planning.

What is interpersonal communication?

Communication between two people, such as an interview.

What is group communication?

Communication within a small team working toward a goal.

What is mass communication?

One message reaching many people through media like TV, radio, or social media.

What are the basic parts of communication?

Sender, message, channel, and receiver.

What is a gatekeeper?

A person or system that controls what information reaches an audience.

What is noise in communication?

Anything that interferes with a message, such as distractions or misinformation.

What is feedback?

How an audience responds through likes, comments, ratings, views, or shares.

What does Secret 1 say about media?

The media are essential components of our lives.

What does Secret 2 say about mainstream media?

There is no single mainstream; audiences are fragmented into niches.

What does Secret 3 mean by "everything from the margin moves to the center"?

Ideas and content from small groups can become mainstream.

What does Secret 4 mean by "nothing is new"?

Media trends and behaviors often repeat patterns from the past.

What does Secret 5 mean by "all media are social"?

Media connect people and encourage interaction and participation.

What does Secret 6 mean by "online media are mobile media"?

Online media can be accessed and used through mobile devices.

What does Secret 7 mean by "there is no they"?

Media are created and shaped by people, not an abstract group called "they."

How are audiences also media creators?

Posting, sharing, and creating content makes people participants in media.

What is the Hypodermic Needle or Magic Bullet theory?

The idea that media has direct, powerful, uniform effects on passive audiences.

What is the Two-Step Flow theory?

Messages reach opinion leaders first, who then pass them to others.

What is Uses and Gratifications theory?

People actively choose media to satisfy needs like information, escape, or connection.

What is Cultivation Theory?

Repeated media exposure gradually shapes how people view reality.

What is Mean World Syndrome?

Heavy TV viewers may overestimate how dangerous the real world is.

Who developed the idea of Mean World Syndrome?

George Gerbner.

What is Agenda-Setting theory?

Media influences what people think about by deciding what gets attention.

What is the main idea behind "small + repeated beats big + rare"?

Repeated exposure can gradually create stronger effects over time.

How have media effects theories changed over time?

New theories evolved from earlier ones; different theories still explain different situations.

What is vertical integration?

One owner controls multiple stages of a product's production and distribution.

What is horizontal integration?

One company owns different types of media that can promote each other.

What are economies of scale?

Producing more units lowers the cost of each individual unit.

What are economies of scope?

Using the same skills or infrastructure across different products.

What is the Long Tail?

Digital distribution lets niche content find enough interested people to succeed.

What does the FCC do?

The FCC sets rules limiting how much media one company can own.

What is media consolidation?

When fewer companies own a larger share of media outlets.

How can ownership affect media?

Who owns a platform can influence what content gets produced and distributed.

What is the Gutenberg printing press?

A 1440s invention that made identical books easier to produce and distribute widely.

Why were books considered the first mass medium?

Printing allowed identical copies to reach large audiences.

What are the Big Five publishers?

A small group of major publishing companies dominating traditional book publishing.

What is self-publishing?

Publishing directly to readers without needing a traditional publisher or agent.

What is a bestseller list?

A list of books receiving high sales and attention, influencing what gets noticed.

How can bestseller lists affect other media?

Popular books may receive more attention or be adapted into movies or TV.

What is book censorship?

Attempts to restrict, challenge, or ban books from schools or libraries.

Why is censorship not a new issue?

Arguments over which stories should be available have existed for centuries.

How have gatekeepers become less necessary in publishing?

Self-publishing, e-books, and audiobooks let authors reach readers directly.

What is the main connection between Chapters 1–4?

Media involves communication, audience effects, business ownership, and changing technology.