Introduction to Mass Communication: Media Literacy and Culture

Flashcards created to review essential vocabulary related to mass communication, culture, and media literacy.

Mass Communication

The process of creating shared meaning between the mass media and their audiences.

Interpersonal Communication

Communication that occurs between individuals, characterized by immediate and direct feedback.

Medium

The means through which a message is transmitted.

Encoding

The process of converting a message into a format suitable for transmission.

Decoding

The process by which the receiver interprets the encoded message.

Noise

Any interference that distorts or disrupts the transmission of a message.

Cultural Communication

A symbolic process where reality is produced, maintained, repaired, and transformed, crucial for sustaining cultures.

Culture

The learned behavior of members of a given social group, socially constructed as shared meaning.

Media Literacy

The ability to read, interpret, critically assess, and productively use media.

Third-person effect

The perception that media messages primarily affect others rather than oneself.

Genre

A category of artistic composition characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

Critical Thinking

The ability to think clearly and rationally, evaluating information and arguments.

Feedback

The responses or reactions of a receiver to a message.

Inferential Feedback

Indirect feedback that may not provide immediate responses to a communication.

Binge Viewing

The practice of watching multiple episodes of a television show in one sitting.