COM 120 Exam #1
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True or False: Mass media are the industries that create and distribute songs, novels, newspapers, and other media products to large numbers of people.
· Answer: True
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Which cultural era is defined by the celebration of the individual and rejection of traditions, leading to these same changes in mass media? The Modern Era, or the Postmodern Era?
· Answer: Modern Era
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This term, which describes the technological merging of content across different media channels, is one of the defining characteristics of the digital turn.
· Answer: Media convergence
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What are the five stages of the Critical Media Literacy Process?
· Answer: Describe, Analyze, Interpret, Evaluation, Engagement
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Which widely printed pamphlet, published in 1776, made the case for American independence and is credited with helping build support against Great Britain?
· Answer: Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
CATEGORY: Books
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What technology, known for accelerating the spread of books across Europe, was invented by Johannes Gutenberg sometime between 1453 and 1456?
· Answer: Printing press
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True or False: The best-selling book is all time is the Bible.
· Answer: True
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Which type of books includes quality hardbound and paperback, is aimed at general readers, and sold at commercial retail outlets? Some examples include the Harry Potter series and cookbooks.
· Answer: Trade books
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Which writing material replaced papyrus in Europe because it was stronger, more durable, and less expensive?
· Answer: Parchment
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Which large technology company teamed up the New York Public Library and university libraries in 2004 to scan and create digitized versions of books to make them searchable and available online?
· Answer: Google (through the Google Books Library Project)
CATEGORY: Music
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True or False: Today’s pop music includes many different genres, including country, punk, and hip hop.
· Answer: True
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Which genre of music was viewed as controversial and was censored from some radio stations because audiences felt that it was causing “juvenile delinquency.”
· Answer: Rock and roll
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What is the primary way music artists make money through platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music?
· Answer: By number of streams (most are paid per 1,000 streams)
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Which three record labels control about 70% of the global recording industry market share?
· Answer: Universal Music Group; Sony Music, and Warner Music Group
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Which independent record label was known for supporting black songwriters and performers, including signing Marvin Gaye and the Jackson 5?
· Answer: Motown
CATEGORY: Radio
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True or False: “Jukebox culture” was one of the primary drivers of the shift to “Top 40” format by radio stations in the mid-1950s.
· Answer: True
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What federal regulatory agency was formed in 1934 after the U.S. government became concerned about the growing power and consolidation of the radio networks?
· Answer: Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
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Which U.S. President was the first to effectively use broadcast radio to communicate with citizens?
· Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)
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Which radio format is considered the most popular format in the nation?
· Answer: Country
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What is the name for the practice by which record promoters pay deejays and streaming services to play and promote particular music and/or playlists?
· Answer: Payola
CATEGORY: Magazines
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What is the target demographic of AARP The Magazine?
· Answer: Retired, older readers; AARP members
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True or False: General magazines are meant to appeal to narrow audiences and are focused on niche topics, such as piloting and poetry.
· Answer: False
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What was the key aspect of magazines that distinguished this medium from other forms of popular media at the beginning of the 20th century?
· Answer: Photojournalism
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What type of magazine subscriptions automatically renew on a credit card account unless subscribers request a stoppage of the renewal?
· Answer: Evergreen subscriptions
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What is the name of the magazine journalists who focused on long-form, investigative pieces meant to expose social ills, and which led to many reforms?
· Answer: muckrakers
CATEGORY: Random
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“Megan [Markle’s] Drug Secret Exposed!” is a headline you may see on which type of magazine?
· Answer: Supermarket tabloid
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What two words were combined to create the name for the world’s most popular music streaming application?
· Answer: Spot and Identify
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Which technology was the precursor to the radio?
· Answer: Telegraph
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Which modern, digital media is considered “indispensable to sightless and older readers with diminishing vision”?
· Answer: Audio books
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What is the name for “legal contract between a musical artist and one company incorporating components of an artists career that have traditionally been handled by separate contracts”, such as merchandise sales?
· Answer: 360-degree agreements