Upgrade to remove ads
Only $2.99/month

Mass Comm Theory // Part 1

Terms in this set (90)

Theory seeking to understand contemporary societies by analyzing the structure and content of their communication.
cultural theory
A testable prediction about some event.
hypothesis
How knowledge is created and expanded
epistemology
Theory seeking transformation of a dominant social order in order to achieve desired values.
critical theory
Theory based on empirical observation guided by the scientific method.
post-positivism
Breaking down complex communication process and social phenomena to little more than narrow propositions generated from small-scale investigations.
reductionism
The study of understanding, especially by interpreting action and text
hermeneutic theory
High standards in the conduct of research and theory development.
epistemic values
The proper role of values in research and theory building.
axiology
The idea that " media affects others, but not me".
third-person effect
When a given factor influences another, even by way of an intervening variable.
causality
The nature of reality, what is knowable.
ontology
Graphic representations that are associated with strong emotions and possess the power to stimulate large-scale mass action.
master symbols
In Freudianism, the internalized set of cultural rules
superego
In Tönnies's conception, traditional folk cultures.
gemeinschaft
n Durkheim's conception, modern social orders bound by culturally negotiated social ties
organic solidarity
In Freudianism, the egocentric pleasure-seeking part of the mind.
Id
In Freudianism, the rational mind.
ego
The notion that all human action is a conditioned response to external environmental stimuli.
behaviorism
In Tönnies's conception, modern industrial society,
gesellschaft
An educated social science-based elite charged with protecting vulnerable average people from harmful propaganda.
scientific technocracy
False information spread about the opposition to discredit it.
disinformation
In Durkheim's conception, folk cultures bound by consensus and traditional social roles.
mechanical solidarity
The notion that human behavior is the product of of the conflict between an individual's Id, Ego and Superego,
freudianism
People who have lived their entire lives in an Internet-connected world,
digital natives
Milton's idea that in a fair debate, good and truthful arguments will win out over lies and deceit,
self-righting principles
Dividing a country, culture or society into antagonistic subgroups,
Balkanize
A normative theory that substitutes media industry and public responsibility for total media freedom on the one hand and for external control on the other,
social responsibility theory
Direct regulation of media, most often by government agency or commission.
technocratic control
Theoretical approach that conceives of social systems as living organisms who various parts work together to maintain essential processes
functionalism
Unintended and less easily observed consequences of media use.
latent functions
In two-step flow, those who pass on information to followers.
opinion leaders
In two-step flow, people who screen media messages and pass on those messages and help other share their views,
gatekeepers
Theory that as news about an issue inundates people, they become apathetic to it, substituting knowing about and issue for action on it,
narcotizing dysfunction
Research that examines audiences to interpret consumer attitudes and behaviors; the use of empirical research to guide practical managerial decisions.
administrative research
Exposure, retention and perception; psychological methods designed to reduce dissonance,
selective processes
Theory that media are rarely the sole cause of effects and are relatively powerless when compared with other social factors,
phenomenistic theory
Theory that examines the mass communication process as composed of interrelated parts that work together to meet some goal
communication systems theory
intended and observed consequences of media use.
manifest functions
Humans think about their behavior, values, beliefs, and attitudes. In other words, they are
reflexive
. ______________ theories are based on empirical research and adherence to the scientific method.
post-positive
The type of mass communication theory that seeks prediction and control is
post-positivism
Questions of the place of values in theory and research are issues of _________.
axiology
The type of mass communication theory that seeks emancipation from and change in a dominant social order is
critical theory
The man who did the most to challenge mass society theory and encourage development of scientific theories of mass communication was
Paul Lazarsfield
The type of mass communication theory that might be involved when studying how well the mainstream American press serve democratic principles is
normative
Since the development of meaning-making theories, media effects research has
been revitalized by new research methods and theories
Interpretive theorists who set aside their values when investigating a text are said to be ___________.
bracketing
British cultural studies, which focuses on media and their role in promoting the interests of dominant elites at the expense of less powerful groups, is based on __________ notions of mass communication.
neo-marxist
Which was the first dominant perspective on mass media?
mass society theory
An active audience that uses media to create experiences
The meaning-making theory trend is focused on
Post-positivist and hermeneutic theory are _________, that is, they are articulations of existing realities. Critical theory is ____________. This means its goal is to change reality.
representational/nonrepresentational
_______ is the consideration of how knowledge is created and expanded.
Epistemology
The idea that others are affected by media but not ourselves is called the ___________.
third-person effect
Human action is a conditioned response to external, environmental stimuli. This statement summarizes which theory?
behaviorism
Combo of behaviorism and Freudian theory
Harold Lasswell's propaganda theory
The first extensive use of mass media to disseminate propaganda occurred
during World War II
Propaganda theorists like Harold Lasswell were generally
pessimistic abot avg peoples ability to resist manipulation
Theories that assumed that media had all-powerful, direct effects are sometimes referred to as magic bullet theories because
messages are likened to bullets that can directly enter the brain
Successful propaganda depends on
simplification and repetition
A crusading journalist who challenges the powerful on behalf of the public is a
muckraker
If media were evaluated and controlled by a national board of industry practitioners, government officials, academicians, and members of the public this would be an example of
technocratic control
most people react similarly to powerful environmental stimuli
behaviorism assumes that
Contemporary propaganda theory comes from
political right and left
The term propaganda originated with
Jesuits
Propaganda theory is enjoying resurgence of interest primarily due to
critical researchers interest in elite control of media
Harold Lasswell and Walter Lippmann agreed that the threat of propaganda was so great in 1920s America that ________ was a necessity.
technocratic control
False information anonymously spread about one's opponents in an attempt to discredit them is
disinformation
One reason that media industries adopt professional standards and codes of ethics is to
avoid government regulation or censorship
The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as the
Bill of Rights
Libertarianism depends on two factors to produce "truth." One is a rational, involved public, and the other is
access to media for large amount of divergent information
oseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst were known for
large chains of papers they operated across America
The mixed success of public access channels on cable television demonstrates that
its not easy to use media to support pluralistic groups
The Fourth Estate refers to
the press
Journalism codes of ethics do not include standards for
politically correct coverage of news events
The idea that government allows business to operate freely and without official intrusion is called
laissez-faire
A form of journalism noted for scathing coverage of political and business corruption is labeled
muckraking
A normative theory describes the way media systems
ideally should be structured
Joseph McCarthy became widely known in the 1950s for
Red Scare
provided definitive formulation of social responsibility theory
The Hutchins Commission
Many observers do not consider bloggers journalists because they do not engage in ________, original, investigatory reporting.
enterprise reporting
Which of the following is an example of a normative theory?
social responsibility theory
If you believe that "no law means no law" where restriction of expression is concerned, you are said to be
1st Amendment absolutist
Theoretical approach that conceives of social systems as living organisms who various parts work together to maintain essential processes
functionalism
...
...
...
...
Research that examines audiences to interpret consumer attitudes and behaviors; the use of empirical research to guide practical managerial decisions.
Administrative research
Exposure, retention and perception; psychological methods designed to reduce dissonance,
select
Theory that examines the mass communication process as composed of interrelated parts that work together to meet some goal.
communication systems theory
...
...
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...