Q&A Hero

Q: "False consciousness" refers to the subordinate class's acceptance of the basic ideology of the ruling class. a. True b. False

Q: Your author discusses how the social media threat of "misappropriation" is far more likely to be a serious concern than "misinformation" or "memory."

Q: Hegemony is permanent and unalterable. a. True b. False

Q: Your author suggests that due to the pace of organizational events, speed is more important than completeness of the message.

Q: Hegemony operates at the level of common sense in the assumptions we make about social life. a. True b. False

Q: If a person is effective using one type of communication channel, the chances are good that the person will be effective using other channels.

Q: "Structure" in media sociology refers to media professionals and their will. a. True b. False

Q: A successful 20-year old entrepreneur used the telephone almost exclusively as his preferred communication tool because he wanted to downplay his youth. He wanted to minimize visual cues because he thought that clients would not take him seriously if he used face-to-face channels. This exemplifies what congruency test? a. sender's objectives compatible with the attributes of the message b. message compatible with the channels c. sender's objectives compatible with the channels d. messages compatible with the receivers' characteristics

Q: Which of the following is not a common ideological criticism of contemporary advertising? a. Ads celebrate and take for granted the consumer—capitalist organization of society. b. Ads normalize a middle- or upper-middle-class lifestyle. c. Ads promote a worldview that stresses the community and the public life. d. Ads promote a materialist culture.

Q: Your author argues that the benefits, costs and value of channels are relatively fixed over time and do not vary much at different organizational levels.

Q: In scholarly publishing, choices about new books are shaped by the types of books that a publisher has previously published. a. True b. False

Q: A midsize business (100 employees) wants to announce a new, somewhat complex, retirement benefits plan to its employees. What channel would be most effective? a. memo b. company newsletter c. small group meetings d. video

Q: Which of the following is considered the major ideology present in the original rap music of the 1980s? a. A revolt against an unjust social system b. A praise of radical socialism c. A praise of contemporary capitalism d. A criticism against homosexuality

Q: According to the Diffusion of Innovation model, what category of technology adopters tend to be the most venturesome and seek out new opportunities? a. Laggards b. Early Majority c. Late Majority d. Innovators e. Early Adopters

Q: Book editors prefer unsolicited manuscripts to minimize selection bias. a. True b. False

Q: What is true about persuasive situations? a. they are best handled with face-to-face communication b. they demand that the sender quickly adapt the message to the receiver c. they should be handled with a minimal amount of communication d. a and b

Q: Which of the following is not a common portrayal of family life in contemporary television? a. Introducing a "perfect mother" image b. Upper-middle-class lifestyle c. Secure and happy life d. "Trashy," lower-middle-class worldview

Q: The buyer who says, "I want a mobile phone that doesn't do too much because I don't want to complicate my life too much," is most concerned about what type of cost? a. Learning cost b. Collaboration cost c. Contextual cost d. Opportunity cost

Q: "Pro-Am" efforts in journalism refers to news organizations' approach to enlist the assistance of amateurs in creating news stories while employing professional journalistic standards. a. True b. False

Q: Research about face-to-face groups reveals that a. women talk more than men b. higher-status people talk more than lower-status people c. subordinates talk more than managers d. none of the above

Q: Which of the following explanations about the historical development of advertising in the 20th century is true? a. Ads were often a gateway to integrate society and erase differences among people. b. Ads were banned from radio for most of the early 20th century. c. Ads using racial stereotypes were banned. d. Ads were a chief tool for the masses to challenge the ruling class.

Q: Which of the following would be considered a "functional attribute" of a channel? a. Micromessaging capability b. Expense of training users c. Capacity to signal status d. Size e. Weight

Q: Journalistic objectivity is socially constructed. a. True b. False

Q: The criteria used by most senders in selecting a channel is ___ a. the personal warmth it conveys b. feedback potential c. cost d. personal convenience

Q: The "Q" score in media marketing quantifies stars' appeal to the public. a. True b. False

Q: "The potential benefits that could have been received by selecting an alternate channel" best defines what type of channel cost? a. opportunity costs b. learning costs c. coordination costs d. switching costs

Q: "Conventions" in media organizations are arbitrary. a. True b. False

Q: The wise leader seizes on the power of telling the right story and uses it as a tool to regularly communicate the core values.

Q: The management theorist Warren Bennis points out how effectively The New York Times produced a culture of candor as exemplified in its handling of the Jayson Blair situation.

Q: When we talk about the "organizational premises" that shape the work of book editors, we are referring to: a. The location of editorial offices b. The informal definition of appropriate books to publish c. Relationships between editors and authors d. The editorial hierarchy at a publishing house

Q: Which of the following is not a strategy by media firms to deal with uncertainties in media production? a. Using stars b. Copying past hits c. Producing sequels d. Discovering local talents

Q: "Our mission is to make the best damn product we can" would be considered an actionable cultural statement.

Q: All of the following help booksellers select the titles to stock in their bookstores, except: a. Publisher's catalogue descriptions b. Past sales of the author's previous books c. The popularity of the book's genre d. The author's formal request

Q: Your author suggests that cultural statements should be very general, such as "We are in the business of serving customers."

Q: In media sociology, these are known as the bundles of expectations that are associated with different social positions: a. Routines b. Norms c. Cultures d. Roles

Q: Your author suggests that it is not effective for an organization to develop symbolic reminders of the core values to reinforce the corporate culture.

Q: In publishing houses, acquisitions editors are responsible for: a. Soliciting and evaluating book manuscripts b. Working with bookstores to distribute books c. Inducing prominent publications to review their books d. Preparing the index for a book

Q: A healthy organizational culture is typified by a "family atmosphere".

Q: Media producers seek "stars" for their productions because stars: a. Always make profitable productions b. Reduce the perception of risk c. Always produce high-quality products d. Are often close friends with producers

Q: Examining corporate slogans and value statements–rather than reflecting on the type of people in the organization -- are the most revealing ways of discovering the corporate culture.

Q: At newspapers, who selects which photographs will appear in the paper? a. The photo editor b. The reporter c. The photographer d. The advertiser

Q: A company's mission states that "Our employees are our number one resource." Based on the chapter, how effective does this communicate the culture? a. the statement is too ambiguous, and may not motivate, inspire or compel the right action b. this cultural statement is too narrow and might restrict employee behavior c. this statement will most likely motivate employees and lead to heightened creativity d. b and c

Q: New members of Internet "newsgroups" can learn the norms of the group from all of the following except: a. A file of "frequently asked questions" (FAQs) b. Electronic "how-to" manuals for new members c. Electronic criticisms from other group members d. Face-to-face groups

Q: In his scholarly work, James Kotter found that companies that lived by their stated values experienced four times more growth in revenues than did their counterparts.

Q: Your author suggests that if there is a large gap between an organization's stated culture and its actual culture… a. it may result in employee cynicism and discouragement b. it becomes a strong motivator for employees c. it actually doesn't matter, as this will have little impact on employees

Q: The process by which we learn the basic ground rules of a particular social role is known as: a. Role-playing b. Socialization c. Observation d. Professionalization

Q: Which of the following is not the reason that mainstream news among major news outlets is similar to each other? a. News outlets constantly monitor and imitate others. b. Reporters from different news outlets share the same news beats and sources. c. News outlets depend heavily on official government sources. d. News outlets often share reporters.

Q: Your author suggests that the wise leader manages by a. enforcing procedures b. a set of rules c. a set of values d. all of the above

Q: When we say that objectivity is a "method," we mean that it is a _____. a. set of practices to which journalists adhere b. commitment to facts c. state of mind d. search for the truth

Q: The Imperial, Inc. "upside down" organization chart presented in the chapter reveals a a. a highly autocratic, centralized company b. an "army-like" culture c. top-down hierarchical structure d. all of the above e. none of the above

Q: Motion picture ratings, television content ratings, and "explicit lyric" CD warning labels are examples of: a. Government regulation of the media b. Consumer influence over the media c. Industry self-regulation d. Media convergence

Q: Objectivity emerged as a norm in American journalism in the: a. Early 1800s b. Years following the U.S. Civil War c. Years following World War I d. 1960s

Q: The best way to discover the culture of a company is to study a. the type of people the organization hires b. its symbols c. its slogans and value statements d. b and c e. all of the above

Q: In which management orientation is the receiver seen as a passive information processor? a. Arrow b. Circuit c. Dance

Q: The Fairness Doctrine: a. Was introduced during the early years of the Clinton presidency b. Is still in effect c. Applies to radio, television, and cable companies d. Was repealed during the Reagan presidency

Q: The sociology of news work explains that the definition of "news" is shaped by the ______. a. important events of the day b. interests of the owners of news outlets c. pronouncements of politicians d. ways that reporters organize their work

Q: The most critical time for the manager to communicate the corporate culture to the employee is in a. the initial weeks of employment b. the time period between the initial hiring and the employee's first day of employment c. after the 1st formal performance evaluation d. none of the above

Q: When my friend remarks, "That's very interesting," he really means the subject is uninteresting. This is an example of a(n) a. regulative rule b. interpretation rule c. co-orientation rule d. none of the above

Q: The Fairness Doctrine required that broadcasters address public issues of concern to the community and: a. Provided opportunity for the presentation of contrasting points of view b. Limited the amount of commercial time on children's television c. Limited the number of radio or television stations that could be owned by one company d. Banned harmful advertising such as tobacco

Q: The "news net" refers to the: a. Use of computers in the newsroom b. Standard practice news organizations use to gather news c. Editor-in-chief of a newspaper d. Lead story on the network news

Q: What does the author recommend in communicating the organizational culture? a. craft actionable cultural statements b. link values with specific behaviors c. use financial resources to reinforce values d. a and b e. all of the above

Q: Conservatives often support regulations that: a. Limit the concentration of media ownership b. Discourage "free market" competition c. Restrict media content on moral grounds d. Provide government subsidies to large media companies

Q: If a person greets me and I return the greeting, this is an example of a(n) a. regulative rule b. interpretation rule c. co-orientation rule d. none of the above

Q: Rationalizing the news-gathering process means that news outlets: a. Need to anticipate where news will happen b. Cover only stories about the economy c. Pay all their journalists the same salary d. Eliminate all editorials and opinion pieces

Q: The fundamental difference between rumors and gossip is that rumors focus on events and information, whereas gossip focuses on people.

Q: A strength of the Arrow Approach is a. An emphasis on the relational aspect of communication b. An emphasis on encouraging managers to clearly think out their ideas c. An emphasis on encouraging managers to provide sufficient specificity in their instructions d. All of the above e. b and c

Q: Digitization and fiber optics have: a. So far affected only the music industry b. Helped to slow down the concentration of media ownership c. Enabled the "convergence" of different media d. So far affected only the computer industry

Q: Which communication orientation is based on the assumption that "understanding = effective communication"? a. Arrow b. Circuit c. Dance d. All of the above

Q: In the early years of broadcasting, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was an example of a(n): a. Early commercial media conglomerate b. Profitable media company c. State monopoly broadcast system d. Foreign-owned broadcast system

Q: What type of manager would most likely say, "Being aware of the interaction patterns between people to be able to adapt messages as well as interpret them in light of these patterns." a. Arrow b. Circuit c. Dance d. All of the above

Q: Which of the following is not a common characteristic of the early broadcasting systems in Europe? a. They tended to emphasize public service programming. b. They were not subject to government regulation. c. They were national in character. d. They tended to be noncommercial.

Q: What Type of manager would mostly likely say, "Being able to clearly and precisely put thoughts into words." a. Arrow b. Circuit c. Dance d. All of the above

Q: Compared to most other industrialized nations, the United States has generally had _______ regulation of the media industry. a. more b. less c. about the same amount of d. almost no

Q: Senders of communication are most often the cause of communication breakdowns.

Q: One of the arguments about the media that "free market" advocates usually make is that: a. Consumers have the ultimate power to tune in or buy media products b. Those with the most money should have the biggest impact on the media c. Government should be a counterweight to the power of private media conglomerates d. Media companies need to protect consumers from sexually explicit materials

Q: The most effective communicators minimize ambiguity in messages.

Q: The five commissioners on the FCC are: a. Elected by the members of Congress to four-year terms b. Appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate c. Chosen by media industry leaders and confirmed by the president d. Appointed by the Supreme Court and confirmed by the president

Q: Which of the following correctly links a broadcaster and its parent company?a. NBC–Viacomb. ABC–Comcastc. CBS–Walt Disneyd. Fox–News Corporation

Q: Your author argues that there is usually one primary message in each communication event.

Q: The chief media and communication regulatory body in the United States is the: a. FCC (Federal Communications Commission) b. MRB (Media Regulations Board) c. FTC (Fair Trade Commission) d. Department of Justice