1.

Page 333-334
a. Give a definition of mass communication. Why is mass media important?

b. Identify Laswells major functions of media.

c. Identify Meyrowitzs three media metaphors.

2. Page 334
a. Identify the two faces of mass communication.

b. Identify the three themes of media.

3. Page 45 (Semiotic Tradition)

a. Give the definitions for sign and symbol

4. Page 336
a. Describe the concept of symbolicity in relation to the quote Exaggeration, hype, and excess
become the criteria governing interpretations; any literal connections to, or meanings for, signs
themselves are gone.

b. Provide a few examples of belongings you have that have more of a symbolic purpose than a
sign or pragmatic purpose.

5. Page 337

a. Do you agree with the quote that communication media are the essence of civilization and that
history is directed by the predominant media of each age? Give an example of a time
period/civilization and their main form of media.

b. Explain how mediums are an extension of some human faculty. Hint: Google the word faculty.

6. Page 338-339
a. Relate the concept of the global village and computer-mediated communication to
contemporary politics.

b. Describe the differences between the first media age and the second media age.

7. Page 340
a. Do you believe that the open, flexible, and dynamic information environment of this time period
has improved the state of our democracy, or has media become cluttered, confusing, and
chaotic?

8. Page 341-342
a. Describe what agenda setting is. Be sure to include the two levels.

b. Describe the agenda-setting process.

c. What do you believe has a bigger influence, the public agenda or the media agenda? Provide
an example of how media affected public agenda, and vice versa.

9. Page 343
a. Identify the three agenda-setting effects.

b. A natural question is who determines the media agenda in the first place. Which agendasetting effect best describes the political media environment of today?

c. Identify the four types of power relations between the media and outside sources.

10. Page 344

a. Provide a definition of media framing.

b. Give an example of an event that was framed in a way that constrained how the audience could
interpret it. It could be a positive or a negative framing.

11. Page 345-346

a. Keeping in mind the 6 premises of social action media studies and Lindlofs three genres, give
an example of a medium, a program (content), and the different interpretive communities that
would be consuming the media.

b. Explain the potential differences of the interpretive processes between the communities.

12. Page 351-352

a. Apply the gratifications formula to yourself and a form of media that you seek out.

13. Page 353

a. Do you think there is a particular form of media that you are dependent upon, or do you have
many alternatives for gratifying needs and are not overly dependent upon one?