Herman-Chomsky Propaganda Model Quiz

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Questions and Answers

According to the critical-Marxist perspective, what is the primary function of media systems in capitalist, liberal-democratic societies?

To serve as a neutral platform for the exchange of ideas and information.

To facilitate participatory democracy by empowering all its citizens.

To reinforce the dominance of the ruling class and their interests. (correct)

To promote diverse perspectives and foster critical thinking among the population.

How do media professionals in capitalist societies according to the critical-Marxist perspective, internalize the norms of the dominant culture?

Through direct, explicit mandates from the ruling class.

Through their active participation in counter-hegemonic movements.

Through their independent, critical analysis of the dominant culture.

Through a process of socialization that shapes their perspectives and values. (correct)

What is the critical-Marxist view on media audiences' ability to resist dominant narratives?

Audiences are often highly critical, therefore easily able to reject media narratives.

Audiences can negotiate and contest dominant frameworks, but may struggle without access to alternatives. (correct)

Audiences are completely passive, therefore easily manipulated by the media.

Audiences are completely free to create their own narratives, independent of media content.

What was a significant difference between the Frankfurt School's view on media and subsequent generations of critical and Marxist scholars?

The Frankfurt School had a pessimistic view of media's influence whereas later scholars were less pessimistic. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a focus of the Media Political Economy (PM) debate, according to the text?

The way in which media is seen as a tool of propaganda, to be used by the powerful to manipulate the masses. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was a common criticism during the first wave of criticism regarding the Propaganda Model?

That it presented a 'conspiratorial' view of the media. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How did most commentators and scholars engage with the propaganda model during its first wave of criticism?

They largely ignored its evidential basis and ascribed claims not actually made by Herman and Chomsky. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these best describes the attitude of the initial responses to the propaganda model in the late 1980s and early 1990s?

General dismissal and avoidance of its key arguments. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What key difference distinguished the second wave of criticism from the first wave?

More commentators engaged directly with the PM's core arguments and findings. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was the focus of the debates that emerged during the second wave of criticism?

The model's methodology and findings. (A) Signup and view all the answers

According to the provided text, what is the primary focus of the Propaganda Model (PM)?

The structural and political-economic influences on media performance. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What do Herman and Chomsky suggest about the relationship between powerful entities and public discourse?

Powerful entities can control the premises of public discourse and manage public opinion. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of mass media in society?

To integrate individuals with the values and beliefs of the larger society. (C) Signup and view all the answers

The Propaganda Model (PM) is presented as a critique of which perspective on how the media functions?

Liberal-pluralist views of media. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Besides their work on the PM, what other facet of media control have Herman and Chomsky explored?

The role of ideology and propaganda as effective means of control. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary shift in focus during the third phase of media effects research, as described in the text?

An acknowledgement of media's powerful effects, but with conditions and mediating factors. (D) Signup and view all the answers

According to Curran et al. (1982), what is a key debate among Marxist theorists regarding mass media?

The argument about the relationship between economic base and socio-political superstructure, and the relative autonomy of ideologies. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT identified as one of the three main perspectives distinguished by Curran et al. in media studies?

Technological Determinism (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was the initial primary focus of the political economy approach to media studies?

The issues of media ownership, control, and their effects. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Why did some scholars, like Herman and Chomsky, shift their focus from media effects to media behavior?

Because they found it difficult to empirically demonstrate media effects and their causal link to the media's control. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Herman-Chomsky Propaganda Model

Developed by Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky to explain mass media behavior in the US.
Rooted in critical-Marxist political economy tradition.
Presents a model with five filters to explain how media choices reflect dominant interests.

Liberal-Pluralist vs. Critical-Marxist Debate

Liberal-pluralist: Assumes a "marketplace of ideas" where diverse opinions and choices exist and are reflected in policies. Media is a fourth estate that safeguards public interest.
Critical-Marxist: Argues that capitalist societies reflect class-based structures, and laws and policies favor elites. Media functions as an ideological tool maintaining ruling class dominance.

Propaganda Model (PM) Overview

Five filters: Shape media content, favouring certain views and perspectives, influencing public discourse in favour of powerful interests. Filters are: ownership (and profit motive of media), advertising, sources of news (relying on privileged information sources), flak (opposition to critical media stories), and ideological forces (favouring and promoting elite interests).

PM's Context in Media Studies

Used to critique the liberal-pluralist media view.
Provides an alternative tool for understanding media’s behaviour within contemporary capitalist societies.
Model has faced significant criticism and debate despite being influential in media studies.
Multiple studies have supported the model’s predictions about media bias.

Understanding Society, Politics & Media

Sociologists aim to understand social structures, development, stratification and communication flows.
Media operates in hierarchical societies.
Elites use media to communicate with masses & impact societal structures.

The Political Economy Approach

Focuses on issues of media ownership and control
Examines media's relationship with social and economic structures.
Considers how these systems influence media performance.

The Propaganda Model (Critiques & Responses)

Criticisms: Being deterministic, overly simplistic, conflating media effects with performance, neglecting journalistic professionalism. Its use of ‘genocide', disregard of the Langs' critique of methodological issues, etc.
Responses: PM's authors acknowledge limitations, defend sampling and usage of terms, suggest its usefulness as a starting point for further research, and argue that contemporary developments have strengthened the model's relevance.
Subsequent research provides further insights & theories that can be combined with PM, for more comprehensive analysis of media behaviour.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the Herman-Chomsky Propaganda Model, developed by Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky. Explore the critical-Marxist perspective on mass media behavior, the five filters influencing media content, and the debate between liberal-pluralist and critical-Marxist views. Challenge yourself with questions that reveal how media choices reflect dominant societal interests.