COMM1307 Exam 1 Study Guide PDF

Chapter 1: Introduction ​ Models of Communication ○​ Lasswell's Model: Describes communication as "Who says what to whom in what channel with what effect." ○​ Shannon-Weaver Model: Consists of a sender, message, and receiver. ○​ Berlo's SMCR Model: Involve...

Chapter 1: Introduction ​ Models of Communication ○​ Lasswell's Model: Describes communication as "Who says what to whom in what channel with what effect." ○​ Shannon-Weaver Model: Consists of a sender, message, and receiver. ○​ Berlo's SMCR Model: Involves a sender, message, channel, and receiver with feedback added. Feedback is crucial because it allows for adjustments in communication, ensuring the message is understood as intended. ○​ Schramm’s Model: Includes a sender, message, receiver, feedback, and homophily, which is the overlap or common ground between the sender and receiver’s experiences. ​ Medium Receiving the Most Ad Revenue ○​ Television leads in advertising revenue, followed closely by digital platforms (e.g., social media, search engines). ​ Symbiotic Relationship with Media ○​ We depend on the media for information, entertainment, communal experiences, and education. Media, in turn, benefits from us by targeting audiences for advertising and content creation. ​ Types of Noise in Communication Channels ○​ Semantic Noise: Occurs when people do not share the same language, slang, or understanding of terms. ○​ Psychological Noise: Happens when emotional or mental states, like anxiety or stress, block effective communication. ○​ Physical Noise: Involves environmental distractions, such as background noise or physical barriers to communication. ​ Assumptions and Drawbacks in Models ○​ Communication models assume a linear process, but real-world communication can be more complex and non-linear. They may not account for all types of noise or the interactive, dynamic nature of communication. ​ Positive and Negative Aspects of Consuming Media ○​ Positive: Media provides access to information, entertainment, and helps in forming communal bonds. ○​ Negative: It can lead to misinformation, reinforce stereotypes, and contribute to mental health issues due to excessive consumption. ​ Connection Between News Media and Democracy ○​ The First Amendment ensures freedom of the press, which establishes the essential role of news media in a democratic society, as it provides citizens with information necessary for informed decision-making. ​ Marshall McLuhan’s Ideas About Media ○​ Global Village: McLuhan envisioned that media technology would create a global community, where people from around the world could instantly connect and share information.  ○​ Hot and Cool Media: McLuhan categorized media as "hot" (high definition, requiring little audience participation, like movies) and "cool" (low definition, requiring more audience interaction, like television). ​ Definitions ○​ Mass Communication: The use of technology to send messages to large audiences. ○​ Narrowcasting: Aimed at targeting specific, narrowly defined audiences. ○​ Niche Audience: A small, specialized group targeted by media or communication. ○​ Media Literacy: The ability to critically analyze and understand media messages. ○​ Selective Perception: The process by which people perceive information based on their own biases or preferences. ○​ Homophily: The degree of similarity or shared experiences between individuals in a communication process. ○​ Field of Experience: The shared background and experiences that influence how a message is received and understood. Outline for Chapter 2: Technology and the Internet 1.​ Origin and Creation of the Internet ○​ The U.S. Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) created the internet in 1969 for military defense purposes, ensuring communication could continue in the event of a nuclear attack. ○​ The development coincided with the Cold War (1947–1991) and the U.S.S.R. ○​ The World Wide Web (WWW) prototype was created in 1989, and Tim Berners-Lee wrote the specifications for a global hypermedia system in 1990, using HTTP, HTML, and URL. 2.​ Preferred Media Sources ○​ Most popular media: Facebook and Instagram (visited daily), followed by Pinterest and Twitter. ○​ Preferred media consumption includes the internet, television, and smartphone apps. 3.​ Differences Between Digital and Traditional/Analog Media ○​ Traditional/analog media includes Print, Chemical, and Electrical media. ​ Print: Printed books, magazines, newspapers. ​ Chemical: Film and photography requiring chemical processing. ​ Electrical: Television and radio that need electricity to function. ○​ Digital: Media accessed via computers or smartphones. 4.​ Telecommunications Act of 1996 ○​ First major legislation since the Communications Act of 1934. ○​ Designed to address changes caused by cable and the internet.  ○​ Communications Decency Act (CDA) aimed to restrict minors' access to explicit material but was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court for violating free speech rights. 5.​ Screen Time Recommendations for Children ○​ Infants to 15 months: No screen time. ○​ 15 months to 2 years: Co-viewing with an adult for no more than an hour a day. ○​ 2 to 5 years: Limited to one hour per day. 6.​ Impact of the Internet ○​ Power Shift: The internet has shifted power from media companies to individuals. Consumers now have the ability to create and distribute content, such as blogs, podcasts, and videos. ○​ Transformation: Changes in media include blogs replacing print, podcasts replacing radio, videos replacing television, and user-generated news replacing traditional journalism. 7.​ Time Spent with Media ○​ People spend about 50 hours per week with media, more than time spent working or sleeping. ○​ 80% of teens check their phones hourly. 8.​ Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) ○​ Enacted in 1998 to protect copyright owners in the digital world and prevent piracy. ○​ Makes it illegal to copy and distribute digital copyrighted works. 9.​ Most Used Media ○​ The two most used media are smartphone apps and the internet. 10.​Top Reasons to Consume Media ○​ The top two reasons people consume media are entertainment and information. 11.​Technological Breakthrough Comparable to the Gutenberg Printing Press ○​ The digital revolution, particularly the advent of the internet and social media, is comparable to the disruption caused by the invention of the Gutenberg printing press. 12.​Social Media Popularity ○​ The most popular social media platforms are Facebook and Instagram. 13.​Predicted Future Computer Activities (Video Segment) ○​ The future predictions for computer activities included widespread use of video conferencing and digital platforms for various forms of media consumption. 14.​Resolution in Television ○​ Standard television resolution: 480 lines. ○​ High-definition television (HDTV) resolution: 1080 lines. 15.​Definitions ○​ Cloud Computing: Storing data and programs online for later access, rather than on a local hard drive. ○​ Wikis: Collaborative websites like Wikipedia.  ○​ Cable Cutting: The practice of replacing traditional cable TV with online streaming services. ○​ Analog vs. Digital Media: Analog involves continuous signals (e.g., traditional radio), while digital involves discrete data (e.g., DVDs, streaming). ○​ Interactivity: Real-time interaction between humans and digital media, like video games or voting on shows. ○​ Mash-up: A combination or remix of multiple media sources. ○​ Social Media: Platforms for sharing content and interacting with others. ○​ Social Networking: Platforms for building and maintaining personal or professional relationships, like Facebook or LinkedIn. Chap. 3 Text (Books, Magazines, Newspapers) ​ Postal Act of 1879: Created a more economical way to mail magazines, increasing distribution and building a national identity. ​ Date of Gutenberg press invention: 1450s. ​ Characteristics of eras of press/newspapers: ○​ Penny Press: Changed the economic model from subscribers to advertisers; appealed to immigrants and factory workers. ○​ Yellow Journalism: Featured sensationalistic content to attract readers. ○​ Other Eras: Mercantile Press, Partisan Press, Specialty Press, and New Journalism. ​ Effects of viewing Sesame Street and knowledge gap: Viewing Sesame Street can help close the knowledge gap between children from different socioeconomic backgrounds, especially in terms of educational content. ​ Criticisms of chain ownership: ○​ Positive: Streamlines printing and distribution; content can be shared across newspapers. ○​ Negative: Leads to poorer quality journalism, fewer experienced reporters, and lack of financial support for struggling newspapers. ​ First mass medium: Books. ​ How Benjamin Day changed the economic model of newspapers: He flipped the model from a subscription-based system to an advertising-supported model. ​ More contemporary model of newspapers: Advertising revenue is still the primary source of income, but newspapers also face challenges from digital platforms. ​ Media that threatened newspapers: Television and Internet. ​ How freedom of the press is guaranteed: Protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which ensures the right to publish without interference from the government, though this freedom is not absolute. ​ Elite/popular/specialist theory of media development: ○​ Elite: New media is first used by the wealthy and educated. ○​ Popular: The media becomes widely used by the masses.  ○​ Specialized: The media breaks into specialized segments catering to diverse interests. ​ Top ten magazines based on ad revenue and circulation: Includes titles like AARP The Magazine and People. ​ How magazines are funded: Primarily funded through advertising revenue, but also subscriptions, membership fees, and direct sales. ​ How book authors are paid: Authors receive royalties, typically around 10% of sales, with a range of 8-15%. However, 75% of individual book titles fail to break even. ​ Future predicted for book publishing: The industry is shifting more toward digital formats, with e-books and audiobooks becoming more popular, while physical books continue to have a dedicated market. ​ Origin of Kindle's name: The name "Kindle" was chosen to represent igniting a love of reading. ​ Percentage of book industry controlled by Amazon: Amazon controls around 35% of the book industry. ​ Categories of books: ○​ Trade Books: For the general public, including fiction and nonfiction. ○​ Educational Books: Textbooks for schools and colleges. ○​ Reference Books: Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and similar works. ○​ Professional Books: Specialized books for professions like law, medicine, or engineering. ​ Impact of Gutenberg printing press: The printing press revolutionized information exchange, enabling the rise of science, participation in government and religion, and the creation of maps and a postal system. ​ Five publishers who control parts of the publishing industry not owned by Amazon: ○​ Penguin Random House ○​ HarperCollins ○​ Macmillan ○​ Hachette ○​ Simon & Schuster. ​ Percentage of book sales that are e-books: 35% of adult book sales are e-books. ​ Percentage of published books that don't break even: 75% of published books do not break even. ​ Percentage of students who prefer hard copy books: 92% of university students prefer hard copies for better concentration. Definitions: ​ Paywall: A system that restricts access to content without a subscription. ​ Difference between analog and digital media: Analog media refers to traditional formats (print, recordings, etc.), while digital media is in binary format (1s and 0s). ​ Newspaper chain: A company that owns multiple newspapers. ​ Concentration of control: The concentration of media ownership, where fewer companies control more outlets.  ​ Cross-ownership: Owning multiple types of media (e.g., television, radio, newspapers). ​ Vertical integration: Owning all aspects of media production, from creation to distribution. ​ The four categories of magazines: General Interest, Trade, Public Relations, and Academic Journals. ​ House style: The distinctive look and feel of a magazine, including the cover, font, and layout. ​ Digitization: The conversion of analog content to digital format. ​ Analog media: Traditional, non-digital media forms like print and physical recordings. ​ Blockbuster: A highly popular and profitable book, similar to a successful movie. Chapter 4: Visuals (Television and Film) ​ How many households have a television set?​ 96% of U.S. households have a TV set. This percentage has declined from 98% in the late 1990s. ​ Is the number of TV households growing?​ The percentage is down, indicating a decrease in TV ownership. ​ How many households have SVOD?​ 50% of U.S. homes have Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, or Amazon Prime. ​ How many hours do people spend with media, and how much of that is multitasking?​ Adults spend more than 12 hours/day with media, including multitasking, where they use more than one medium at a time. ​ How much time do people spend watching television per day?​ People over the age of 50 watch the most television. ​ What does the Corporation for Public Broadcasting do, and how is it funded?​ The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) funds public television, radio, and online programming. 70% of its budget is provided by the federal government. ​ Why was PBS created, and how is it funded?​ PBS was created to provide noncommercial, high-quality content for underserved audiences, especially minorities and children. It is funded through the CPB, local donations, foundations, and underwriting. ​ History of the relationship between the film industry and television, and the current state of it:​ The film industry initially reacted negatively to television's rise, fearing competition. Over time, film studios and television networks merged or shared resources, ending earlier hostility. Today, competition between traditional media and OTT services like Netflix dominates. ​ How did the film industry react when television became popular?​ The film industry initially tried to restrict access to its films but eventually adapted, sharing production studios and resources with TV networks.  ​ What was the ruling in the U.S. v. Paramount case?​ The Department of Justice forced Paramount Studios and six others to break up their vertical integration, which significantly changed how studios made films and profited. ​ Who were the Hollywood 10, and why were they jailed?​ The Hollywood 10 were screenwriters and directors who refused to testify about potential communist influences in Hollywood. They were jailed for one year for contempt of Congress and fined $1,000. ​ What did the Hays Code do, and why was it created?​ The Hays Code created moral guidelines for film content to avoid government censorship. It lasted from the 1930s through the 1960s. ​ Who was the head of the MPAA when the film rating system was adopted?​ Jack Valenti was the MPAA president when the film rating system was introduced in 1968, which included ratings like G, PG, R, and NC-17. ​ What does it mean if a program is syndicated?​ Syndication refers to licensing broadcast rights, where a show is sold to multiple networks or markets. A show can be in first-run syndication (new episodes) or off-network syndication (reruns after it’s been aired on a network). ​ What are the advantages of digital film?​ Digital film is more cost-effective, as it doesn’t require chemical processing, and it allows for faster shooting, editing, and visual effects creation. ​ Why was the adoption of the color television system contentious?​ The adoption of color TV was contentious because of compatibility issues. David Sarnoff’s NBC color system was eventually chosen because it worked with existing black-and-white sets, whereas CBS’s system was incompatible. ​ How many lines of resolution are there in a standard television and a high-definition television?​ A standard television has 525 lines of resolution, while high-definition televisions have resolutions ranging from 720p to 1080i. ​ What caused the audience decline of the Big 3 networks in the 1980s?​ The rise of cable television and satellite TV contributed to the decline in audience share for ABC, CBS, and NBC. ​ How does satellite television work?​ Satellite TV involves content being beamed from Earth to a geostationary satellite, which then sends the content back to a distribution center for decoding by subscribers. ​ In what year did film ticket sales peak?​ Film ticket sales peaked in 1948. ​ What age group watches the most television?​ People over the age of 50 watch the most television. Definitions: ​ Legacy of fear: The fear that new technologies, especially media technologies, may negatively impact society, particularly children. ​ Smart television: A hybrid television set that can connect to the internet and stream content. ​ Syndication: The licensing of broadcast rights for a program, either for reruns or first-run broadcasts. ​ Geo-stationary orbit: The orbit where a satellite remains fixed in position relative to the Earth, following the Earth’s rotation. ​ Persistence of vision: The phenomenon that creates the illusion of continuous motion in films, due to the human eye retaining an image for a fraction of a second. ​ Vertical integration: When a company owns all stages of production and distribution, such as in the case of early radio and TV networks. ​ Blockbuster: A highly successful and popular film, often with significant commercial revenue. ​ Underwriting: Financial support for public television, where businesses or organizations donate funds in exchange for limited acknowledgment, avoiding traditional advertising.