Tutorial Questions 2

1. What is media concentration and conglomeration? How are they similar or different to each other?

Media concentration is a process that makes lesser and lesser people have control over the media most likely to avoid complications as it is easier to make decisions with said media when there are fewer people to consult. Media conglomeration is the process of gathering as many media content / media shares by one single entity such as the Walt Disney Company. They are different in a sense where one is to gather as many forms of media as possible and another is to have more control over it by getting lesser people have power over a certain media.

2. What is the political impact, if any, of concentrated corporate ownership of news and other forms of media?

It may promote a form of bias especially when it comes to news. For example, if the corporate ownership of news is concentrated on a current governing party, the news will tend to avoid anything that is harmful towards the governing party's image and will probably use the opportunity to verbally attack any opposition party's whenever they can such as putting blame on certain matters. Furthermore, if any forms of media, such as entertainment, are found to be harmful to the image, it will most probably be blocked out.

3. What is the relationship between media ownership and diversity in media content? Compare and contrast this relationship in the news and popular music industries.

The more media content being owned, the wider the variety in media content. Take for example the Universal Music Group. As of 2005, they accounted for 25.5% of the market by selling more music than any other record label around. With such a big and powerful roster of artists such as the Black Eyed Peas and 50 Cent, their content is music is diversified, allowing for more choices and in return, higher sales as compared to other record labels. 

Tutorial Questions 1-6 Chapter 1

1. Explain how the influence of mass media extends beyond what we know to include how we relate to the social world.

I believe mass media affects individuals by selling a lifestyle by using various approaches to appeal to certain people. Whether it be consciously or subconsciously affected, it influences people by the way they behave, dress and act. For instance, if a person finds the hip hop culture being shown by the media, chances are, they will dress and act like them.

2. Fill in the elements of the "media and social world" model below and briefly explain how they relate to each other (refer to slide on blank version of Media Model).

3. How does the presence of media affect your life? How would it be different without mass media?

It gave a major impact in my life as it is actually the basis for most of my basic knowledge in the real world. I have managed to widen my vocabulary thanks to electronic entertainments like video games and cartoons. Not only that, I managed to learn ways to express myself and be able to look at things from different perspectives. It would definitely be much more dull and I may even be lacking certain things that make me my own self without mass media.

4. Overall, do you think the growing presence of mass media in our lives is a positive or negative development? Why?

I would say positive because i see that pros outweighs the cons. Some tasks, such as gathering information and research,  can be done easily thanks to the mass media. Also, the mass media increases the number of jobs available for people such as for the advertising department and keeps people up-to-date regarding certain matters easier.

5. How do you think the presence of television has changed family life? Do you think the spread of the internet will have similar effects? Why or why not?

Television has managed to increase family bonding time as it not only allows the family to spend time together watching television, it also allows them to have more topics to converse with the family members and also other people. The internet may not have similar effects as it is more of an individual activity unless a certain family has a media entertainment system embedded into their computers for use in a similar way to a television. Assuming the family does not, it may actually make the family members grow apart as communication here will be weaker.

6. What do you think is the most significant media development in your lifetime?

Definitely the internet. For such a simple concept, it had tons of potential and surely enough, a lot of things, such as the hypertext transfer protocol, was developed and allowed people from all over the world to be connected assuming they have internet. It not only allowed people to communicate with each other from far away places, it also allows people to share files with each other. And as the internet continues to develop, it will get faster, affordable and also will materialize in a way most of us have never thought to be possible.