quiz 4 Flashcards
(20 cards)
What was the Fairness Doctrine?
A former FCC rule requiring broadcasters to present contrasting viewpoints on controversial issues; used by tobacco companies to prolong doubt.
What is a balance campaign in public relations?
A strategy that demands equal time for fringe or minority views to create the illusion of debate, often to delay regulation.
What is a statistical cause?
A probabilistic relationship shown through data, not a direct one-to-one cause; e.g., smoking statistically increases the risk of cancer.
What is the information deficit model?
A communication model that assumes people reject science because they lack facts; criticized for ignoring emotion, identity, and trust.
What does epistemology study?
The origin, nature, and justification of knowledge — how we know what we know.
What is the backfire effect?
A psychological phenomenon where people become more entrenched in their beliefs when presented with contradictory evidence.
What is technological determinism?
The idea that technology drives societal changes on its own, without human influence; e.g., ‘Google is making us stupid.’
What is the social construction of technology?
The belief that society shapes how technology is designed, used, and understood.
What is social shaping in technology?
A theory suggesting that technology and society influence each other in a continuous feedback loop.
What are technological affordances?
The actions that a technology enables or restricts; e.g., Instagram ‘likes’ shape user interaction.
What are reflective messages about technology?
Messages that mirror cultural values, beliefs, and fears; e.g., Black Mirror episodes reflect societal anxieties.
What are productive messages about technology?
Messages that shape how people understand and use technologies; e.g., sci-fi shaping ideas about the Metaverse.
What is a digital intermediary?
Any digital service that connects users to content, goods, or services; e.g., Google, Amazon Web Services, App Store.
What is a platform in digital media?
A type of digital intermediary that hosts user-generated content and interactions; e.g., YouTube, Instagram, Reddit.
What is Section 230?
A U.S. law that protects platforms from legal liability for user content while allowing them to moderate in good faith.
What is surveillance capitalism?
An economic system where companies monetize user data through behavioral tracking and predictive analytics.
What is epistemic inequality?
Unequal access to producing, understanding, or benefiting from credible knowledge.
What does subliminal mean?
Below the threshold of conscious awareness; not consciously perceived but assumed to influence behavior.
What was the Popcorn Test?
A fake 1950s experiment claiming subliminal messages boosted popcorn and Coke sales — later admitted to be fabricated.
What is motivation research in advertising?
A strategy using psychological insights to target consumers’ unconscious desires and emotions.
