MIDTERM EXAM
Answer THREE questions. You MUST answer questions #1 and #2. Then answer one from among the remaining questions.
Questions 1 & 2 are 35 points each. The choice question is 30 points.
Please answer these questions in essay form. Take your time, organize your thoughts, outline, revise. Answer all parts of each question. Proofread your answers for typos, grammar, and syntax.
Answers for each separate question should be approximately 2 – 3 pages in length, 12 pt font.
It is fine to quote sources from the Internet and elsewhere, but PLEASE, cite your sources. Do not present material as if it is your own. That is PLAGIARISM.
Be sure to follow any quotes or citations with your own explanation, in your own words, of what the quote means. Plagiarism, of course, is not acceptable, and will result in a ‘0’ for that question. Please review page 3, Use of Generative AI, for clarification about this resource.
When finished, submit your Exam as ONE Word document containing all three answers to the TurnItIn Drop Box in the Moodle Midterm Module.
TurnItIn does NOT accept .pages or jpeg files. Please use Word or PDF. EVERYONE must answer both Question 1 & Question 2. (35 pts each)
1. Start by clearly defining the terms ‘engineering opinion’ and ‘manufacturing consent’ as used in Media Control by Noam Chomsky. Then apply them to a major social, cultural, or political issue currently in the national spotlight.
– You may pick your own example, or use as possible sources of examples the handouts (in
the PR module) “Toxic Sludge Is Good for You,” “The audacious PR plot that seeded doubt about climate change,” one of the article links in the Manufacturing Consent module, or the movies “Hot Coffee” or “Free Speech for Sale” (Part 1).
– Be sure to define and include in your comments the use of PR astroturfing in creating ‘fake news’ stories to manipulate public opinion.
– Again, be sure to cite specific sources!
2. Take another look at the Magritte painting, “This is Not a Pipe” (located in Module 3 Lecture). Relate it to the notion that “the map is not the territory.” (Don’t be distracted by the origin of this quote, just apply it literally to the painting.)
a. Use this image to explain in detail (with current examples) the relationship between news coverage and reality. (Special credit for showing a connection to the concept of Manufacturing Consent.)
b. Using specific examples, explain how the choice of news stories and how theyare covered (or ignored) relates to the idea that news “sets the agenda” (provides a ‘picture’) for public discussion/discourse. Whose agenda is it? (As Neil Postman says in How to Watch TV News, “The news does not tell us what to think, but rather tells us… what to think about.”) Use How to Watch TV News and relevant videos, and readings. Give specific examples!
c. How has the online world of news reporting changed this agenda-setting role (or has it)?
Answer ONE from among the following questions. (30 pts)
3. Find a Freedom of the Press law case in which the First Amendment protected the expression of an unpopular view or act. (The FreedomForum.org website is a good place to look, but you are not limited to this one resource.) Briefly describe the case and the reasons for the ruling, then discuss the case. In your own opinion, positive or negative, discuss the case as to the validity of the ruling.
4. Respond to the movie, “The Ad & the Ego,” (the first Resource in Module 3) by answering the following questions.
a. What do the filmmakers mean when they say advertising is a “a form of education,” and “a tool of socialization?” (Important: they do not mean that we learn about products through advertising! Make sure you understand “socialization.”)
b. What do the filmmakers mean when they say, “Advertising is the Dream Life of a Culture?” Relate this to Pavlov’s association experiment.
c. What are the ecological consequences of advertising and the consumer culture? (Define “ecology” first).
Note: The title “The Ad and the Ego” is a play on the “Id” and the “Ego.” Remember
that the “Id” is a psychological term Freud used to describe our unconscious desires. The “Ego” is our conscious self. Mention is also made of Pavlov’s famous psychology experiment, in which he taught dogs to salivate on command by ringing a bell when he fed them. After a while, just ringing the bell caused the dogs to salivate, even with no food present. The ringing and food had become associated in the dogs’ minds.
(Remember to cite specific examples/references from the film!)
5. a) Describe the circumstances surrounding the John Peter Zenger decision in 1733.Why was this decision so important for the American media today – what precedent did it set?
b) Using specific examples, explain why the First Amendment rights of free speech, freedom of the press, and freedom to assemble and demonstrate are all important for the functioning and continuation of a democracy, but yet a threat to that very democracy.
c) On the other hand, should the First Amendment protect all speech on social platforms? Where should the line be drawn? Who should draw that line?
Remember to support your observations and insights with specific examples!
