Name and briefly explain three of the legal limitations on free speech.
Copyright Infringement: Appropriating a writer's or an artist's words or music without consent or payment is a form of expression that is not protected as speech. A copy legally protects the rights of authors and producers to their published or unpublished writing, music, lyrics, TV programs, movies, or graphic art designs.

Libel: Libel refers to defamation of character in written or broadcast form. Libel is generally defined as a false statement that holds a person up to public ridicule, contempt, or hatred or injures a person's business or occupation. Obscenity does not constitute a legitimate form of expression protected by the First Amendment. Legal definition: 1) Average person finds the material appeals to prurient interests 2) Depicts/describes sexual conduct in offensive way 3) lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

Are there other kinds of censorship besides censorship by the government? Explain and give two examples.
The movie industry formed the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America to smooth out problems between the public and the industry.

Following the Great Depression, the industry needed to tighten self-regulation to maintain profits and keep public pressure at bay. In 1930 the organization established the Motion Picture Production Code, whose overseers were charged with officially stamping Hollywood films with a moral seal of approval. This code was adopted by 95 percent of the industry and influence every commercial movie made between the mid-19302 and the early 1950s. MPAA movie ratings self-regulate content to viewers on a PG ? NC-17 level, as opposed to government regulations.

What is net neutrality and why do supporters say it's important? Give two examples.
the principle that every Web site and every user-whether a multinational corporation or you-has the right to the same Internet network speed and access.

An internet without net neutrality would hurt small businesses, nonprofits, and internet innovators, who might be stuck in the "slow lane" and not be able to afford the fastest connections that large corporations can afford. Large internet corporations like Google, Yahoo!, Amazon, eBay, Microsoft, Skype, and Facebook also support net neutrality because their businesses depend on their millions of customers having equal access to the Web.

How does a cultural studies approach to media research differ from an experimental, scientific approach?
Cultural studies research has focused on how people make meaning, understand reality, and order experience by using cultural symbols that appear in the media. Cultural studies attempts to make everyday culture the centerpiece of media studies.

Most research today employs the scientific method. The scientific method relies on objectivity, reliability, and validity. Experiments are carried out to prove or disprove a hypothesis

Name (and briefly explain) two major study conclusions used to discount the magic bullet, or hypodermic-needle, theory.
Minimal-Effects Model: Media alone cannot cause people to change their attitudes and behaviours. Researchers argue that people generally engage in selective exposure and selective retention.

People expose themselves to the media messages that are most familiar to them, and they retain the messages that confirm the values and attitudes they already hold. In most cases, mass media reinforce existing behaviours and attitudes rather than change them. The Uses and Gratifications Model: The uses and gratifications model was proposed to contest the notion of a passive media audience. Under this model, researchers studied the ways in which people used the media to satisfy various emotional or intellectual needs. Asking the why question enabled media researchers to develop inventories cataloguing how people employed the media to fulfill their needs.

Explain the process of social learning theory as it relates to media violence and aggression. Conversely, provide an example that suggests there isn't a social learning link between media violence and aggression.
Social learning theory suggests that individuals learn from direct experience and from behavior modelled by others, which can occur via the media. Many studies conclude that there is no link between media content and aggression.

For example, millions of people have watched episodes of CSI and The Sopranos without subsequently exhibiting aggressive behaviour. Critics point out that the social learning theory simply make media the scapegoat for larger social problems relating to violence.

Name one argument for and one argument against the spread of global media.
Using at least two examples from lecture, explain why "who tells the stories" matters.

How does the modern concept of hegemony apply to the current media landscape? Give an example and explain in detail.
Hegemony is the acceptance of the dominant values in a culture by those who are subordinate to those who hold economic and political power. Edward Bernay convince consumers and citizens that their interests were the "natural" or normal way things worked. Convince consumers that their products are common sense.
Describe the difference between demographics and VALS. Give one example of each.

Demographics data makes it possible to locate consumers in particular geographic regions. This is used by advertisers and product companies to target specific communities. VALS uses questionnaires to measure psychological factors and divide consumers into types. This helps advertisers vary their sales slants to find market niches.

What is "earned media," and why is it valuable to online advertisers? Give one example.
Earned media is publicity gained through promotional efforts other than advertising (free media). It is valuable to online advertisers because it is the most cost effective way of marketing. An example would be social media, where companies can make accounts and interact with millions of consumers free of charge.

Briefly describe the three main pay models used by the electronic game industry. Give an example for each.
Boxed game/retail: company sets a one-time payment for the game, then full access is available to players. Halo microtransactions: game is free, but to advance, player must pay for in-game perks/items.

Farmville. pay-to-play/monthly subscription: company sets a monthly fee/recurring fee to play the game. World of Warcraft.

How do video games offer opportunities for advertisers? Give at least two examples.
Advergames are video games created for purely promotional purposes (like an infomercial). Chester Cheetah starred in video games for promotion of the Cheetos brand.

In-game advertisements are more subtle in comparison, and often included as billboards, logos, etc. In NBA 2k series the halftime shows are sponsored by Sprite.

Describe the linear model of mass communication and give at least one critique of the model.
The sender is the message creator, such as the writer of a newspaper article.

The sender encodes the message by writing it as an article and then sends it to a specialized channel, such as a printed newspaper. A gatekeeper filters the message (editor). The receiver collects the message by reading the newspaper and decoding, or interpreting, the message. Noise includes distractions that interfere with the message being transferred and received, such as music playing so loudly that the receiver cannot concentrate on the newspaper article.

The linear model describes communication as a one-way process. It doesn't allow for feedback, which is the receiver's response to the message. The linear model doesn't apply to a conversation, because a conversation involves an exchange of messages between sender and receiver. Each participant provides verbal and nonverbal feedback to the other person as the conversation continues.

Using a specific example, explain the four stages in the development of a new mass medium.

emergence/novelty: radio emerged to solve the issue of transmitting messages from ship to shore. entrepreneurial stage: early radios days found a practical and marketable use by relaying messages where telegraph wires could not go. mass medium: radio was marketed as a consumer device by commercial entrepreneurs who used the medium to reach millions. convergence: newer technology made radio adapt - streamable online, HD radio, etc.