Study Questions

  • Identify media content that fits into the ritual model of mass communication. Also identify content that fits the publicity model. What makes those models different? How is the audience participating in each model?
  • C. Wright Mills argues that the mass media determines what topics are covered and how much attention a specific topic receives. Do you agree with this theory? Explain your answer and provide examples. For example, are there contemporary news stories or films that receive too much attention, or ones that have been ignored?
  • How has social media impacted the role of the sender in the SMCR model? What limitations do senders and receivers face when communicating through social media channels?
  • Has social media and interactive media changed how we view the players in the mass communication process?
  • What are the major change(s) that the Internet has had on the world of mass communications? Why do these changes matter? What other changes are likely in the near future?