Course: Introduction to Media and Society

Section II Conceptual /application Based Questions (Answer Key)

1. Why media is called the fourth estate? Name the other three estates. Give a relevant
example to justify your answer.

In France, people were divided into three estates, so media was considered as fourth estate.
First Estate: High-ranking members of the Church
Second Estate: Nobility
Third Estate :Everyone else Unprivileged class

Any example should work: like India media as the fourth piller of democracy, legislative,
judiciary and e

2. Do you think in the present times, were the docile consumers of mass media
consumption? Discuss.

Ans: YES
According to Adorno and Horkheimer, that popular culture is similar to a factory producing
certain standardized goods. Through mass media like radio, television and newspapers often
the mass is manipulated to passivity. Consumption of popular culture is occurring through
mass media thus making the mass docile.

3. Mukesh Ambanis media acquisitions are a concern and are affecting the Indian
media discourses. One of the largest acquisitions is acquiring Network 18, which
owns TV channels like CNBC 18, CNN-IBN, CNN Awaz, etc). If the statement
need to be belived!
a. Do you think we can say mass media is in the hand of capitalism and
journalism is integrating with business and politics?
b. If so, does it create a political and economic consciousness in India?
Ans:

a. Yes, journalism is integrating with business and politics.

b. Mass media owned by the capitalists creates a kind of political and economic
consciousness which makes the media houses the political lobbyists at the national,
regional and even global levels. As media is owned by a capitalist, often the content
and the agenda are set by the corporate houses as opposed to the requirements of
journalism disseminating the news and creating opinions which would be
instrumental for a healthy democracy.

4. From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs. Louis
Blanc. Indian economy has carefully taken the attributes of a capitalist model and a
socialist one. How will you contextualize Louis Blancs quotes with the present
development of the country?
Ans: Though Indians present economic model based on the idea of capitalism, however because
of the basic constitutional nature and rules India is a socialist country. So this is also become the
responsibility of the country to think about mainstreaming the under privileged sections of the
society through different govt. plans and policies like NREGS, JANdhan, free education, free health
etc. However, the absolute idea of L. Blanc is impossible to bring in the context of present
economic model of the country.
5. Various studies indicate that even though modern IT workforce is high on
alienation it fails to bring any kind of class consciousness. Justify why?
Ans: No relation to means of production own capital - IT process separates workforce from
ownership (dis-association): individualistic approach, absence of unions & no sphere of community
manifestation or shared values
6. During the middle ages (500 AD 1500 AD) in Europe, people were living in manors.
Explain the socio-economic-political significance of manors?
Ans: The manorial system is the economic, political and social system in which peasants in the
Middle Ages economy depended on both their land and that of their masters to derive a living. The
basic element of the manorial system was:
the manor which was a self-efficient estate controlled by the lord.

The lord enjoyed the land rights and the right to control the peasants through serfdom.
The lord maintained authority over both the workers in the land and the land itself to ensure
that civil order was maintained.
This system gave in to the structure of feudalism in which kings would give local lords gifts
of land in exchange for loyalty and maintenance of local civil order.
The most common job in the medieval economy was that of a peasant farmer who worked
in the manors of their lords.
Each manor was made up of a number of acres in which the peasant farmers would work in
to produce food for their villages and lords.
7. With the influence of the development of communication technology, voters
turnout has declined. At the same time, distrust on government has grown? Explain
briefly.
Ans: Development of communication technology empowers people to understand the nature of the
political process. In the context of India in late twentieth and early twenty first century with
increasing media literacy, the trust for the governmental process has decreased to a greater extent.
The hopelessness of mass on the political system and increasing information about the mal-practices
through different communication technologies fueled this for the increasing distrust among the
citizens.
8. While comparing two English daily newspapers The Times of India and The
Indian Express, you found significant changes in the content and in the presentation
of the news. How do you describe the differences keeping in mind the points i.
ownership of media, ii. Role of advertisements
Ans: Ownership-

Type of ownership and agenda for owning the media houses to influence the mass and
political system of policy making
 Political ownership- leads to influence the citizens
Corporate ownership- to influence the political system and governance for the corporate
benefits
Advertisement-

Newspapers revenue model based on the interest of the advertisers and news solves the need
of advertises
News filtered by the advertisers
News created to meet the need of the advertisers
9. Elaborate McLuhans tetrad analysis (enhances, reverses, retrieves and obsolesces)
in context of cell phones to interpret the message of the medium.
Tetrad analysis of cell phone
Enhance - inter communication/accessibility/response time
Obsolete phone booths, privacy & anonymity/ isolate and the home
Retrieve Tribal culture/acoustic space/cameras
Reverses- letters/sender is sent.

10. Explain how trade practices facilitated era of manuscript and elaborate the key
changes that happened in the economy.
Ans: Accessibility/Printing era/ mass literacy/ account of things & documentation.
- Economic growth backed by political ethics.
- Develop of institutions to support process
- Structured economy
11. There have been five fundamental shifts in the way human make their living. Briefly
explain significance of these five revolutions.
Ans: Behavior Revolution (40,000 BC ) , Agriculture Revolution (10,000 BC)
Capitalist Revolution (AD 1200) , Industrial Revolution (AD1760), information Revolution
(1940)
12. Does it imply that the evolution of Penny press during the Industrial revolution was
for the working class people? How does the concept of a penny press help the mass?
Ans: During the time of Industrial revolution, the paper became cheaper which made newspaper
cheaper too. Now, paper was made from wood pulp and this technological innovation developed
Penny press. It opened the newspaper market to people of all classes, not just the political elite who
patronized the political newspapers of the time. Also, through industrial revolution there was an
increase in literacy through penny press. It expanded to the cities too to create a new audience.
13. Why do social practices get ritualized? Explain the medium attribute that ritualizes
the social practices in light of Push theory of Media effects for Speech with a suitable
example.
Ans: Low Persistence (medium attribute)
- Curiosity about past impeded by network substitutive-ness leading to ritualized, social practices &
externalism cultural values.
 14. Explain briefly the idea of Culture Industry.
Ans: Concept given by Adorno & Horkheimer,
Media creates the truth & justify the same and in the process a culture is being created
which is promoted by medium product of capitalism
Your need defined by media based on need of others leading to Mass deception.
Creation of popular culture; like factory produce goods media creates popular culture.
15. How do you juxtapose the condition of private Indian media houses with contrast to
Doordarshan/PrasarBharati in the context of capitalism vs. socialism and its
significance on todays Indian Economy?
Ans: While Doordarshan / Prasar Bharati is state owned, whereas most of the private Indian media
houses are owned by the corporate houses. Mostly, one of the salient attributes of the state owned
media houses would be the no. of advertisements. In private there would be many as compared to
state owned. Moreover, as DD / Prasar Bharati is state owned so it will mostly have an egalitarian
attitude of giving importance to the news coverage, whereas the news coverage and presentation or
dissemination in private media houses lies in the vested interest of the corporate.
These different approaches leave a significant influence in the Indian economy. As India is an
agrarian country, it has been seen the state owned media gives much importance to a agriculture and
farming related developments or news as compared to private media.

References
Crichton, D., Christel, B., Shidham, A., Valderrama, A., & Karmel, J. (n.d.). Journalism in Digital Age.
Retrieved August 14, 2015, from Stanford University:
http://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs201/projects/2010-
11/Journalism/index7f0d.html?page_id=16

Gill, K. (n.d.). fourth_estate: about news. Retrieved August 14, 2015, from about news:
http://uspolitics.about.com/od/politicaljunkies/a/fourth_estate.htm

Newman, S. (n. Economy in the middle ages. Retrieved August 15, 2015, from The Finer Times:
http://www.thefinertimes.com/Middle-Ages/economy-in-the-middle-ages.html