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The questions which follow provide a basic knowledge test of selected concepts covered in this learning pathway: Mass media.

The questions published at the end of each learning pathway are re-used for the knowledge test for learners interested in earning a digital badge or certificate of participation for the Critical Media Literacies and Associated Digital Skills (LiDA104) micro-course. Please consult the Certify participation page for more information.

assessment

True - false questions

Indicate whether the following statements are true or false:

  • Social media not only convey news but also influence it through participation and engagement.
    • True
      • You’re right.
    • False
      • No. Have another look at the page on Social Media, Internet and Society.
  • ‘Internet activism’ is a protest movement aimed at protecting the freedom of the internet.
    • True
      • No. That is not the correct definition.
    • False
      • That’s right.
  • A ‘walled garden’ is an environment that controls the user’s access to Web content and services.
    • True
      • Yes. That is a good definition in the context of digital literacy.
    • False
      • No. Have another look at the page on Social Media, Internet and Society for some useful definitions.
  • ‘Fake news’ is a type of satire.
    • True
      • No. Fake news is deliberately created to confuse people about what has really happened, whereas satire is designed to entertain.
    • False
      • Yes.

assessment

Multiple choice questions

  • Which of the following media technologies was the quickest to reach 100 million users after its launch?
    • Telephone (landline)
      • No – that took 75 years.
    • World Wide Web
      • No, that took seven years.
    • Facebook
      • No, that took four years and six months.
    • Whatsapp
      • Yes, that took only three years and four months.
  • Which of the following is a correct list of the ‘five filters’ of mass media according to Chomsky and Herman’s “Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media”? (Select one.)
    • Media ownership, advertising money, media elite, flak, the common enemy
      • That’s right.
    • Censorship, state ownership, the military, security services, government
      • That’s not right – look again at the resources on the ‘Manufacturing consent’ page.
    • Education, democracy, equality, freedom, accessibility
      • That’s not right – look again at the resources on the ‘Manufacturing consent’ page.
    • Transparency, accountability, responsibility, honesty, respect
      • That’s not right – look again at the resources on the ‘Manufacturing consent’ page.
  • Which two of the following are citizen journalism sites? (Tick two.)
    • GlobalVoices
      • Well done.
    • Twitter
      • No – Twitter is a primarily a social media site, though it is used by some citizen journalists.
    • Wired
      • No – this is a technology magazine.
    • Wikinews
      • Yes, well done.
  • Which of the following are recommended methods to help a reader determine whether an item of news on the internet is fake or not? (Tick all that apply – there are 3 correct answers.)
    • Check whether the url for the website is genuine
      • That’s right. By looking carefully at the url and the design of the website you may be able to spot an attempt to mimic a legitimate site.
    • Run a google search to see how many times the same story is appearing across the internet
      • No, by itself this is not reliable, as a story can easily go viral without being verified.
    • Check the details of the story across several different reputable news sources
      • Correct – reading laterally across multiple reputable news sources is a strategy to verify the reliability of a news item
    • Check whether the ‘about’ page of the source website looks credible
      • Yes – that can be a useful guide to the reliability of the source.