understanding media question answers

                 Understanding Media
Q1 What is media?
Ans  Everything ranging from the stall at the local fair to the programme that you see on TV can be called media. Media is the plural form of the word ‘medium’ and it describes the various ways through which we communicate in society.
 Q2 What are mass media? 
Ans The forms of media that reaches millions of people, or the masses, across the country and the world and, thus, they are called mass media.
Q3 Give any 2 examples of electronic media. 
Ans Television, Radio
Q4 Give any 2 examples of print media. 
Ans Newspaper, Magazine
 Q5 How does the changing technology affect media? 

1.  Changing technology, or machines, making technology more modern, helps media to reach more people. 
2. It also improves the quality of sound and the images that we see.

Q6 Why are most of the television channels and the newspapers a part of big business houses?

1.  The different technologies that mass media use are expensive like in a TV studio in which the newsreader sits has lights, cameras, sound recorders, transmission satellites, etc., all of which cost a lot of money. 
2.  The technologies that mass media use keep changing and so a lot of money is spent on getting the latest technology. 
3. Due to these costs, the mass media needs a great deal of money with big business houses.

Q7 How has the television technology changed our world? 

1.  Television has enabled us to think of ourselves as members of a larger global world. 
2. Television images travel huge distances through satellites and cables. 
3. This allows us to view news and entertainment channels from other parts of the world.Television has brought the world closer to us.

Q8 What are the different sources through which the media makes money?

1.  One way in which the mass media earns money is by advertising different things like cars, chocolates, clothes, mobile phones, etc. 
2. The second way by which media makes money is by becoming a part of big business houses.

Q9 Why do media focus on particular aspect of a story? 
Ans The media tends to focus on a particular aspect of a story because they believe this makes the story interesting. Also, if they want to increase public support for an issue, they often do this by focusing on one side of a story.
Q10 What role do the media play in a democracy? 

1. In a democracy, the media plays a very important role in providing news and discussing events taking place in the country and the world. 
2. On the basis of this information, citizens can be learn how government works. 
3. And if they wish to, they can take action on the basis of these news stories.

Q11 In what ways can the people interfere in the working of the government? 
Some of the ways in which people can interfere in the working of the government is by writing letters to the concerned minister, organising a public protest, starting a signature campaign asking the government to rethink its programme, etc.
Q12 What is a balanced report? 
Ans A balanced report is one that discusses all points of view of a particular story and then leaves it to the readers to make up their minds. 
Q13 What is independent media? 
1.  An independent media means that no one should control and influence its coverage of news. 
2. No one should tell the media what can be included and what should not be included in a news story. 
3. An independent media is important in a democracy as it is on the basis of this information that the media provides that the citizens take action and create opinions. 
Q 14. Can you give this diagram a title? What do you understand about the link between media and big business from this diagram?

Answer 2: The title to this diagram is ‘The money cycle in businesses

This diagram shows that the money that the big business houses spend on advertising their products on media flows back to them. This happen by way of the purchases made by the people after watching/reading/hearing the advertisements of the products on TV /newspapers/radio. This cycle is a continuous process.

Q 15. You have read about the ways in which the media ‘sets the agenda’. What kind of effect does this have in a democracy? Provide two examples to support your point of view.