7/29/2019 Mass Media 97

1/3

Comprehension For '0 Level

Read the passage below and then answer all the questions which follow.

Mass Media

1. Another means of influencing public opinion is the radio. A considerable percentageof a country's population listen to the radio during their working hours, their leisure

time, while they are travelling and so on. Thus out of a population of about two

million in Jamaica, fully one million comprise the radio audience.

2. Associated with radio is television. This has only recently been introduced in some 5

countries, but already it is attracting a very wide viewing audience. By the power

of its appeal television tends to dominate the audience.

3. Both radio and television are very powerful agencies in influencing opinion. In the

case of radio a skilful speaker or a skilfully produced programme can hold the attention

of people with the use of the voice and by various devices or the sheer interest 10

of the programme. On television a speaker can employ gestures or facial expressions,

or introduce photos or films, to hold attention. Often the programme is so engross-ing that the viewer is almost incapable of tearing himself away.

4. Both radio and TV can be exact in revealing people - their insincerity lack of warmth,

poor ability at expression and inability to convince others. As a result people may 15

not be influenced in the way the programme was designed to exercise influence. Since

the radio listener or television viewer can always switch off the programme the

people responsible for presenting a programme must exercise great care to see that

it does hold audiences, that it is informative, that it is interesting and that it is more

or less what the audience wishes. These various qualities help to determine what 20

the radio and TV fare will be in the same way that the requirements for an exami-

nation determine to a great extent what the programme of studies will be.

5. Another medium for influencing public opinion is the motion picture. Many thousands

of people go to "pictures" in Jamaica and spend a fair amount of time viewing moving

films. While they are in the theatre they are noticing a number of things on the screen 25

such as people's dress, people's regard for laws, people's regard and respect for eachother, and people's appreciation of their society or their customs. Cinemagoers tend

to copy the manner, attitude and behaviour of the actors being projected onthe screen, not always realizing that it is an artificial and purely dramatized situation.

Thus movie theatres create a misleading idea of life in other places. We might think, 30

for instance, that America is a land of cowboys or that Jamaica is a land of calypso

singers and limbo dancers. If we are not careful we form a wrong opinion of society

in many countries. Motion pictures may thus distort the truth and can therefore be

harmful.6. Advertising is an important factor in influencing public opinion. It is also important 35

as a source of income for newspapers, and radio and television stations. Much of

the revenue gained by newspaper owners, for instance, comes from advertisements.

Companies and organizations buy newspaper space to advertise their goods or to

make public their announcements. People also buy time on commercial radio or

television programmes, or buy space to erect large posters that catch our eye on 40

buses, walls and buildings or by the roadside as we enter towns. The effect of

7/29/2019 Mass Media 97

2/3

advertisements, which are repeatedly seen or heard, can be very powerful, especially

on gullible people who believe anything they read and do not like reasoning for

themselves. ,

7. We have examined the more important sources of information, which influence our 45

citizens. These include public meetings, radio and television, newspapers, magazines,

movies, group discussion and advertising. The place of books has not been examined,but young citizens especially should be careful to weigh each book to determine the

accuracy of the material in the book, and to judge to what extent the author has

slanted his viewpoint. All sources of information, which influence the citizens, are 50

collectively referred to as mass media.

Section:1 Reading for Ideas

I. (a) Notes

Identify and write down how radio and television can have a positive and negative effect

on influencing people, as described in the passage.

USE ONLY THE MATERIAL FROM PARAGRAPH 2 TO PARAGRAPH 4

INCLUSIVE

At this stage, you need NOT use your own words. To help you get started the first

point in your column of notes is done for you. You will be awarded upto 15 marks for

content points.

Main Points

Positive Effects

1 People listen to the radio.

Negative Effects

1 Reveals insincerity of the people.

Summarise required information

(b) Summary

Now use your notes to write a summary, in which you explain the positive and

negative effects of mass media in influencing people.

This time, you will be awarded up to 5 marks for using your own words wherever

possible and for accurate use of language.

Your summary, which must be in continuous writing (not note form), should be around

160 words, including the 10 words given below. Begin your summary as follows:

Both radio and television can have a positive effect for....

7/29/2019 Mass Media 97

3/3