UGC NET/JRF EXAM, Mass Communication and Journalism, September-2024

Total Questions: 100

1. Who coined the term pragmatics?

Correct Answer: 3. Charles S. Peirce
Solution:Charles Sanders Peirce, an American philosopher, logician, and semiotician, is credited with coining the term pragmatics. He introduced this concept as part of his broader theory of signs, or semiotics, which also included syntax and semantics.

Pragmatics, in this context, refers to the study of how context contributes to meaning. Peirce laid the foundation for what would later be developed into pragmatism,

a philosophical movement emphasizing practical consequences and real effects as critical components of meaning and truth. His work influenced later scholars like Charles Morris, who formalized the division ofsemiotics into syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.

2. Who coined the term 'Cognitive dissonance"?

Correct Answer: 4. Leon Festinger
Solution:Leon Festinger, a renowned American social psychologist, coined the term Cognitive Dissonance in 1957.

He introduced this concept in his book "A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance" where he described it as the mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time. Key points:

  • Cognitive dissonance often leads individual to change their attitudes, beliefs, or action to reduce the inconsistency.
  • The theory was empirically tested through experiments such as the classic "boring task experiment" where participants were paid either $1 or $20 to lie about how interesting a task was, and those paid $1 showed greater attitude change - supporting the theory.

3. Who invented the phonograph?

Correct Answer: 2. Thomas Edison
Solution:Thomas Alva Edison invented the phonograph in 1877. It was the first device capable of both recording and reproducing sound. Important details:

• The device worked by etching sound vibrations into a tinfoil-covered cylinder using a stylus.
• The invention was a breakthrough in sound technology and laid the groundwork for future audio devices like the gramophone and modern record players.
• Edison demonstrated the phonograph by recording and playing back the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb”.

4. Who invented the telegraph?

Correct Answer: 1. Samuel Morse
Solution:Samuel Morse, an American inventor and painter, developed the telegraph in the 1830s and successfully demonstrated it in 1844. Specific highlights:

• He also co-developed Morse Code, a system of dots and dashes used to communicate via telegraph lines.
• The first long-distance message sent using Morse’s telegraph was “What hath God wrought” from Washington, D.C. to Baltimore.
• This invention revolutionized long-distance communication, especially during the 19th century, by enabling near-instantaneous transmission of messages.

5. The Hutchins Commission on freedom of the press was established in the year 1942 and released its report in which year?

Correct Answer: 4. 1947
Solution:The Hutchins Commission on Freedom of the Press was formed in 1942 by Henry Luce, founder of Time magazine. It released its final report in 1947. Key aspects:

• Officially titled “A Free and Responsible Press”, the report emphasized the press’s responsibility to serve the public good.
• The commission consisted of 13 prominent intellectuals led by University of Chicago president Robert M. Hutchins.
• The report concluded that press freedom is not just a right but a responsibility, and it must operate with social responsibility, especially in a democratic society.
• It proposed five standards for a responsible press, including providing a truthful, comprehensive, and intelligent account of the day’s events.

6. Cultivation analysis was developed by whom?

Correct Answer: 2. George Gerbner
Solution:George Gerbner, a Hungarian-American communication theorist, developed the concept of Cultivation Analysis in the 1960s.

• He introduced this theory as part of the Cultural Indicators Project, which studied the long-term effects of television.
• Cultivation analysis explores how prolonged exposure to media content, especially television, can shape viewers’ perceptions of reality.
• One of his key findings was the “mean world syndrome”, where heavy TV viewers tend to perceive the world as more dangerous and violent than it actually is.
• The theory is crucial in understanding media’s role in reinforcing stereotypes, shaping ideologies, and constructing social reality.

7. The transfer of mass media agendas to public agendas is called_____.

Correct Answer: 1. Salience transfer
Solution:The process of transferring the agenda or emphasis of mass media to public perception is known as Salience Transfer.

• This concept is a central part of Agenda-Setting Theory, developed by Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw in 1972.
• It explains how issues that are prominently covered in the media become the issues the public thinks are most important.
• Salience transfer involves two levels:

  1. First-level agenda-setting: Media tells us what to think about.
  2. Second-level agenda-setting: Media tells us how to think about it.
    • For example, during elections, the more media covers unemployment, the more the public considers it a critical issue.

8. Who published the weekly newspaper 'Hindi Kesari' from Nagpur?

Correct Answer: 1. Madhav Rao Sapre
Solution:Madhav Rao Sapre, a prominent Hindi journalist and freedom fighter, published the weekly newspaper Hindi Kesari from Nagpur.

• He is considered one of the pioneers of Hindi journalism in Central India.
• The newspaper played a key role in promoting Indian nationalism and the Hindi language during the freedom movement.
• Madhav Rao Sapre also edited other periodicals such as Chhattisgarh Mitra and Lokmat.
• Through Hindi Kesari, he aimed to educate the masses and awaken political consciousness among Indians under British colonial rule.

9. Press Trust of India (PTI) was incorporated in the year:

Correct Answer: 3. 1947
Solution:Press Trust of India (PTI), India’s largest news agency, was officially incorporated in the year 1947.

• It was formed as a successor to the Associated Press of India (API), which was under British control.
• PTI started functioning on February 1, 1949, after taking over the operations of API.
• It was established as a non-profit cooperative among Indian newspapers to ensure autonomous and reliable news dissemination.
• Today, PTI serves more than 500 newspapers in India and provides news in both English and Hindi.

10. Who recognized as the first woman Photojournalist of India?

Correct Answer: 4. Homai Vyarawalla
Solution:Homai Vyarawalla is recognized as India’s first woman photo-journalist.

• Born in 1913, she began her career in the 1930s and became widely known by her pseudonym “Dalda 13”.
• She worked for the British Information Services during World War II and later captured historic moments of India’s independence movement.
• Her iconic photographs include images of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Lord Mountbatten, and other national leaders.
• In 2011, she was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award, for her contribution to photography and journalism.