COMM 121 – University of Massachusetts
Amherst (UMass Amherst) – 2026 – Midterm 1
Practice Questions with Correct Answers
Introduction
This document contains practice questions and correct
answers for COMM 121 Midterm 1 at the University of
Massachusetts Amherst. It covers key concepts including mass
media, media technologies, democracy, media economics,
social media, technological determinism, the history of the
Internet, convergence, media industries, and communication
theory. The material is organized in a question-and-answer
format, making it useful for exam preparation and review of
the course's foundational topics. It also includes definitions,
true/false questions, and concept-based explanations aligned
with the midterm syllabus.
Exam Questions and Answers
Print Revenue --- correct precise answer ---2/3rds advertising,
1/3rd purchase price
, Commercial Broadcast TV or Radio Revenue --- correct precise
answer ---close to 100% ad revenue
Cable TV Revenue --- correct precise answer ---approx. 52%
affiliate fees, 45% ad revenue
Which media technology has the highest level of adoption in
the United States, meaning it reaches the greatest percentage
of individuals? --- correct precise answer ---Radio
According to 2017 Nielsen data, how much television do
Americans watch on an average day, if you include television
accessed through live TV, recorded programs, and streaming?
--- correct precise answer ---more than 7 hours
Which of the following is not a characteristic of mass media? -
-- correct precise answer ---highly interactive
Which of the following lists media innovations in their correct
historical order? --- correct precise answer ---newspapers,
radio broadcasting, still photography, cinema
In Europe, the first practical printing press with movable type
dates back to the: --- correct precise answer ---1400s
Which of the following is the best description of the
relationship between structure and agency? --- correct precise
answer ---structure is something that constrains or shapes
Amherst (UMass Amherst) – 2026 – Midterm 1
Practice Questions with Correct Answers
Introduction
This document contains practice questions and correct
answers for COMM 121 Midterm 1 at the University of
Massachusetts Amherst. It covers key concepts including mass
media, media technologies, democracy, media economics,
social media, technological determinism, the history of the
Internet, convergence, media industries, and communication
theory. The material is organized in a question-and-answer
format, making it useful for exam preparation and review of
the course's foundational topics. It also includes definitions,
true/false questions, and concept-based explanations aligned
with the midterm syllabus.
Exam Questions and Answers
Print Revenue --- correct precise answer ---2/3rds advertising,
1/3rd purchase price
, Commercial Broadcast TV or Radio Revenue --- correct precise
answer ---close to 100% ad revenue
Cable TV Revenue --- correct precise answer ---approx. 52%
affiliate fees, 45% ad revenue
Which media technology has the highest level of adoption in
the United States, meaning it reaches the greatest percentage
of individuals? --- correct precise answer ---Radio
According to 2017 Nielsen data, how much television do
Americans watch on an average day, if you include television
accessed through live TV, recorded programs, and streaming?
--- correct precise answer ---more than 7 hours
Which of the following is not a characteristic of mass media? -
-- correct precise answer ---highly interactive
Which of the following lists media innovations in their correct
historical order? --- correct precise answer ---newspapers,
radio broadcasting, still photography, cinema
In Europe, the first practical printing press with movable type
dates back to the: --- correct precise answer ---1400s
Which of the following is the best description of the
relationship between structure and agency? --- correct precise
answer ---structure is something that constrains or shapes
