Which concept suggests that heavy exposure to media can shape viewers' perceptions of reality over time?

Which concept suggests that heavy exposure to media can shape viewers' perceptions of reality over time?

• A. Agenda setting
• B. Beat
• C. Citizen journalism
• D. Cultivation theory

Answer: (D)

Heavy exposure to media over time reshapes how people view reality. Cultivation theory argues that repeated, long-term TV viewing builds a shared sense of social reality, so heavy viewers come to see the world as more dangerous and violent than it actually is and adopt widely held beliefs about social norms that reflect what they see on screen. This effect accumulates across many programs and years, leading to a gradual shift in perceptions. By contrast, agenda setting deals with media influencing which issues people think about, not their overall view of how the world works; beat is a newsroom term for how reporters organize coverage; citizen journalism refers to ordinary people reporting news themselves.

Heavy exposure to media over time reshapes how people view reality. Cultivation theory argues that repeated, long-term TV viewing builds a shared sense of social reality, so heavy viewers come to see the world as more dangerous and violent than it actually is and adopt widely held beliefs about social norms that reflect what they see on screen. This effect accumulates across many programs and years, leading to a gradual shift in perceptions. By contrast, agenda setting deals with media influencing which issues people think about, not their overall view of how the world works; beat is a newsroom term for how reporters organize coverage; citizen journalism refers to ordinary people reporting news themselves.