UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Gatekeeping refers to controlling the flow of information by deciding which messages are allowed to pass through a communication channel. In mass media,editors and producers act as gatekeepers when they select or discard news items. The stem describes this act of selection and control. Hence,the process is called gatekeeping.

Option A:
Priming relates to how media exposure prepares audiences to evaluate issues or people in certain ways but does not describe selecting which stories appear.

Option B:
Framing concerns how a chosen story is presented or emphasised,not whether it is selected at all.

Option C:
Gatekeeping is central to understanding media power,because the public can only react to information that passes the gate,making option C correct.

Option D:
Feedback involves audience responses to media messages,such as ratings or comments,and is different from editorial selection.

In mass communication,gatekeeping is the process by which certain information is selected and other information is rejected before reaching the public. Editors act as gatekeepers when they decide which stories will appear in the newspaper. Their decisions shape the flow of news to the audience. Therefore,the editor in the stem is functioning as a gatekeeper.

Option A:
A reporter gathers news but may not have final authority over which items are published. The stem emphasises decision making about publication.

Option B:
Agenda setter refers more broadly to shaping what issues the public thinks about through sustained coverage,which may involve many actors,not just the editor's selection.

Option C:
Gatekeepers control the doors through which information passes,making option C the precise description of the role mentioned.

Option D:
An audience analyst studies audience preferences and demographics rather than choosing specific stories for publication.