Which statement best distinguishes traditional mass media from new internet and social media?

• A. Traditional mass media is cost-free and easily accessible
• B. Traditional mass media is costly and gatekept; new media is free and lacks gatekeepers
• C. Traditional mass media uses two-way communication; new media is one-way
• D. Traditional mass media has no editors

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is how access and gatekeeping distinguish traditional mass media from internet and social media. Traditional mass media has required substantial resources for production and distribution and is guided by editors and executives who decide what gets published or aired—this is the gatekeeping that shapes what reaches the audience. In contrast, new media lowers those barriers: publishing can be done by individuals with little cost, and content can appear without the same pre-publication gatekeepers. While platforms may moderate or curate content, the pre-publication control is far less centralized than in traditional media.

That’s why the statement describing traditional mass media as costly and gatekept, with new media being free and lacking gatekeepers, best captures the distinction. The other choices misstate reality: traditional media is not cost-free and is not free of editors; traditional media is largely one-way whereas new media enables interaction, but the core distinction being tested is about barriers to entry and gatekeeping.