Which term did Gerbner use to describe television's role as storyteller?

• A. Bardic function
• B. Cultivation differential
• C. Mainstreaming
• D. Resonance

Answer: (A)

Television’s role as storyteller is captured by calling it the Bardic function. The idea comes from Gerbner’s view that TV doesn’t just reflect life; it narrates it, presenting recurring stories, characters, and templates for how the world works. A bard historically carried the community’s myths and norms, so labeling TV as the Bardic function emphasizes its job of shaping shared meanings and expectations about society.

This framing helps explain why heavy TV viewing can influence how people think about social reality: the stories people repeatedly hear become their default view of what life is like. The other terms relate to different aspects of cultivation theory but don’t describe TV’s storytelling role. Cultivation differential is about the measured gap between heavy and light viewers’ attitudes; mainstreaming refers to the convergence of views across audiences; resonance is about the effect being stronger when what’s on screen mirrors a viewer’s own experiences.