INTRODUCTION

This media use diary shows my typical media use habits over a

ten-day period. I recorded my media use habits by how much

time was spent engaging with each form of media (rounding to

the nearest 10 minutes) and have presented my results in the

following slides. The data collected reveals patterns and trends

in relation to my interaction with journalism and

communication.

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100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

Reading

Internet

TV

Radio

10-day overview

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200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Total Media Use

New Media

Internet news

Smart Phone

Methods of receiving News

Old Media

Radio

Newspaper

TV

Radio

Newspaper

TV

Internet News

Smartphone

Old Media vs New Media (News

Consumption)

Old Media

New Media

Engaging with Media as a Prod-user

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2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Facebook Status

Updates

Tumblr Posts

Youtube Video

Uploads

Youtube comments

Forum Comments

Instagram

Purpose for Media Use

Entertainment

Education

Social Networking

Situational

ANALYSIS: INITIAL OBSERVATIONS

By looking at the data presented, it can be seen that media consumption

plays a massive part in my every day life. Over the ten-day

period, media consumption took up at least 2 hours of my day, and at

most, 13.5. On average, 7.5 hours of a day was spent using media. This

is reflective of the all-pervasive nature of media: media is easily

accessible, and it is everywhere.

The form of media that recorded the most time was the Internet, soon

followed by TV.

When it came to receiving news, new media platforms such as the Internet

and my iphone were used far more than old media platforms.

Media was mostly used for entertainment or social networking purposes.

ANALYSIS: COMPARISON TO PEERS

As part of the major demographic of JOUR1111 (Female, aged 17-18), I

expected my results to be similar to those of the survey taken by my

peers. Upon inspection, I found my hypothesis to be mostly

accurate, apart from spending a slightly above average amount of time

using the internet and watching tv.

The data shows that we receive news mostly from TV and online sources.

My highest form was through my iphone because I read the news while

on public transport. However, while I spend a relatively minimal amount

of reading newspapers (I read only one during the ten days), the survey

shows that 51.6% of students read the newspaper, a rather high amount

for a supposedly ‘doomed’ news source. These results would indicate

newspapers are not as ‘irrelevant’ as they are reported to be; however, a

larger sample size is required for conclusive results.

My online behavior closely followed that of my peers. As with 91.9% of my

peers, most of my online time was spent on social networking

sites, particularly Facebook. The importance of social networks is a defining

feature of my generation. Communication takes place on a person-to-person

basis as opposed to one person or a group of people communicating with

the masses. I noticed this, as much of the content I accessed online was

linked to me from Facebook friends or people I follow on twitter. This is also

reflected in the JOUR1111 survey data, with 48.4% of students accessing

news through facebook. This form of communication can be very powerful

as is evidenced in the cases of viral videos or the infamous Kony campaign.

Portable devices such as smartphones and tablets play an ever-increasing role

in journalism and communication. As one of the 87.3% of students in the

class who own an internet-enabled smartphone, I am able to experience the

new communication opportunities portable devices can provide. Through

social networking apps (facebook, instagram, twitter) and news

apps, portable devices keep us connected and informed 24/7. The ever-

increasing presence and importance of these devices reflect society’s need

for quick and constant information and communication.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the data collected shows that digital forms of media

and the increased importance of social networks characterize

my relationship with journalism and communication. Because

my results largely reflect that of my peer group, the same can

be said about my generation. In today’s current

society, journalism and communication is all about being

entertaining, fast, social, accessible and constant.