media use

2. 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.

3. 10-day overview
900
800
700
600
500
Reading
400
Internet
300 TV
200 Radio
100
0

4. Total Media Use
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0

5. Methods of receiving News
Radio
Newspaper
TV
Internet News
Smartphone
Old Media New Media
Radio Internet
news
Newspaper
Smart
TV Phone

6. Old Media vs New Media (News
Consumption)
Old Media
New Media

7. Engaging with Media as a Prod-user
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Facebook Tumblr Youtube Youtube Forum Instagram
Status Posts Video comments Comments
Updates Uploads

8. Purpose for Media Use
Entertainment
Education
Social Networking
Situational

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.