Media Use Diary- Assessment 1

"To know who we are, we must understand how we are connected."- Nicholas A. Christakis

My Media Use- Table. 1

In a survey conducted on JOUR1111 students in February 2012, statistics on media use were collated with surprising results.

One such result showed that the majority of students spend between 2 and 3 hours on the internet. For these students Facebook is undoubtedly a habitual site in which they visit with a staggering 91% spending the majority of their internet time on this site.  As one of these students, I contributed to these figures as I spend about 61% of my 2-3 hrs of internet usage on this form of social networking. Some would see this as a waste of time and useless in regards studying journalism however it is surprising to note that nearly half of the cohort obtains news through this medium. Although this figure does not apply to me, as I receive my news in other forms, through Facebook my communication with others not only in Australia but overseas has been strengthened and used as a valuable way in sourcing and making connections. 

Graph depicting the time I use on the internet

Although I spend a large quantity of time on the internet, I actually obtain the majority of my news through the “old” mediums. For example, watching the 6pm news bulletin has become routine. As shown in Table. 1 I watch this nightly in order to stay informed in a way that is relatively effortless, something which also proves popular with my class mates as 71% receive news through television.  

I also share similar statistics when it comes to the amount of radio I listen to with 63% of my peers and I both averaging under an hour a day. This exposes me and other listeners to at least one news update in this time however this is dependent on the radio station, some stations are dedicated solely on reporting for example.

When it comes to the oldest of the “old” news mediums, newspapers are on the rapid decline in popularity. With people obtaining news nearly the same amount and even more so through Facebook and online news sites- something formed within the past decade- than actual newspapers- a news source stretching over a century- the rise of the internet is inevitable. This is reflective in my own media use as Table.1 portrays the fact I read the tangible paper once a week, on a Sunday out of tradition, whereas I read the online paper nearly every morning. These statistics just reinforce the claims that the online newspapers are simply a quicker, more diverse and convenient form of news over newspapers. Most of us still watch television and listen to radio because these forms of media have become more convergent in providing news, entertainment and broadcasting niche programs tailored to our preferences and interests. This is something that newspapers simply cannot compete with.

Graph depicting my time used on "old" media

Touching quickly on my media production, or lack thereof, I think it comes down to inexperience. I don’t create YouTube videos because I don’t know how, I never used Twitter because I was unable to understand the concept and the only reason I took photos is because I enjoyed it and have the technical understanding needed to upload the occasional picture. In saying this, even in the time spent after collating my data, my production has increased as I become more familiar with the tweeting and blogging realm.  

My Media Production- Table. 2

Overall, through old and new media, I am relatively connected both on the journalistic and communication front. The internet has been inundated with Facebook, Blogger and Twitter users alike and I believe that we, as the iGeneration, have the ability to coin the new ways in which we report and receive information. Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler, author of the book “Connected”, have an interesting view on social networking. They say that our constant connectivity with our friends, our friends’ friends and our friends' friends' friends will result in us being, not only influenced, but an influence to others. Imagine the possibilities for a journalist with the ability to influence those around them through just one of the many forms of mediums.