Media Use & Production Diary

THE OBJECTIVES:

Over a ten (10) days period I logged use and production of various types of media. The purpose of this was to find, look and analyse my media use and the implications of it. 

THE DATA (table):

I found it quite difficult to group media types into separate categories as today's electronic world makes media more accessible. For example, newspapers can be found on the internet, smartphones or tablets. 

But I tried to keep it relatively simple and grouped the media into four groups (print, television, Internet and audio). I then added subcategories and my own production. 

DETAILS:

Print Media

Books

Although grouped under 'print media', books can now-days be accessed in various methods. I usually read books that are printed. During the period that I recorded my media use, I mostly read books, texts (on the internet) and PDF files for my studies.  

Newspapers

Everyday, I catch the CityCat (boat in Brisbane) from the CBD to the university. Before I get on the boat, I always make sure to grab a free newspaper (mX) and read it through before I get to class. I unfortunately do not read the newspapers on weekends, but if I do, it is The Australian on my iPad. 

Television

I have never watch much television, but I try more and more to do so. Therefore, the poor amount of television during my days is usually in "the background" while I am cooking or doing other things, including other media use/production such as surfing the net, writing assignments etc. 

News

The 7pm Project was the news program most watched but some days I could turn on the television in the morning and have a quick look at some morning talk shows.

Entertainment

Entertainment included television shows that I turned on while cooking or doing other things. I rarely have time (or take time for myself) to watch a movie or "sit down and relax" watching a television show. 

Internet

I find it quite difficult to divide what you are doing on the internet into groups, but in the 'social media' subgroup, I related it to social media wedsites such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, Flickr, Instagram, Messenger, Linkedin etc.  

Social Media

Having a smartphone and an iPad, I regularly find myself using sites such as Facebook and Twitter a few times during the day. 

Other

Other includes 'everything else' than I did on the internet, such as news sites, internet banking, research etc. No site was more outstanding than another, which is why I do not specify any.

Audio

Music

Every time I leave my home, am studying or am driving, I listen to music. Music is something very important to me, I hate silence. I listen to it via my iPhone or my computer.

Radio

I rarely listen to the radio, only when I am driving, which is not very often because I do not have a car, but I usually get to drive my works' car during the weekends, and therefore listen to music during that time. 

Production

I found that my media production is much less than my media use. 

My media production consists of Facebook updates, internet chatting with friends, writing to my family and friends (that are overseas) on Skype, university assignments and workplace documentation.

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CONCLUSION:

   Media is a big part of our lives. We use it for communication, entertainment, business, education, journalism, common knowledge, news etc. 

   In regards to my own media and production use, the data above shows us that music and social media (such as Facebook) is my main aim when engaging with different types of media. 

   My lack of time (being a university student and an employee at a catering company) shows us in the data that I do not read or watch the news enough to be able to know everything that is happening around me. 

   As a communication, PR and journalism student, I know I should spend more time reading the newspapers, watch the television news and listen to the radio news; which I intend to do, but being a first year, international university student requires a lot of extra work in terms of finding all the right information and writing in an academic english level. 

   I will start to watch the news more regularly, once I find myself confident enough with the university and my english level to leave my studies aside and watch the news. 

BLOGGERS AND JOURNALISTS - NOT THE SAME THING

The journalism profession is not really like a doctor's or an electrician's where you need a certificate to clarify yourself as one. But maybe it should.

A   F E W   M O N T H S   A G O , a friend of mine received a friend request on Facebook from a 'journalist'. There had been nothing strange about it, if it were not for the only time they had met was when he interviewed her. She hesitated for quite some time and finally decided to accept. She now regrets it a bit, but not enough to remove him. Should she?

The point is that people have great respect for journalists, but they also want to keep them from a distance. Journalists 'can' criticize people in what they do, just like people criticize the journalists without feeling that they mess with an actual person. 

Future journalists are trained side by side with the future PR consultants. Bloggers, with no training or expertise in journalism, call themselves journalists and 'real' journalists are forced to have an extra job to pay the rent. A blogger is NOT a journalist!

I write two blogs, one personal and one for my studies as a communication, PR & journalist student. During one of my first lectures, one of my lecturers at the University of Queensland said we could call ourselves journalists. Still I cannot call myself a journalist. It partly has to do with this responsibility that you get when you say you are a one. Sure, the profession is not like a doctor's or an electrician's where you need a certificate to classify yourself as one. But maybe it should be. 

A journalist is not the same as a person that has some texts published in a newspaper. It is not even enough to have read a journalistic education. I do not call myself an event manager although I have read an event management program. 

To me, a journalist, is a person working within journalism, knows the responsibility that entails. Someone who is withholding critical and well briefed. A person who always tries to see things critically and struggling against being fooled. A person with beliefs about ethics and morals, someone who is curious and always open to learn more. Anyone looking for the truth even though it can be a tricky way there.

Quite simply, a person who loves to be wrong. 

I am a student and a blogger but I hope I can be wrong many times during my studies and my career, to be able to improve myself and maybe one day, call myself a journalist. And for all the 'real' journalists, please continue to do your great job. Let's criticize each other to make us progress!

Never has journalism been needed as much. True, interesting, neutral and investigative journalism. 

It is required, now more than ever!

WELCOME

Welcome to my blog!

Let's be clear from the start: This is my writing, not someone else's. My blog contains the values, theories and perspectives that I think are important. I think it's dangerous to pretend disagreements don't exist; I will therefore share these struggles as they come along with you and invite you to write to me if you disagree (or not) on my ideas and statements.

What I'd like to do here is create something like a dialogue with you. I will write from my own ideas, my own values, and my own opinions. Should you wish, please contact me on tess_much@hotmail.com

 Have a great reading, and enjoy my blog!