My media use diary

Journalism has recently turned to 'instant' news and the idea that anyone can produce media, and this was reflective in my recent media use log through my use of twitter, Facebook and blogging. I chose to record my media use in fifteen minute blocks, and sorted into ten different categories.

The first main category was internet use, which was categorised into four sections: Facebook, twitter, blogging and other. On average I used the internet about one and a half hours a day (lower than anticipated, see graph two).

I fall into the 94.7% of the cohort with one Facebook account, and spent on average just over half hour a day. Over the ten days, I only updated my status once, which shows that I don't use Facebook as much for producing media but rather to pass time while in public waiting for a bus or to meet a friend. Although I didn't use Facebook as a platform for producing media, I do have a blog that I spend on average half an hour a day researching for and updating. It wasn't surprising that half of the cohort did not have a blog as the idea of creating your own content is relatively new. Almost all of my blogging was done at home. Another media platform that I used 'on the run' was Twitter, and over the ten days I tweeted seven times. Four of these were through my new Journalism twitter account, and the other three on my pre-existing twitter account. I was surprised that before starting this course 67% of the cohort did not have a twitter account.

Like about twenty percent of my cohort, I own a smart phone which enabled me to check Facebook and twitter on the run. I also use it all throughout the day to send and receive on average 50 text messages, most of which were for general socialising. However I did find that I used texting every couple of days to spread interesting news articles to my contacts. The fact that we used so much electronic media, reflected by a fifth of the cohort who own a smart phone, shows how journalism has had to adapt to provide 'news in your pocket', making it relevant, fast and accessible everywhere.

Like a third of my cohort I spend 1-2 hours a day on average watching television. This was all done at home and includes general entertainment and news (see graph 3). When it came to radio I spend on average half an hour listening to it a day, which was mostly done driving. In this way my news intake was similar no matter what platform I was receiving it from; television news in the morning getting ready for work, radio news in the car and online news in my work breaks or on the bus. I didn't pick up a newspaper at all in the ten days, and almost all of my traditional media use was for study, with perhaps ten percent of it being reading a magazine. This point concludes the idea that journalism needs to continue to adapt to provide news quickly and concisely, as a large amount of the younger generation are turning to instant media.