Personal Media Use and Production Diary

Before we plunge into the sea of graphs I have prepared for you, I want to address a statistic I found extremely interesting, and a little ridiculous. 

There is a tremendous amount of females undertaking this course. According to a 2011 survey of men and women working in the media, 74% were men (The Guardian 2011). Does this small survey represent a future change in gender roles in the media industry, or what's more, women balancing out gender inequality in the workplace? Is Journalism becoming less of a boys club? Becoming a journalist has become more accessible to women in that last 50 years what with the rise in feminism. Perhaps women are more articulate than men, or men are beginning to dominate other fields? What is definite is that Journalism is not as narrow-minded as it once was, there are many avenues which one can go down and perhaps this begins to explain not only why 436 people are studying first year Journalism, but our relationship with Journalism and Communication as a society.  Another thing for certain is that to undertake Journalism, which 100% of us are, we must have a certain degree of interest in media- whether it be old or new, and this can be, and has been, deduced from a media use and production analysis.

MEDIA USE AND PRODUCTION LOGS

First I think it is pertinent that we address how much time we actually dedicate to media consumption and production, because it’s shocking. According to the hourly results for the Media Use log, I am almost permanently online.  Phone use dictates the amount of time I am using media, because like most, I am either on Facebook/Twitter and actively using it, or I am logged on and checking at regular intervals –  all while I’m using other media. This is in part because I am attached to how fast paced social media is, it’s constantly changing; updating. This begins to define my relationship with Journalism and Communication what with the fact that I am already so heavily involved/affluent in the tools of  modern Journalism.

Over the 10 day period: 

Averaged 8.246 hours on my smartphone (on which I am accessing  online social networking, YouTube, music etc.)
Compared to the cohort…

I am part of the 3.5% who use more than 6 hours of internet. A little concerning, sure, but I am not convinced that 78.7% of a cohort spends less than 4 hours online. Reason being, 98.1% are 17-25 year olds – the ones that grew up on media. In this case, it might be useful to consider what my peers and I are actually doing on the internet.

NEW AND OLD MEDIA
It is clear that the majority of  use and production is new media. Funny that. In a new media world this figure isn’t as shocking as it may have been a few years ago, even in a world dominated by Web 2.0. Web 3.0 has clearly had a huge impact on this figure, the accessibility it provides is outstanding in comparison to old media forms of newspapers , television and radio. What is concerning is that out of my media use, only 1% was old media (textbooks), which could easily have been sourced online if it weren't for my need to write notes/highlight. An interesting  point I’d like to make here is the media outlets that were once old media, have transformed into new, they did not vanish (I.e. Newspapers/Online News, Radio/Itunes, Online TV/Broadcast).  Lets take Newspaper’s for example. 

2% (3.26 hours) of my media use was online newspapers, and there was no indication that I even touched a regular newspaper, because I didn’t. Simply put, I don’t particularly like the news, or rather, what counts as news worthy, so I refrain. My interest of late has only been sparked because I am beginning to realise that to participate in class discussion, and complete assignments, I need to be in the loop.  This raises the issue of my relationship to Journalism and Communication, and whether it is productive relationship or not. It is clear I don’t want to be a news reader when I graduate, nor political reporter but the underlying factor here is when I wanted to dip my toes into news, I headed straight online. Perhaps because it was easier to read or because I could choose what I wanted to know - unsurprisingly I went straight to the entertainment section. While this may not be then case for my peers, it is quite clear that old media is transitioning into new, the latter being most popular at 67.8%

In the wider pattern of media use, online news is far easier to access and is updated regularly. Sites like Ninemsn, The Brisbane Times and The Guardian being my go-to websites for local and international news.

This figure indicates  that 43.1% of the cohort spends their time online reading news. The age group is 17-25 in majority. This may indicate that new media is inspiring generation Y to become more concerned with  current affairs. Maybe the fact that it is new media, more accessible and is technological increases its appeal. In the same vein,  my interest in the radio is wavering. I can’t control the content the same way I can on  Itunes, also I don’t have to listen to ads on my iPod. Essentially with new media you can tailor your consuming for your needs/wants.  This is why there has been a significant decline in radio, myself not even listening to it once in a 10 day period. However I did make use of an iPod and YouTube – new media is easier. 

This  corroborated by the group survey in regards to the radio directly below.

And it is probable that this finding is  representative of the figure at above.  If anyone listens to the radio, its because they are in the car, essentially there is not a whole lot of choice.

What is interesting however, is if we compare this to where people listen to music, meaning media of their choice -from new media. This begs the question, is new media lazy, or is it in fact efficient?

It is efficient. In numerous ways, but most significantly in the fact that it allows us, as ordinary people, to produce content. 

NEW MEDIA PRODUCTION

For the purposes of analysis, new media will be confined to Social Networking and Blogs. With the startling amount of media we consume, it is only logical that we play a part in PRODUCING this media. 

Social networking and the like is fast becoming the primary tool for Journalists, these tools are more personal in terms of connecting with others/public. Take for example my Facebook, blog and Twitter ratio at right.

These platforms are popular because they enable us with the ability to connect with our friends, family, public and even the media in a way normal conversation, or old media, cannot. Its all about interactivity. My peers and I use Facebook, more than blogs, and blogs more than twitter.This pattern represents the usefulness/accessibility of each of these social networking systems.  Not only does it represent Facebook’s prevalence in our lives, it represents what is not, namely, Twitter – an up and coming trend that's use is mostly limited to quick access to breaking news.  I have only since undertaking this course jumped on the Twitter bandwagon, and this graph shows my increasing interest in the Journalistic opportunity is provides, now using it on average 4.5 hours a day.  All of this information indicates that I like my information, or my Journalism and Communication, quick and like it to be interactive.


In saying this, it may be the instant gratification these sites give that encourages us to produce was we consume.
For example, I previously stated that  Twitter was a foreign concept to me, it still is, but in the 10 day period there were some obvious motivators. This figure illustrates my tweets in the 10 day log:

As the days go on, my tweets become more regular, in what is a response to a serious hike in followers and a ‘need’ to connect with them on a regular basis.

Its amazing how we have all been able to adapt to twitter, considering  before we started JOUR1111, 70.8% of us didn't have twitter.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                       

This too translates to blogger, the more time I spent blogging, the more page views (Figure at right), the more incentive to produce. It’s interesting that this was a factor even though I have never had a blog before, in some ways it may be labelled as inherit. As for the cohort, 63% didn’t have a blog either.  Maybe we didn’t know the power of the blog or what it enabled us to do. We are now able to voice our opinions without censorship, blog about what we care about and we have the opportunity to capture peoples interest. It’s essentially a medium for connection, not in a ‘Facebook friend’ way, but in a ‘someone has followed me because they have read and enjoy what I’m saying’ way.  Isn’t this what Journalism is about? Using communication to reach out to others? This is certainly the case for me, my relationship with journalism is associated with the fact I NEED, we all NEED, to communicate. The spike in the graph clearly indicates my need and the realisation that people were interested. 

They key to all of this consumption and use is, as shown in the media use chart above , a smartphone, which totaled at 42% of my  media use, and 78% of my production. The ability of the smartphone to access majority of these media outlets contributes to their popularity, their high usage and user-generated production. When 78.2% of the class has an internet enabled smartphone, the correlation between media production/consumption and smart phones becomes evident; especially when we compare them with the applications downloaded onto the phones -Facebook applications coming in at 95.4% and Twitter at 19.2%. New media is essential for Journalism and Communication in today's society, our relationship with these things is simple, without them we would be restricted in perhaps our knowledge, or in our career path. Journalism and Communication is an evolving process, a process that makes us all interconnected in an instant through simple feats. 

About Me

Whats more embarrassing than forgetting to write an 'About Me'?!
The Actual 'About Me'.

Cats, Lush, Frankie, Yen, National Geographic, Wondering why Matt Corby doesn’t love me despite all the comments I make on his Youtube videos, Cameras, Mint, Photography, Cats, Remembering rap lyrics, Organic yoghurt, Skins, 30 Rock, Bossypants by Tina Fey, Tina Fey, Cheese on shredded wheat biscuits, LANA DEL RAY, Coffee, Macklemore, Rob Delaney, America, Cats, Living vicariously through beauty gurus on Youtube. Did I mention I love cats?

Txt Me.

Lecture 3 was a true indicator of UQ’s ability to source professionals. Skye Doherty, a professional in production journalism, came, conquered and imparted some serious knowledge about what text actually is. 

So, text is:

 Fast, Flexible,Text gives us complete control, Portable, Searchable, Dominates the realm of online.

But text can only be these things if we use it right.

Skye urged that the presentation of text is paramount to its efficiency, and  therefore text must, of course, have story content, but it also must have headlines that catch and lead the eye (Poynter Eye track), use of stand-firsts (text explaining the story/headline), picture captions and pull quotes.  It was your basic, "5 W’s and H go at the top, and the rest goes after" speech.  Although tedious to listen to again after years of practice, it did beg the question “How does this relate to the web?”

In a world dominated by Web.3.0, text extends beyond the printed page of a newspaper, to a world where text can be defined as metadata, tags, keywords, links and hypertext (the links under news articles etc. that offer similar stories, or extensions of your current story).  It is because of these elements that text needs to be search engine friendly - meaning the important information needs to be at the top and keyworded so people can see it. It’s very simple. However text isn't limited to articles online, email, Facebook comments, status updates and even this very blog are considered text, and can be sourced on a search engine, given you have used the right keywords, all the while keeping in mind the presentation of information varies across platforms. Essentially, everything relies on how users present their information, so that the results of a search are quick to sort and relevant.

Moving on. Skye, and her career, a career that honest to god makes my mouthwater, to me was the best part of the lecture. Instead of rattling off some rehearsed, jargon laden speech, she broke it all down for us and it was surprising to find how clear, well-spoken and concise she was in her teaching method - Usually I find guest speakers tend to over-compensate and this was certainly not the case with Skye.

Her story is realistic, which is what captured my attention. To get where she is today, she had to start at the bottom, and I mean the bottom bottom, beginning her career in places like Proserpine and, god bless her soul, Mackay. (This may not be a true reflection of Mackay’s ‘Daily Mercury’, I know for certain living in Mackay has made me bitter.)  However, she advanced, her career expanding to media outlets such as‘The Financial Times’ and ‘The Guardian.’ In all, she made a career in journalism seem very attainable.

As for “Cutthroat Capitalism”, an interactive and very entertaining Somali pirate game, an interesting discussion was roused as to whether these news based games were trivialising the issues they were based on.  In my opinion, maybe. However I think it’s safe to say that if someone has found a website to play a news game, they probably are well aware of the situation, or incredibly lost.

In all, I think we take, text for granted - all the nitty gritty of the internet just didn’t exist for us, the only thing we knew for CERTAIN was that Google was magic.

-Shannen

Web Iterations

Ah, the newspaper, the wrinkling, absent toothed, self-medicating grandfather of media. To be honest, it’s a little upsetting to say that this old form of media is on the decline, its charm having fallen victim to the mighty web.

 Out with the old, and in with the new they always say.

The World Wide Web has to be one of the most fast-paced industries out there; most of us not even remembering a time where the web was a solely business-based tool. Web 1.0 was essentially an information web where business owners generated web-pages for people who were seeking products and services – a classic marketplace situation. This being said, Web.10 was an advertising and marketing frenzy, and people welcomed it, and its chaotic hyperlink setup.

And then, there was Zuckerberg. Web 2.0, or ‘The Social Web’, saw the rise of user-based new media. These “Prod Users” (producer-users) were out in force, with Myspace and Bebo in their heyday, and Facebook and Twitter now, providing a platform for teenagers and adults to reach out and form social groups with friends, family and creeps from MSN. Essentially, interactivity was, and still is the basis of Web.2.0, and without users contributing via communication and collaboration with one another, it could not have thrived.

While it is more than safe to say that Web 2.0 still forms a major part of the web, the rise of Web 3.0 has  most certainly paved the way for future web use. Web.3.0, or “The Semantic Web” is an individual-focused platform, a platform that boasts a new trend called ‘Metatagging’, and it makes things a hell of a lot easier. Elements of this new web, such as hyper localisation, are highly convenient in terms of their ability to centre themselves around you, according to your location or your search and purchase history. In essence, these metatags make it easier to find what you are looking for by using keywords to indicate the webpage's content.

So, “What do these web iterations this mean for News?” While web 3.0 is perfect for wading through countless pages of crap on Google and finding the news that is most relevant to your locality, it does leave room for people to become ignorant of national and international events, unlike the newspaper or radio broadcasting where you would be subjected no matter how hard you tried. Another issue emerging is that Investigatory Journalism is fast becoming matter of web searching, rather than doing fieldwork. 

In terms of new and old media, Lecture 2 gave us  insight into the future, with newspaper paywalls set to screw us over, thanks Rupert ‘All my advertising revenue has gone online, so I’m going to suck you dry’ Murdoch, the web is going to completely eclipse traditional media. In saying this, I cannot completely demoralise Murdoch’s newspaper subscription scheme, his monetising strategy is an attempt to save classic journalism, but if people don’t subscribe because they feel entitled to free news, he’s  screwed. In hindsight, he probably should have decreed sometime before Web 2.0 that no one was entitled to news, until they handed over 10 gold pieces and kissed his ring.

The web is a powerful place.

- Shannen

Inspiration

If it bleeds, it leads. This quote from lecture one tugged at my heartstrings because it is inevitably true, some of the best stories, the best pictures, are of people’s pain and anguish. Personally, I’d rather read into the gory detail of Somali refugee camps than read about some really cute panda’s, SUPER cute first steps. My priorities are backward, I know.

In saying this, my goal for quite some time now, has been to become a contributor to National Geographic, a magazine that boasts equal amounts of suffering and beauty, and this is where the lines blur, for me at least because there is a fine line between them. The stories of bloodshed we are attracted to are in no way beautiful, beautiful is something that’s innately heart-warming, some might say it’s even assuring. No, the photography juxtaposed with the story is what is most beautiful, despite the grim context it’s in. Sure these photos are just as unsettling as the story, but they also thrust the stories into reality. I think this is why we as infants, are drawn to picture books, because they make us think; they give us leeway to imagine the situation, and put ourselves in it. Essentially, this process inspires people to care, and inspires people to take action. – And it is all these things that photos allow for, that make them beautiful.

This claim may seem a bit far-fetched, but it leads to what I like to call, my inspiration. 

 Behold, The Afghan Girl.  This photograph, taken by Steve McCurry, was published by National Geographic in 1985 amidst the beginning of the Afghani struggle with the Soviet Union. At only 12, she became the face of Afghanistan’s plight, her piercing gaze telling a story of a land ravaged by war, a story that exceeded the capability of the written word.  Her face transcended borders, and the vast majority of people ignorant of the third world, were now knee deep in what they felt was an obligation to help. Point being, no one knew what was happening in Afghanistan, but they sure as hell do now. 

But in the time it took for her photo to be snapped, she was gone, no one knew her name, her story, or if she was still alive. However, those eyes had captured the attention of the West and they WANTED to know, they WANTED find her, and they WANTED to know her story, because they were moved by her gaze.
In 2002, at the height of the Americanised, religious and oil driven war; seventeen years after this photo was published, Sharbat Gula was found – her recovery to me a symbol of hope for the future. 

I’d like to take a moment to address an issue that is more recent, but nonetheless proves my point – KONY 2012.  This issue boils down to one thing, white people feeling guilty. I was hesitant to draw this link, what with KONY 2012’s credibility being at the mercy of try-hard hipsters to whom the thought of world peace is way too mainstream, but I will anyway. One video, and one picture of this mean-looking guy turned the world into a bunch of activists who felt compelled to do something, and it was concerning, but it was effective. So perhaps this too will inspire some sort of action.

Nevertheless, the fact that all of this inspiration stems from just one photograph leaves me in awe- and this is what draws me to photojournalism. If you can take just one photo or in the case of KONY2012, a video, and have it say everything that needs to be said, if you can make pain and anguish beautiful, then you have success.  Compelling people to think beyond a photo calls for talent, and I will strive to be one of those people, one of those people who can capture not only an image, but a feeling, and transfer that feeling to someone else.

A side note:
To be quite frank, if people can be more inspired visually, than by text, then we should milk if for all it’s worth, if it is indeed a more accessible way to make people care. This links to what we are currently learning in terms of new media too doesn’t it?  Yes, we are evolving technologically, but implied in this is that we want information quicker, we’d rather not spend an hour deconstructing what a stuffy old white man said in The New York Times - we want facts, images alongside text (Which I agree is equally as important) that reiterates the point and thrusts us into the situation and in turn makes us FEEL something that text just can’t.

Sometimes sure it might seem a bit degrading to the profession, but make things bloody, make them accessible, and people will pay attention. I’m sure it’s been this way for decades.

- Shannen.
 

A New World

Oh dear God what have I done? - This being literally the first thing I said to myself as I entered the Great Court, I had what was probably, without any hint of exaggeration, a full scale emotional meltdown. The intricate engravings adorning the sandstone walls and the vast lawn that showed no sign of ever being brown in its entire plant-y life was disconcerting, this place wasn't high school, so what was I doing here? This anxiety was my only companion as I made my way into the depths of Forgan Smith.

The fear of this new world aside, the first lecture of my University career was surreal. As I sat down in the theatre, our lecturer Bruce quite matter-of-factly said “YOU are the journalist,” and of course my thoughts were something along the lines of, “YOU are being absolutely ridiculous, I have been at university for 10 minutes." The content terrified me, the death of newspapers, the public’s perception of Journalists and the increasing amount of citizen Journalists could only mean one thing, the era of the Journalist was over. I began to get the impression that there was no work for Journalists, that their work was second to the ability of the public to access information right at their fingertips (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, and Blogger). Eventually I had resigned to the fact that this degree was worthless. The lecture did however progress, and my anxiety did lessen as I began to realize that JOUR1111 was trying to teach me how to overcome this technological boom, how to keep up with this generation of new media. Then it hit me, I AM the generation. Facebook, and as sad as it is to say, Myspace, practically raised me, and I’m going to prove it- prove that perhaps Journalism isn’t a lost cause amidst a new age society.

Sure, just thinking about the blog made me want to, for want of a less dramatic word, die. I’ve never ‘blogged’ before; sure I have a Tumblr, but reblogging pictures of cats in people clothes in no way legitimises me. I will say however that the near absolute freedom this task allows for is refreshing – maybe this new world isn’t so bad after all. As for coming posts, my interest in photojournalism should assure you that there will be no shortage of photos, and by photos I mean news worthy photography, and no photos of flowers that were edited on Paint.

In all, social and interactive media is the future, and the industry begs us to evolve – so we must. After all, I'm generation Y - I got this. 

- Shannen