In our last lecture, we listened to guest speaker Steve Mulkington (I am certain I have mis-spelt his name... sorry), one of Australia's most popular entertainment 'bloggers'. Not only did he tell us about his own experiences in the business, but also the various opportunities we have as young journalists
He stressed that we have more ways of expressing ourselves then ever before. Obviously the internet is a main one - Facebook, twitter, blogging, all of these outlets for discussion, if you like, give everyone a chance to say what they think.
For people like us, trying to get jobs out of what we think, Steve said that we need to focus on the 'how'.
The following are a couple of things that Steve said that resonated with me:
"You all have opinions on stuff, it just about HOW you communicate that core message."
"The way we understand how our information is presented to us, whether it's ratings, whether it's what's communicated to us through news... it's going to impact on the type of writers and journalists we become."
This whole journalism course has been a blast. I have learnt skills that I honestly think will stick with me for the rest of my life, irrespective of whether I end up working as a journalist or not.
This week we looked at investigative journalism - its purpose in the media, and how it is under threat from online news.
Many of the explored ideas in relation to investigative journalism were things that I had discussed in earlier blog posts. The main point that I believe, and one that was reinforced in the lecture, was that ALL journalism should be investigative.
The slide above illustrates the main reason why well-researched journalism is becoming more difficult to find. The accessibility of the web has diluted the quality of journalism.
Whilst this slide is saying there are less journalists, I am of the belief that there are more so-called 'journalists', then ever before. The web is open to anyone. This means that ANYONE can be a journalist. Anyone can write about an event and how they saw it, without verifying facts. Facebook and blogging are forums that are typically used for lazy journalism.
I feel that with the evolution of the internet and different media forums, we are more prone to bad journalism.
People might disagree with me, arguing that just because the average Joe wrote a story on something, doesn't make him a journalist. Well, yes it does. It just doesn't make him a very good one.
We need to return to a more investigative process in journalism, for the benefit of everyone.
This week we explored the significance of agenda setting in the media.
Whilst it is a pretty basic concept, it made me think of the power of the media agenda. Agenda setting is a very influential tool of the media. An agenda tells the public what is important, as it shapes public awareness and thought on particular issues.
There have been many instances where the media's agenda have diverted the public's attention from a particular issue. As it explains on the slide below, propaganda is a form of agenda setting.
You only need at major political movements or conflicts, to see how a media agenda can influence population. An example would be the Nazi regime, where Hilter delivered a particular message to shape people's perceptions of Jewish people.
Whilst this is an extreme example, it shows the power and influence of a media agenda.
It was interesting looking at the four main criteria when defining the value of particular news. What we see in theory, are four points that balance out to make news values. However, in my opinion, you regularly see imbalances emerging in relation to particular stories. For example, stories are often blown out of proportion in order to give it more impact and therefore uplift its value.
The main point that I took away from the lecture was that news values are based on a journalists' instinct - what he/she believes a story to be worth. There is no scientific formula that is associated with defining news values.
I imagine that a journalist's judgement could be influenced by a couple of things. The financial benefit associated with a story could lead to the popular news taking priority. Perhaps this is why many feel that current news values are so obscured.
In this lecture, ethics were discussed. For the first half, the guest speaker showed us cases controversial advertising. The lecturer made a clear distinction between what is ethical, and what is done in good or bad taste
The second half of the lecture saw us looking at the three fundamental ethical theories: Deontology, Consequentialism, and virtue.
.
Virtue ethics was of particular interest to me, as it was something that I studied last year in high school. A branch of virtue ethics that I am familiar with is Nicomachean Ethics, which is the work of philosopher Aristotle.
Aristotle believed that the 'good life' of a man was a life of happiness. He defined happiness as - "an activity of the soul in accordance with perfect virtue". To achieve this, Aristotle argued that people should act by the 'The Mean' or the 'Doctrine of the Mean', an idea briefly discussed in the lecture.
As described on the power-point slide above, The Mean says that one must act in in moderation, so as to achieve a balance (between rashness and cowardice). Whilst Aristotle was a relativist, believing that there is more than one way to live the 'good life', he expressed that the proper way to behave in an ethical manner is through The Mean.
However, the black and white nature of Aristotle's moral guidelines, have meant that it has raised many questions. For instance, are all ethical actions, acts of moderation? Surely sometimes reckless behaviour is praiseworthy? Some people who are immoderate by nature, might not find happiness in moderation... Are 'moderation' and 'excess' culturally determined standards?
Cleaver, G. (1987). Family Relations: Marriage
Enrichment by Means of a Structured Communication Programme. National Council on Family Relations, 36,
49-54.
Glenda
Cleaver presents a well-sourced perspective on the analysis of marriage
enrichment through structured communication.
She draws on the views of family relations experts Geoffrey Leigh, Irene
Loewen and Mark Lester, among others. Although Cleaver argues that conflict in
marriage is inevitable, she looks at an experiment that investigates the
effectiveness of teaching communication skills to married couples using a
structured videotape (Cleaver, 1987).The videotape contains a short explanation of the principles underlying
communication, shows models which demonstrate the skills to be learned, and
provides practice exercises for participants (Cleaver, 1987). Cleaver
has focussed on two groups of married couples who were taught the relevant
communication skills using different methods. The experimental group was taught the skills using the
videotape, while the control group was taught the skills without the use of the
videotape (Cleaver, 1987). After discussing other experts' conclusions in relation to the findings, Cleaver says that a significant improvement was evident for both groups using the skills taught. Cleaver goes on to write that even though both
methods appear to be effective in the short term, the follow-up measures
indicated that the effectiveness of the videotape was more lasting (Cleaver, 1987).
Portrayal of the same story by three different mediums
Morton, J. (2012,
May 1). Genia signing will lead to others, says Reds. The Roar. Retrieved from http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/05/01/genia-signing-will-lead-to-others-says-reds/
The Roar online
news website advertises itself as a combination of expert columnists with edited fan-written sports
articles. The author Jim Morton, is a long-time contributor to the website, and with
no professional qualifications, his piece was initially viewed sceptically.
However, by relying heavily on primary sources to shape his article, he presents a viewpoint that is not just his own opinion on the issues. Morton has used quotes from key stakeholders in the issue, such
as Will Genia and Queensland coach Ewen McKenzie. Genia expresses his happiness
and content with his decision to stay with the Reds, despite accepting less
money than what he was offered from the Western Force. Later, Coach Ewen
McKenzie argues that the signing is a boost for the Reds, and will help to
secure other players that go 'off contract' at the end of the season. Both
sources share their view that it was the best outcome for the Queensland Reds. Morton focuses on the Queensland perspective of the issues, without
considering the circumstances of the other parties involved.
Way, B.
(Reporter). (2012, May 1). Foxsports News Australia, Sydney: FOX SPORTS
Australia Pty Limited.
A news
report on Fox Sports News provides a dramatic account of Will Genia’s decision
to stay with the Queensland Reds. Reporter Ben Way chooses to focus on the
frustration felt by the Western Force administration, as the Queensland Rugby
Union released a statement saying Genia had made the decision to move, before
he had signed a contract. Rugby WA chief executive Vern Reid is quoted,
expressing that he wished Genia had followed through on the verbal agreement
that had been made. Further, the report speculates that the QRU’s statement may
have been released to create a public backlash towards Genia and force him to
change his mind, which was described as “a sensational back flip”. He makes a controversial link by going on to argue that
the incident reinforces a history of “bad blood” among the two franchises. It
uses examples of the Western Force “poaching” players from Queensland back in
2006, when the Perth-based team was setting up.
Macdonald, M. (2012, May 1). Queensland keeps Will Genia
after bizarre backflip. The Australian, p.40
Margie MacDonald
is an experienced journalist that has been working with the AAP for a number of
years. Whilst not as emotional as the Foxsports piece, MacDonald chooses to
focus on the conspiracy behind Will Genia’s decision to stay in Queensland.
MacDonald begins by arguing that there were reasons for Genia’s change of
heart, much deeper then what he told the media. Like Jim Morton’s article,
MacDonald draws on comments made by Genia relating to why he chose to stay in
Queensland. However, the effect that the contracting incident had on the
Western Force is emphasised. The author describes the Force administration as
having had their “feather ruffled”, and accuses the Reds' move as being against
protocols that apply to player announcements. Unlike either of the items discussed
earlier, MacDonald draws attention to how Genia was “not impressed” that the verbal
agreement given to the Force on Thursday was leaked to the media.
Ignoring the 'colourful' language, this guy raises some very good points, and outlines a number of flaws with the concept of feminism. By no means am I using this video to prove my own personal beliefs on the issue, I just think a lot of what he says is worth considering.
This is an article I wrote last week, following an interview with Bobby Whitfield, Liberian refugee and Senior Community Development Officer at the Multicultural Development Association.
Many refugees face a
dangerous journey when seeking asylum to Australia, but many are unaware of the
various social challenges they face when they get here.
Even if they survive the leaking boat, the constant threat
of pirates and rapists at sea, or the dangerous environment from which they
have fled, refugees face a different challenge when they reach Australia. Past
the uncertainty of the immigration authorities in granting refugee status, lies
an unwelcoming attitude within many parts of the Australian population.
Liberian refugee and Senior Community Development Officer
at the Multicultural Development Association, Bobby Whitfield, believes that
this attitude comes from a lack of perspective on the issue. “If we talk about
countries that are taking in high numbers of refugees, those are developing
countries, neighbouring countries to where the crises are being experienced,”
he says.
“Relatively comparing that to Australia is very low, in
terms of intake of refugees” Bobby goes on. “It is just a big myth that a lot
of refugees are coming... The bigger picture is that all the developing
countries are actually taking a huge proportion of the burden of sharing the
refugee crisis.”
When asked why many Australians act as if refugees are
dangerous people, Whitfield argues that it is brought about through the
political culture. “It has something to do with playing on the fears of people,
and people trying to score political points.”
“These guys are coming in on leaky boats, not gun boats” he
says with a wry smile.
The negative social perception of refugees boils
down to the notion that they are incapable of making a contribution to
Australian society. Whitfield strongly rejects this idea. “Refugees are very
industrious people. That whole idea that refugees want to come and just punch
off the welfare system is really not true.”
“Most refugees I can assure you are people who are studying,
working two jobs... participating in our social events, some are playing sports,”
he continues.“That whole thing that refugees are going to be a burden,
yes indeed, from the very beginning, you need some support, but that is very
short term... it’s not perpetual” Whitfield says.
If anyone needs an example of a refugee making a difference
in Australia, look no further than Bobby Whitfield. In December last year, he
became the first Liberian refugee to complete a Masters degree at the
University of Queensland. With all the work he has done with helping other
refugees settle into Australia, nobody can question the contribution and hard
work of this man.
In 2006, Australia was in trouble at 5/84 on the second day
of the fourth Ashes Test. The incoming batsman was Andrew Symonds, a man whose
talent was widely known, but rarely fully exercised in the Test match arena.
The opposition had their tails up, after removing three of Australia’s in-form
batsmen early that morning. The situation was pleading for patience and calm –
circumstances in which Andrew Symonds was not expected to succeed.
He took 22 deliveries to get off the mark which for most
people would be a sign of paralysis, but in Symonds’ case, it was a positive
departure from the expectations of many pundits. It made everyone believe that
he wanted to stick around.
129 balls later, Symonds reached his hundred with a six. The
reaction that followed was rousing. It was such a genuine celebration from
Symonds, one that was indicative of the personal struggles that he had gone
through to reach that point. That century may never have happened if it weren’t
for his past failures, and all the controversy that had previously surrounded
him. Many had questioned his commitment to the game and his team, but he had
come through it.
Andrew Symonds' emotions overflow as he brings up his hundred in the 2006/07 Ashes series. Photo: Reuters
Andrew Symonds was born on 9 June 1975 in Birmingham,
England. One of his biological parents is of West Indian heritage; the other is
believed to be Danish. When Symonds was just three months old, he moved to
Australia after being adopted by Ken and Barbara Symonds. In his autobiography
‘Going for Broke’, Andrew says that he is not sensitive about his adoption, and
is very content with the parents he has. “...I’ve no desire to ‘rediscover my
roots’, and I don’t spend time imagining what my biological parents might be
like...”
Symonds’ cricketing talent was evident as a young man. He
attended the Cricket Academy at the age of 19, and made his first class debut
for Queensland soon after. However, it wasn’t until the 1997/98 Sheffield
Shield season where he began to string some performances together. He averaged
just over 50 that year, including four hundreds. He was quickly becoming known
as one of the most explosive batsmen in the country. He was rewarded for this
good form with selection in the Australian one-day side late in 1998.
He found himself in and out of the Australian one-day team
for the next five years, struggling with consistency. He was well established
as a pinch-hitter, and was yet to be taken seriously as a player that could bat
for long periods of time. Impatience was costing him, a characteristic that
would later on prove a source of concern off the cricket pitch.
Still yet to fulfil his potential, Symonds’ break came in
2003. A host of injuries to other players meant that he was sent to South
Africa on the eve of the World Cup. Whilst there was criticism that Australia
needed a ‘proper’ batsman, captain Ricky Ponting stood up for Symonds and
ultimately got him the opportunity. The next few weeks proved to be the best form
Symonds had shown on the international stage, and was a prominent figure
throughout Australia’s successful World Cup campaign.
After his outstanding performances throughout the 2003 World
Cup, Symonds was fast becoming one of Australia’s most popular players.
However, this didn’t come without controversy. In fact, Symonds had a string of
off-field dramas that would ultimately lead to his fallout from the Australian
cricket team.
In 2005, the Australian team was in England competing in a
one-day series. They had a match coming up against minnows Bangladesh, but
Symonds decided to go out on the eve of the game. "Ah, it's only
Bangladesh," he wrote in his autobiography, "a little bit of fizz
won't be a worry."
He returned to the team hotel after sunrise, and was woken
up only when team mate Michael Clarke put him in the shower. Mainly due to
Clarke’s efforts, he made it to the ground on the team bus. However, Symonds
raised the suspicions of his captain and coach when he slipped off a wheelie
bin while doing his stretches.
"You're drunk. You're not playing today," Coach
John Buchanan told Symonds.
"No, I'm right to go," Symonds replied. "I'm
playing."
Buchanan then told Symonds to “sort himself out.”
Explanations to cover the story such as flu and injury were now being
considered by staff. This did not sit well with Symonds.
"As it started to sink in that I was gone I fired up. If
you're going to drop me, then you better tell them why or I will." Symonds
recalls in his autobiography.
The story ended up coming out during the match, as Symonds later
faced a disciplinary hearing.
As Symonds explains, he then had to deal with the anger of
his team mates – "The team meeting went for ages... They might have been
my mates, but they were united in their fury at my actions."
The situation was compounded by the fact that Australia lost
the game. With an Ashes series so close, the loss put an amount of unnecessary
pressure on the team.
Ultimately, Symonds was sent home from the tour.
"... I felt as if my guts had been ripped out because
I'd let down some of my closest mates, my family and, let's face it, the whole
country.” Symonds also made himself ineligible for the Allan Border Medal that
year, further illustrating the regret that he felt.
Symonds then began the long process that would culminate in
that century in an Ashes test match. Even though he had made his test debut in
2004, he had hardly been impressive. At first, many doubted that he would ever
be capable of playing in the national test side again. Many believed that,
despite his impressive one-day performances in the past, his style was simply
unfit for tests.
But Symonds worked on his game, demonstrating a more
conservative approach in his return to the domestic competition. His performances
were telling people he could be versatile, applying new-found patience whenever
he could.
This struggle and doubt is what led up to his innings at the
MCG in 2006. To see Symonds once again be at the top of his game, and to
witness the emotion that poured out of him when he got there, was special. Whilst this is not his full story, this chapter of his career is a perfect insight into the character of Andrew Symonds.
Week five saw us listening to two interviews on ABC Local Radio. Carmel spoke with Richard Fidler, former member of comedic group the 'Doug Anthony All Stars', and current talk show host on ABC radio. In the second part of the interview, Carmel talked to Steve Austin, another long-time ABC radio presenter.
Both men shared their experiences on how they entered the industry, as well as some special moments while interviewing certain people.
One of the things that stood out to me was when Richard Fidler talked about when conducting an interview, was how important trust is between the interviewee and himself. He said that because the interviewee has no legal obligation to tell you anything, it is vital that you build a sense trust in each other to get the most out of whoever you are talking to.
"Sometimes there are moments when guests remember things for the first time, in the middle of an interview... I love moments like that, when people surprise themselves and feel they have enough trust in the program that they can say those things without me ridiculing it."
Richard Fidler (right) in the studio.
I actually found this lecture easiest to engage with. Because is was purely audio, there were no visual distractions, as opposed to being in a lecture theatre. I was able to just sit back, close my eyes, and listen.
‘The difference between commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting is the difference between consumers and citizens’ – Nigel Milan (former Managing Director of SBS)
The role of public media is to hold the public interest as its top priority. It is funded by the taxpayer, and is designed for the people. Public media is used as a tool for nation building, an expression of national heritage and identity with emphasis on local stories.
One of the questions that was posed in the lecture was Public Media's role in a democratic society. Bruce explained that is the public media's duty to support public and democratic processes.
According to Robert Richter, Public Media is important because is the last bastion of long form investigative journalism.
“It is such a special vehicle for voices to be heard … [for] visions and viewpoints … ignored by commercial media.”
2pac back! Just the fact that people have created a hologram of the man performing two of his classics - 'Hail Mary' and '2 of America's Most Wanted' is a testament to the impact 2pac had on not only hip-hop, but the wider global community.
It was also great to see Snoop join the 'gangsta party' and perform along side Hologram Pac. Enjoy!
"Advertisers are the real customers of a commercial media organisation, not its readers, viewers or listeners"
In my opinion, this sums up the motives of many commercial media companies. Privately owned and profit driven - generated by advertising.
Lecture six basically went through all the major competitors in the world of commercial media, and the different ways that corporations branch out in order to gain the attention of viewers.
One of the biggest challenges commercial media faces is that a loss in revenue equals less investment. Without the ability to invest, there isn't as much money for production, leading to more bought content from overseas. This bought content tends to be old programs prominently from the US.
An interesting point that was raised was the challenges this sort of media faces when balancing commercial (profit) and social (public trust). Do these coporations care about providing true and accurate broadcasts? Or is it all about the 'Benjamins' ($$$)?
Much of the criticism of commercial media is based on its perceived inability to serve the local community because of media consolidation. Freepress.net defines media consolidation as the act of a large organisation buying into local media outlets, and as a result having control of the 'flow' of information that is provided to the public. With this regression in diversity of ownership and programming, comes less viewpoints. Coverage
of local events is affected, and the community is prone to propaganda through excessive advertising.
"Comment is free, but facts are sacred." - C.P. Scott (Editor / Owner of The Guardian)
There is a feeling that the tabloid news that is seen on commercial stations, puts more emphasis on pleasing the viewer, rather than deliver 'real' and quality news. This is indicative of the whole commercial attitude - putting ratings before quality, a clear contradiction of the Hutchins Commission.
This idea of media consolidation helps me understand what Bruce said about private companies creating their own competition. For example, I was surprised to hear that radio stations B105 and Triple M are both owned by Southern Cross Broadcasting.
There is no doubting that commercial media has a tendency to put money before public interest. By definition, 'commercial' is concerned with or engaged in commerce. I guess all we can hope is that the public don't expect anything different.
Photo journalism was the topic of the day. Most of the content Bruce spoke about had been covered in my COMU1999 lectures, but it was useful to hear Bruce's angle on the topic.
The main theme of the class was based on the importance of picture stories, and how they have evolved over time. Australian indigenous cave paintings and early century Holy books are an examples of picture stories.
By outlining these primitive concepts, an illustration of how these forms of visual communication have evolved and filtered into the media over time. The first use of photo journalism began in 1880. The rate at which technology has evolved is astounding.
We went on to look at some hilarious (but sad) examples of digital manipulation. This was my favourite example -
But what makes a great photo? Aspects such as framing, focus, viewpoint and lighting were all touched on by Bruce. The importance of timing was emphasised, as it was stressed that a photographer’s ability to ‘capture the moment’ is vital.
“A picture has no meaning at all if it can’t tell a story.” - Eetu Silanpaa
Here are a few images which are true to Eetu Silanpaa's words.
Robert Peraza, who lost his son Robert David Peraza in 9/11, pauses at his son’s name at the North Pool of the 9/11 Memorial. (Getty Images / Justin Lane)
A protester gets sprayed in the face with pepper spray at an Occupy Portland protest. (Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian)
Chile's Puyehue volcano erupts, causing air traffic cancellations across South America, New Zealand, Australia and forcing over 3,000 people to evacuate. (Reuters)
Facebook played an extremely important role in the uprisings throughout the Middle East. (Source: theatlanticwire.com)
A U.S. Army soldier takes five with an Afghan boy during a patrol in Pul-e Alam, a town in Logar province, eastern Afghanistan. (Reuters / Umit Bektas)
A woman rebel fighter supporter fires an AK-47 rifle as she reacts to the news of the withdrawal of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces from Benghazi on March 19. (Reuters / Goran Tomasevic)
A man sits in front of a destroyed apartment building following the Joplin, Missouri tornado. (Reuters)
A demonstrator shows his bottom to riot police during a protest by European workers and trade union representatives to demand better job protection in the European Union countries in Brussels on March 24. (Reuters / Thierry Roge)
As I posted earlier in relation to the week three lecture, the importance of text journalism was explored by journalist Skye Doherty. She spoke about how factual story telling should be structured, using an inverted pyramid to differentiate the most important details from the background information. To be honest, I had learnt this the previous week in my reporting lecture and tutorial, so I did struggle to stay interested (no disrespect to Skye, it was simply a matter of content).
However, as I talked about in my first post on week 3, Skye Doherty answered some questions at the end of her lecture. Have a look to see my reflection on what she said.
In week two Bruce took us through
the evolution of media, and its impact on news and journalism. Things such as old media (newspapers, radio etc), Web 1.0, which is the internet in its most basic form (information accompanied by ads), Web 2.0 (Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks), and finally Web 3.0 or the 'Semantic Web'. Web 3.0 revolves around structured data which allows users to share and find information more easily. An example of websites implementing this concept can be seen on YouTube, where they provide the user with 'recommended videos', derived from search history.
Brilliant, and a little scary.
Bruce also talked about how these different forms of media were changing news and the way in which it is distributed. Personally speaking, there is no doubt that news on the web has led to me neglecting older forms of media, simply due to accessibly. This is illustrated in my media diary.
The fact that web news is so accessible means that people generally will look towards the internet for news. Whilst there is nothing wrong with qualified journalists writing up a story on the internet as opposed to a newspaper, I feel that the accessibility of the web has diluted the quality of journalism.
The web is open to anyone. In my opinion, this means that ANYONE can be a journalist. Anyone can write about an event and how they saw it, without verifying facts. Facebook and blogging are forums that are typically used for lazy journalism.
I'm not saying that the number of good journalists has decreased as media and the internet has evolved, I am arguing that we are just more prone to bad journalism.
People might disagree with me, arguing that just because the average Joe wrote a story on something, doesn't make him a journalist. Well, yes it does. It just doesn't make him a very good one.
One of my favourite performances from one of my favourite artists. The song is 'Quiet Dog' from his album 'The Ecstatic', which was released in 2009. Big-ass drums and flow - a simple formula, but it works.
I must admit I was pretty pumped for my first ever
university lecture. In saying that, I was curious of what sorts of things we
would be doing in the course, as I had been having some doubts as to whether journalism
was for me.
The main message that I got out of my first lecture was that
we had to see ourselves as a journalist. Lecturer Bruce made it clear that if
we were to succeed this semester, we had to act as if we were IN the industry. Talk
about ‘faking it till you make it’...
But in all seriousness I knew that it would be a challenge. My
attention to media tends to revolve around only my personal interests – I assume
this is natural but it’s something I need to work on. I got the impression from
Bruce that to be a journalist, you have to be aware of everything happening around
you. This will require me to read a lot more than I currently do, and to
broaden my understanding of what is going on in the world.
Regardless of whether or not I am certain about my future in
the journalism field, there is no doubt that I am willing to step outside my comfort zone and give it a go.
Over
a ten day period spanning from 17th March to the 26th, I
recorded my various uses of media in a media diary. All times recorded are in minutes.
Table 1.1
Table 1.2
The diary data shows that interaction and reliance on desktop
internet for general use and media news has heavily outweighed any other media.
The reason for this is for the obvious accessibility of every type of
information on the internet. As shown in graph 1 and the table, I have spent
approximately 2085 minutes using desktop internet over the ten day period. This
calculates to 3 hours and 28.5 minutes per day connected to the web. This time was
predominantly used on Facebook, YouTube and other websites of personal interest
to me, most notably Foxsports.com.au and okayplayer.com (a music website).
My data indicated that time spent on desktop internet fitted
around when I was away from university. It is difficult to compare the time
with the UQ survey, as its data does not disaggregate internet time between the
use of desktop and hand held internet devices.
The use of a hand held devices was my other way of connecting with the internet when away from home, particularly when travelling. My iPod receives a work over whenever I am on the train or bus each day, and I regularly use Heytell – an audio messaging application.
When comparing this to the UQ public survey, the data shows that, when adding the times recorded for desktop and hand held internet use, I am just within the 13% group that spends 4 to 5 hours a day on the internet.
Table 2
Total time (mins)
Average time per day (mins)
Survey Comparison (mins [%])
Internet
2465
246.5
240 – 300 (13%)
Television
640
64
1-2 (29.9%)
Radio
0
0
0 (16.7%)
I generally found myself using the T.V purely for watching
sport and sport news, and occasional viewing of world news. Overall I spent
around 640 minutes watching television, which comes to just over an hour per
day. In comparison with the UQ data, I am the majority 29.9% that use
television for between 1-2 hours a day. This is something of a commentary on my
personal relationship with particular areas of journalism. I commit to far more
time of sports news then I do of domestic and world news.
I was surprised at how little time I spend engaging with
hardcopy media. My recordings indicate that approximately 80 minutes was taken
up by newspapers. There is no comparative data from the public survey that I
can use. Hardcopy media is the least accessible forms of media, and I simply don’t
go to the effort of buying newspapers often. However, my use of newspapers
tended to be on weekends, and was generally sport oriented.
Radio use was something on which I was fairly confident I
would not be spending too much time. It has always been a form of media that I
have ignored. The main reasons for the avoidance of radio are probably the ads
and the tiring personalities that distract me from the more worthwhile aspects
of radio. Whatever the case, I did not spend a minute listening to the radio, joining
the other 16.7% of people in the UQ survey.
My media diary has illustrated my overall relationship with
journalism and communication. Frankly, my connection with journalism is
strictly interest based. The only time I interact with journalism is when I am
interested in the topic, which tends to be sport, music or video gaming. I aim
to broaden my relationship, by being more critically engaged with the
profession. Further, my recordings show new media’s dominance over old media.
This imbalance is not because I dislike old forms of media, but rather it is
due to new media’s level of accessibility. This appeared to be a trend in the
UQ survey, as new media was favoured over old to find news.
