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Media Monitor Assignment - 10.12.09
Media Monitor Assignment - 10.12.09
10/12/2009
Prof. Stavitsky
Media Monitor Assignment
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In monitoring my media usage during a two day period, Oct. 8 & Oct. 10,1 didn't uncover any previously
unknown habits or trends. I did, however, come to realize that I'm probably less exposed to mass media
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messages via TV and/or radio than many people in my demographic (Male, 18-35) For the sake of full
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disclosure, I'm 27 years old. This lack of exposure is both intentional and coincidental.
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Generally speaking, I am not interested in viewing what is considered by many to be popular and
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entertaining, television programming. I haVe never seen any episode of: American Idol, 24, Survivor,
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Dancing With the Stars, Lost, House or any incarnation ofCSI. This lack of interest, whether guided or
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misguided, in watching formulaic, repetitive and often times narcissistic competitions among the untalented,
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allows me the opportunity to spend more time searching out media channels, outlets and/or publications that
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interest me.
events on a regular basis, for the first 10 days in October I was sheltered from media messages to an even
greater degree than normal. Recently I moved into a new apartment. This move has delayed my regular
delivery of periodicals. My subscriptions tot Newsweek, Scientific American and Sports Illustrated have
not yet arrived. This lack of exposure is compounded by the fact that I havfe not had cable television or
I chose to monitor Thurs., Oct. 8 and Sat., Oct. 10 because I had plans to watch the University of
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Oregon's football game on Saturday against UCLA, thus exposing me to greater than typical media noise.
Also, I knew there would be too much repetition in my media usage on consecutive weekdays. The
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spreadsheet, Figure 1A, breaks down my media exposure.
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On 10/8/2009 my morning started quite routinely. I checked and responded to email via
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Blackberry. My satisfaction level was low. Checking email isn't satisfying. Next, I read the internet
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headlines at the New York Times via Blackberry. I did so because it's habitual for me to read headlines in
the morning. When I read an interesting headline, "President Wins Nobel Peace Prize," I read the full story/
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My satisfaction level increased. This satisfaction level wasn't altered by the news itself, my satisfaction
level was increased because there was interesting news. I followed this story to two other online news sites,
devoting 13% of my day's exposure to the internet. During the same day I went through the same routine I
normally go through on a weekday. I wasn't surprised, after breaking down the numbers, that Music was
< number 2 in terms of the day's total media exposure and took up 29% of my attention. Music plays many
roles in my routine each day. I workout, jog, cook, drive and groom with it on. Sometimes I actively listen,
sometimes it's only ambient noise, keeping the background full. Typically I'm pleased or content with the
Number 1 for the 10/8/2009's media exposure was the time I spent watching the remake of the S^l/t\ \/s? /O
movie "3:10 to Yuma." While I enjoyed the movie and was pleased with the time spent, I was surprised that // si
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^single movie held 38% of my attention for an entire day. I subscribe to Netflix and it's routine for me to
play the DVD on \ tie day I receive it, once my day's responsibilities are through.
fthe second day of the media monitoring assignment, 10/10/2009, Music again took the number
t. With 12.9% of my attention, Music accounted for the time spent jogging in the morning. I was
content with this medium. For this same day, an overwhelming majority of my media exposure, 77%,
belonged to TV. More specifically the UO vs. UCLA game. I was content spending the time watching the
game with friends, however, I found the game relatively uneventful and often times boring. The majority of
the time spent "watching" the game was actually spent talking and catching up with friends.
During the entirety of the two day media monitor assignment 1 was never more than "Pleased" with
my time spent with any of the various inrrliiimi nr media. The patterns I noticed weren't news to me'
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however, the percentage of time devoted to.pr spent with the various i was more surprising than
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anything else uncovered. 38% oflrny two day study Wfe devoted to an unsatisfying football game, 21% was
spent hearing, but not necessarily listening to Music, 19% was spent zoned out, watching a Movie, an
unsatisfying 11% of my time was spent online reading news and email.
Shockingly, for someone who gets as much enjoyment out of reading as I do, I spent only about
9% of my time over the two day period doing so. Since I watched no TV, other than the football game and
read nothing substantial other than old issues of Newsweek, I would contend I was probably less exposed to
mass media messages via TV and/or radio than many people in my demographic.
Figure: 1A