Assignment 2: Personal Media Use Log (15 points)

Due: January 28

Purpose: To sensitize you to your own regular use of new and traditional mass media, including
preferences, motivations, and concurrent behaviors.

Directions: For 3 consecutive days keep a list of all your daily use of television, radio, newspapers,
magazines, videos, CDs, films, Internet, chat rooms, video games, and e-mail every day. Note the time
spent on each media activity, and note what else, if anything, you were doing while you watched or
listened. Include a total time for each medium over the three days. A sample log for one day appears
below.

Television/Film

1/19 7–8 am Today Show, NBC (while eating)

5:30–6:00 pm CBS News, CBS (while cooking)

6:00–6:10 Local news, channel 27

7:00–7:30 pm Friends, TBS

8:00–8:30 pm MSNBC Rachel Maddow

8:30–8:45 pm MTV and VH-1 videos (channel surfing)

10:30–11:00 pm Tonight Show, NBC (while sewing buttons on clothes)

11:15–1:00 am Watched video of The Hangover 2

1:00–1:20 am KQLA (falling asleep)

(4 hours, 55 mins total)

Radio

1/19 3:30–3:45 pm KJCK-FM Top 40 music (while driving)

5:00–5:30 pm All Things Considered-NPR (while studying)

(1 hour, 15 mins total)

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Magazines

1/19 Time 30 min

Glamour 15 min (to help fall asleep)

(45 mins total)

Newspapers

1/19 Manhattan Mercury (after dinner)

Collegian (while waiting for class)

(30 mins total)

Computer

1/19 8:15–8:30 Check e-mail and respond

12:30–12:45 pm IM and surf Internet to check for airline tickets

12:45–1:00 pm Visit Facebook and check with friends

1:00–1:30 pm Played Grand Theft Auto on computer and IM with friends

6:30–7:10 pm Check e-mail and respond, check Facebook

7:10–7:30 pm Check daily news and weather online

(3 hrs 5 mins total)

Music

1/19 U2 Vertigo while snacking (45 mins total)

iPod while going to class (10 mins total)

After you have kept your three-day log, add up the total time spent with each medium for the three
days and respond briefly to the following questions:

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1. Are these pretty typical days for you in terms of media use? If it’s very atypical, please explain.

2. What are the media that you use most heavily? Consider the balance of print, electronic, and
computer-mediated communication.

3. Why do you favor these over others? For what purposes do you use media?

4. What kinds of broadcast programming, print, and internet particularly appeal to you and why?

5. Were you surprised in any way at your log after you saw it complete? If so, how?

6. What kinds of other activities do you often do while you consume media? How are these activities
affected by having the radio, TV, or computer on?

Feel free to add further comments about your own media use.

© 2014 Taylor & Francis