Media Consumption Blog

In the past two weeks I haven’t physically written down the exact time in which I interact with different types of media, but I have kept a mental log of my “media habits” in my head. I’m not sure if they have changed in the past weeks due to classes and becoming more aware of the impact that all different types of media have in my life; Or if I am just becoming more aware of these habits because of the assignment. I think it is safe to say that it is a combination of both.

I have also been unsure of the best way to express my media consumption in a public blog so that it makes sense to other.

My train of thought throught out this process went something like this.

Media Consumption Log- What different types of media do I consume everyday?
Myspace, Facebook, GMail, The Boston Globe, The Metro, CNN, NPR, The New Yorker, The 10 O’Clock News, The Phoenix, etc.

I also realized when and where I consume different types of media on a day to day basis. Depending on what my schedule looks like for a certain day or what I am planning for the next few days I digest different forms of media.

For example, I usually work on Thursday mornings. I have to be in by 9 A.M., so I usually wake-up make a pot of coffee and grab the Globe from the doorstep and read it while the coffee is brewing. Seeing as though it is early I usually just do a quick scan through the big headlines. I always start with the front page story. Then go to the business section followed by the city section. I save the Arts and Entertainment for last because that is generally the section I read with my coffee once it is done.

I take the subway to work and usually read the Metro on the way. I have grown very fond of it over the years. It is kind of like a “Cliff-notes” version of the newspaper; which I like because of time reasons. The Metro I can read front to back on one train ride and feel like I have gotten just about the gist of what is going on in the world, while listening to my IPod on the crowded subway.

Being a hostess at work and being one of the first to arrive in the morning I generally get to choose what channel to watch on the television set until the bartender gets in at 10:30 and claims his domain (which includes the T.V).

My Work Choices:
CNN is my first choice most days with a cup of coffee from the kitchen, restaurant music playing in the background, as I fill out the floor plans for the day and manage the phone lines. However, between taking reservations and transferring calls I usually just get updated based on the visuals.

Besides that I flip through the weather channel to find on how busy we are going to be based on the weather, and what is going on locally rather that nationally. I check out MTV videos and then VH1 which is usually showing re-runs of the Surreal Life.

Home is where I get most of my through reading and watching done. I personally like reading the newspaper out of habit and the overall feel that comes from actually reading the paper. I favor the Globe because most of all. And usually read it during or after dinner at the kitchen table.
In the past two weeks specifically I have read the newspaper much more than watched the news out of frustration with the whole Anna Nicole issue that has seemed to be overtaking every station there is. I get frustrated with the amount of publicity that she has received everywhere when there is just so much more going on in the world. Newspapers have had articles on her as well, but at least with a paper I can sort through to find the articles that I find much more interesting.