Keeping a media journal is a pretty interesting idea. Johndan Johnson-Eilola writes about media diaries in response to an article in the New York Magazine about people who kept media diaries. He quotes one person’s media diary, which is, in his opinion and mine, pretty short:
7:30–8:30 a.m. “Morning Edition“ (NPR) at home.
9–9:20 AM New York on subway.
9:25 AP and USA Today headlines on a screen in office elevator.
9:40–9:55 E-mail accounts (Gmail, work, NYU e-mail, Hotmail), Gawker.
1:20–4:30 p.m. Gawker, TMZ, “Rush & Molloy“ online, Nytimes.com, Facebook, Google, Nysun .com.
5:30–6 iPod on subway: “London Bridge,“ by Fergie; “Save Room,“ by John Legend; “Steady, As She Goes,“ by the Raconteurs; “Ain’t No Other Man,“ by Christina Aguilera; “Plástico,“ by Willie Colón & Rubén Blades.
7–8 iPod at gym: Ministry of Sounds Session, by Max Graham.
9:10–9:25 Gmail, AccuWeather .com at home.
10:45–11:30 Grey’s Anatomy on laptop (purchased on iTunes).
Johndan notes how the journal only includes big media and doesn’t include smaller media (e.g., billboards), and also how the journals only include consuming media and not producing it. He also notes that his journal would be much longer, and I think mine would be too. I like the idea of assigning a media journal/diary to students, and of doing on myself. Perhaps next week I’ll try to keep one. It would be interesting, just to know how much time I spend with certain media and also how much time I waste utilize online.
