Ingrassia Media Consumption Blog Post

In examining in great detail my own daily media habits and consumption behaviors and patterns, I have come to several interesting conclusions. Firstly, I primarily consume media through social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. This is typical of someone from my generation — Millennials typically get their news from their smartphones or computers.

And it makes perfect sense — it is a much more convenient way for me to read stories or watch videos than from a paper that is delivered to my doorstep or a scheduled television program that I have to sit down and watch. I can get up-to-the-minute news right on my phone, whenever I feel like checking, from the sources I trust the most.

And fortunately, I am a responsible and literate enough news consumer to know what sources are reliable and accurate and will not fill my timelines with fake news. But this could pose a problem for other social media users who are not as savvy. We are all aware of the echo chambers media consumers create for themselves today, following sources that match their own political and social leanings, validating only their own points of view.

There are so many great news media sources available online today, pushing a variety of content to their followers. Modern media companies like VICE, BuzzFeed and Storyful make short videos for social media that are geared towards young audiences. They are produced with tight, concise writing or subtitles, fast-paced editing and content that holds our short attention span. I find these interesting and some of my favorite media to consume.

The way in which I consume media says a lot about content business. They have to be smart about how, where and when they post, constantly focusing on generating clicks and taps in order to generate revenue. Their headlines and captions must be catchy and captivating because the only way these companies can profit is from my clicks. Like many others in my generation, I pay nothing for my news. Aside from the sunk costs of a computer or smartphone, the Internet is free, as is most everything on it.

But the media companies are making money from the advertisements attached to their content and relying on their ability to get me to click on it. This means much of the content I see is merely bait for my clicks, attempting to generate profit, and this makes me more cautious as a user.

And while I understand the need for media companies to profit from my consumption of their content, I still do expect to use their services for free. This might be because of precedent; the Internet always has been free, after all. But as I prepare to enter the workforce of the journalism industry, I hope that more viable ways of profiting from the consumption of news will become available as my success depends on it!