When it comes to keeping up with news, my go-to gadget appears to be my phone. These days, I rarely watch TV for news, or at all for that matter, and this media consumption diary definitely confirmed that. I may occasionally watch news shows on CNN or ABC 7 in the mornings, but usually very briefly and I don’t pay as much attention as I do when using my phone. Instead, I look at online blogs to keep me informed about what’s going on in the world and I mainly focus on entertainment.
Sites like E! News (online) and and The Hollywood Reporter (online) serve as my primary go-to’s for the latest entertainment updates. The stories are typically casually and sometimes playfully written, which appeals to the type of articles I enjoy reading. In addition to these sites, I spend much of my time following up on various blog sites through social media, like Instagram and Facebook, which also feature more relaxed writing styles/tones. Since my focus is on entertainment reporting, I always feel obligated to check on things within that realm, whether it’s in fashion, music, or film/television. So, since these sites and blogs are best fitting of my career interest, I see to it that I frequent them and gain as much information on that industry as possible.
On the other hand, I realized my in-depth news knowledge is suffering. Yes, I do check traditional news sites like ABC, Huffington Post (online), and USA Today (online), but I know I am not as invested in the aspects they cover as I should be. I don’t want my perspective to be one-sided and as of late, it appears that it might be. I know in order for me to be a well-rounded journalist, I need to be up to date with current affairs in politics just as much as entertainment, so with this assignment I began working towards bridging that gap and focusing a little more on political coverage/world affairs.
Similarly, my media consumption habits in itself are not as strong as I would like. I obviously try to check on events as much as possible, but I do think I could try to read a little more. Sometimes, I don’t have the urge to constantly check and re-check on developing stories, which results in me finding out news a little later than preferred. I understand that professionally this can potentially affect my work and make me not as reliable with people trying to contact me or get me to cover a story. So, I’m working on getting in-tune with news events at a more consistent, steady rate than I do now, as to solidify myself as an authentic and well-informed candidate for covering stories.
Ultimately, this assignment proved to be extremely useful for me as an aspiring professional in this career. I was able to monitor my news intake and simultaneously reflect on how it would affect me in the career. I also paid more attention to the type of content I gravitate to, which is also key in helping me assess the type of work I am more likely to produce. Overall, I hope to be more conscious of my media consumption habits and do it in a way that will prove most beneficial to me in this career.
