Hello, and welcome to my first blog post.
For this post, I will share my 24-hour media diet for Saturday, January 18, 2025. I will start with the first media I touch when I wake up and then the last press I use before I sleep.
Let’s get up and out of bed and start consuming some media.
6:30 a.m.: I wake up, turn on my TV, and watch the local news. I start with the local news every morning because the information they cover on crime, weather, and government is the most impactful and relevant to my daily life.
I start with KTLA Channel 5, which gives weather and traffic updates after every commercial break. This information helps me prepare for the day, which includes clear skies, cool temperatures, and, thankfully, no wind.
I also check my news apps on my phone, starting with the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and LA Times.
7:00 a.m.: I also start my morning social media search while the news is on. I want to stay updated and connect with my friends and social circles. I start with Facebook, then Instagram, X, and, possibly, the last time, TikTok.
I find it interesting that Joe Biden signed the TikTok ban into law in April 2024. During that time, no influencer or content creator on the site mentioned it until the past week.
I disagree with the ban. If the site were such a threat to national security, then the President of the United States wouldn’t have had an account on which I was told he was posting ‘Dark Brandon’ memes.
It is also interesting how few people on TikTok understand the 1rst amendment. The government can regulate speech if the restrictions are content-neutral and are a risk to national security, and that was the case made to the Supreme Court.
8:00 a.m.: Time to check Canvas to check in on my classes and see what Is due. This assignment is due tomorrow, and there is a quiz to do along with it.
8:15 a.m.: It’s time for a little Diablo 4 on my Xbox. I love this, but what a time suck it is.
9:00 a.m.: It’s Gym time. I set off to my Local LA Fitness for Leg and Ab day. I consume music as my media. The music at LA Fitness is historically bad, but Apple iTunes is here to save the day. For this workout, I listed a compilation of Wu-Tang, MF-Doom and Czar Face.
Noon: My next significant media consumption is watching the NFL playoffs. The Texans v The Kansas City Refs, oops, I mean Chiefs, is the day’s first game.
4:30 p.m.: The next game is the Lions vs. the Commanders. Now, as a 49er fan, I have little interest in who wins these games, but Jayden Daniels, at one point, was a Sun Devil, so let’s go, Daniels.
6:00 p.m.: I watched a replay of the LA Lakers’ 101- 102 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday.
7:00 p.m.: I watch AEW Rampage on TNT. I have loved pro wrestling, and while AEW has some story and content issues, it’s always fun to watch. I do not like the Acclaim breaking as a tag time, and Chris Jericho needs to retire. He is just too old for this.
10:00 p.m.: It’s getting close to my bedtime, so I do one last check of my social media sites. TikTok is officially done, and there are no new wildfires, so I end my media diet for the day off to bed then.
I found the most credible media sources for this media diet is and continues to be local news. The stories they cover, whether crime, traffic or events, are the most impactful to my life and provide me with the most helpful information.
Legacy media outlets such as the New York Times and LA Times are beneficial. Still, their progressive bias on covering news shines through too often, and I need to use my Lateral reading skills far too frequently.
Social media is an information dumpster fire, and I do not trust anything posted there. The information I consume there constantly requires verification from multiple sources such as AP News, well-sourced Wikipedia, and some legacy media sites.
When I encounter content that emotionally engages me, I step back to question the source and the reason behind the post and poster and then look to other media outlets to verify the facts before accepting the information.
Well, that is a lot to chew on; thank you for reading my blog. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks….