THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM EDUCATION

CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

Our world is changing rapidly and we are witnesses of that
change. We are also aware of the fact that there is a difference in the
ways of living here 20 years ago and today. That is a consequence of
the development which occurred in the field of technology in a short
period of time, as well as of the appearance of the worldwide web (the
Internet). There were times when the transfer of the information from
one place to another took months or, in some cases, years. However,
nowadays the news is transferred expressly and its effect is broader. In
this, so-called modern world, we are not only traditional consumers,
but also interactive users and creators, broadcasters and publishers of
information. Thus, we may ask why do we need journalists as
professionals?
Online media or Internet emerged as the forth media, besides
the traditional media (radio, television and printed media). The usage
of the traditional media shows signs of decrease which is caused by
the usage of the world’s fastest growing medium in the history - the
Internet. Yet, the traditional media are still considered as one of the
most competent and trustworthy sources of news, due to their
dependence upon the journalists’ skills and due to the scepticism
toward the online information. This is because tweet and status
updates, comments and emails cannot and should not be compared
with articles, stories and viewpoints, written or expressed by
professionals. The role of journalists may be changing, the sources
may be diversified, the core of traditional media may be shifting to
other forms and contents, but journalism is still a precious sphere
where news is systematically gathered, analyzed and disseminated. In
order to reach this level, we must have proper journalism education.
Journalism education is said to have appeared in the U.S.A. in
the 1860’s. The first journalism school was opened in 1908. Since
then, the journalism studies have become standard in most
universities. The purpose of journalism education is to enable the
students to identify news and recognize the story in the complex field of fact and opinion, to conduct journalistic research, to write,
illustrate, edit and produce material for different types of media.
Otherwise, how can we imagine living without right and proper
information? Long years of experience and in-depth research of
journalism study programs dedicated to educating better journalists
permitted Newton to define four emerging trends in journalism
education: 1. Journalism and communication schools better connected
to the intellectual life of the entire university; 2. Journalism and
communication schools as content and technology innovators;
3. Journalism and communication schools as master teachers of open,
collaborative approaches; 4. Journalism and communication schools
as digital news providers which understand the media ecosystems of
their communities. According to Newton, these four transformational
trends are the keys to the success of journalism schools.

Journalism is vital because of its influence on the development
of governmental policies which are sensitive toward open information,
accountability and free speech in a democratic society. The way in
which we educate and engage our journalism students and ourselves in
a meaningful and preferably non-hierarchical dialogue is a
prerequisite for the improvement of the society and the health of the
citizens. This is what can determine how professional journalism is
made. That is where the future journalism education needs to be
directed, if the principle aim is to become more professional and gain
with more confidence and respect.