Global journalism and mass communication education in the digital era

Abstract: Journalism and mass communication education will remain relevant as long as it attracts talented students and provides evidence that its graduates are competitive in the job market. To do that, educators need to understand and embrace the field of mass communication in its new complexity and broaden their curricular options, as students will likely pick those specializations that will help them get a job in the fast-evolving media industry. Journalism schools should also be more active outside the academy, developing media literacy programs for citizens and collaborating with non-academic organizations to combat fake news. Teaching digital technology skills and analyzing how social media have influenced the media industry also are needed. Challenges to journalism education have stimulated agility and growth in the past, so one can hope for the same evolution in the future.