Journalism is not what it used to be. Gone are the mornings of notepads and flash cameras. Today, journalists need so much more than a love of pithy headlines and a sharp number 2 pencil.
Digital confidence is non-negotiable
Social media has ramped up in recent years and journalists are often asked to show they know how to navigate it. That, along with analytics dashboards and video editing, is the new daily grind.
A good journalism degree now teaches you how to spot the trending stories, verify them, and then publish online, all without breaking a sweat. Algorithms, audience behaviour and analytics are the three A’s of awesomeness in journalism.
Rock-solid research skills
You may want to be the first to get out a story, but in an era of AI and deepfake culture, accuracy is everything. As the BBC highlighted in its coverage of misinformation during major news events, false claims can spread.
A journalism degree should drill into you how to cross-check sources while you interpret data. It also teaches you how to ask awkward questions when something feels off. Typos and grammatical blips might be minor, but factual errors? Unforgivable.
Training that reflects the real world
Of course, where you study matters too. Looking at places like schoolofjournalism.co.uk can give you an idea of how courses are adapting to modern demands.
In the end, modern journalists need curiosity, resilience and digital savvy in equal measure. A journalism degree is still a brilliant starting point to get prepped for the world as it is now, not as it was.
