Renegotiating the Journalism Profession in the Era of Social Media: Journalism Students From the Global North and South

Abstract

Relying on theories of journalistic ideals and critical discourse analysis, a case study was conducted to investigate how journalism students (re)define journalism ideals in the era of social media. Data were gathered from focus group interviews with European and African students participating in a joint journalism program. The results indicate that the renegotiation of journalism occurs in the discourses of open and collaborative journalism, accountable digital journalism, and challenging and contextualized journalism ethics, where an autonomous journalism profession moves toward collaboration with citizens. An accountable and transparent news process and public awareness of the need for journalism ethics are vital.