The Journalists of the Future Meet Entrepreneurial Journalism

Abstract

Journalism is undergoing a major restructuring reflecting the post-2008 economic crisis and ongoing technological innovation. Much discussion on future job creation is focused on entrepreneurial journalism. Spain is a paradigmatic example of this phenomenon. Between 2008 and 2014, some 454 news media outlets were created in Spain. Yet, the emergence of entrepreneurial journalism raises many questions and challenges that affect all areas of journalism. In this research study we are concerned with entrepreneurial journalism in education and, in particular, the views of journalism students. The aim of this article is to analyse perceptions regarding entrepreneurship held by current students, the journalists of the future. Our goal is test the knowledge journalism students have about entrepreneurship. We evaluate the willingness of journalism students to develop their own business project and the major barriers and obstacles they face. The methodology uses a quantitative approach based on surveys in Spain (N = 184). The results suggest an increase in the willingness of students to engage in entrepreneurship. However, students also have a negative and disenchanted view of journalism as they progress in their studies.