Standardized news providers or creative innovators? A new generation of journalists entering the business

Jenny Wiik, PhD

One of the most important shifts in the social structure of the journalistic profession is generational – old-school journalists being changed for a younger generation, partly holding other ideals and motifs. They also bring a completely different kind of digital media literacy compared to their older colleagues, making their approach to professional challenges somewhat different. While having some problems with establishing in a financially trembling business, it is them who eventually will have to face the task of turning the ship in the right direction. What do they think of all this? Given the state of flux of new business today, this presentation address the questions: How does the new generation of journalists perceive the ideals and practice of professional journalism? And how do they see themselves in relation to those ideals and practices?

Empirical support is drawn from written observations and thoughts made by fifty students on the one term internship of the master program in journalism at the University of Gothenburg. These students apply for internships in a wide range of Swedish newsrooms, together creating a unique cross media insight to the current development of Swedish news business. 

A summary of their stories are themed into three sections; 1) The norms and practices of online publishing; 2) A changing professional role and 3) Is journalism de-professionalizing? The fresh gazes of the students indeed reveal some troublesome developments of contemporary news media, especially regarding matters of professional autonomy. However, the survey also shows their great self-confidence, creativity and skills to be important human capital for the news organizations to manage and care for. The stories of the master students are here discussed in relation to our task as educators.