An examination of factors influencing journalism educators’ perceptions on the role and future of news reporting

Abstract

This article explores how educational qualifications, age, gender and regional context affect journalism educators’ perceptions of journalism’s normative roles and the future needs of journalism students. It draws on Australian and New Zealand/Aotearoan responses to the 2021 World Journalism Education Council (WJEC) Survey Journalistic Roles, Values and Qualifications in the 21st Century: How Journalism Educators Across the Globe View the Future of a Profession in Transition. It shows that holding a Ph.D. diminishes support for traditional observer and disseminator roles and predicts support for the mobilizer role. Age also predicts role perception; it diminishes support for the disseminator and mobilizer roles for both the current position of journalists and journalists in the next ten years. These age and education effects are independent of each other. The findings point to the need for more detailed research on the effects of further education on journalism teachers’ professional conceptions and teaching strategy.