Going digital, not dying out: how universities are uniquely placed to teach digital journalism survival skills

With people showing a preference for accessing news via websites, social media platforms and mobile applications, news organisations have increased their focus on digital production. This has led to calls for journalism programmes in universities to keep pace or face bsolescence. But whilst there is agreement over the need to embed digital journalism in the curriculum, there is little guidance on how this should be done in an environment where news providers have widely different and everevolving digital strategies. How can journalism schools meet the needs of industry, when industry itself has not settled on what those needs are? This study addresses that question by considering the views of digital editors from a range of the UK’s leading broadcasters and publishers. The interviewees identify digital practices they have in common, but also emphasise the importance of teaching the fundamentals of journalism and that the

critical thinking skills fostered in universities, help students thrive as digital journalists.