Zwischen Anspruch und Wirklichkeit. Die journalistische Ausbildung im (digitalen) Wandel

In the organizer's words:

Journalism is in a state of upheaval. A highly competitive advertising market, audiences that are sometimes tired of news, rapid technological change and constantly high pressure to innovate due to artificial intelligence, big data and the like - these are just a few keywords for the current transformation. How is journalism changing in the digital age? What are long-term trends and what are just short-lived hypes?

The training of future journalists plays a key role in the digital transformation. Universities, as the most important training institutions, no longer just have to teach them traditional core skills such as research, critical thinking and ethical judgment, but also new skills relating to the handling of data, the use of algorithms and the production of multimedia, interactive content. It is equally important to promote an understanding of the dynamics of social media, which today are both a distribution channel and a space for discourse. All of this must not be at the expense of fundamental journalistic values: Independence, transparency and responsibility.

Based on her study on training in journalism and media courses at German universities, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Vera Katzenberger talks about the tension between innovation and skills in a dynamic professional field.