The dynamics of the journalism industry are ever evolving and have always been reshaped by technological innovations. Throughout history, technological advancements have not only influenced news collection, production, dissemination, and consumption processes but also have redefined them.
The industrial revolutions that took place in the past clearly illustrate this phenomenon. The introduction of the printing press during the first industrial revolution enabled mass production of newspapers. This made information accessible to mass people. The second industrial revolution made real-time information transfer possible. It reshaped the culture of immediacy and changed the dynamics of audience engagement through visual storytelling through photographs. The third industrial revolution, characterized by digital transformation and multimedia integration of text, images, and videos facilitated the emergence of online news portals and social media websites via the internet. It revolutionized information accessibility by giving media outlets the liberty to reach a global audience with multi-platform interactivity. It also democratized content generation and dissemination, and diversified news consumption by the audience.
Right now, as we are on the verge of another information revolution brought to us by Industry 4.0, the news industry is experiencing rapid structural changes. Integration of artificial intelligence in news production, dissemination, and audience engagement through algorithmic recommender systems is accelerating the reach and revenue earning of media outlets. News giant Associated Press (AP) and OpenAI have already formed a partnership to explore generative AI’s application in news while utilizing each other’s expertise and emphasizing responsible AI creation and usage. So it is obvious that AI has the possibility to make journalism more relevant and accessible.
In Bangladesh, where the traditional media is still struggling to maximize the use of innovative features incepted by the third industrial revolution and reap their benefits, is no exception to this trend. Following the adverse impact of covid-19, many of the media outlets adopted new business models prioritizing their digital platforms for both revenue generation and audience targeting. They are reorganizing the newsroom structure, allocating more resources for digital section and less for traditional setups. Additionally, they are embracing AI and digital tools for tasks like data analysis, fact-checking, content creation, automated regulation, personalized news recommendation, and audience engagement tracking.
Changes are evident in their human resources management too. They are hiring graduates with solid grasp of digital tools and platforms, the ability to collect, analyze, and interpret data on complex issues and higher proficiency in creating visually engaging stories using multiple mediums including text, video, audio, and other interactive elements.
These changing dynamics in the industry are creating a need for a new set of skills and competencies among journalism graduates. It is a fact that educators and institutions bear the responsibility of preparing students for the demands of the future job market and ensuring they possess skills relevant to the Industry. Therefore, it is high time to remodel the curriculum.
However, in Bangladesh, journalism education is still primarily theory-based and lacks industry-academia collaboration. This appears as a challenge in producing graduates who are skilled, knowledgeable, and responsible in using new tech tools. So, the question comes, how our universities can adapt to this changing landscape and find strategies to better prepare journalism graduates by embracing AI in curriculum. Here are some possible strategies that can help them navigate the challenges.
- The first thing the universities need to do is identifying market-demanded skills by researching and consulting industry experts. After assessing their value and ethical aspects, these skills can be integrated into the curriculum with educators being trained accordingly. A number of Institutions and news corporations are collaborating on research and development of new tools to help newsrooms to use AI responsibly. They often offer their findings and insights freely by organizing seminars, webinars or via newsletters. The universities can track them, establish dialogues and cross-border knowledge sharing networks with them and gain transferable knowledge to bring into the classrooms.
- The second strategy is to incorporate generative AI tools like Quill, newsGPT, chatGPT, Midjourney; data visualization tools like Tableau, Datawrapper, Flourish; and fact-checking tools among others in the curriculum. These tools will give the students the understanding of news automation, fact-checking and data driven storytelling. Our young generation has grown up with advanced technology and familiarity with these tools will allow them to harness the new innovation as a tool for their growth. As they are tech savvy. Introducing the new tech tools in the classroom will only help sustain their curiosity. As these tools are already being used by the news organizations, expertise on them will enhance students’ employability. Gaining exposure, insights and training in these tools will empower the students to become assets to newsrooms as they will have hands-on training in how these tools are utilized for enhanced productivity. Moreover, literacy on these tools will increase students’ capacity to shield against deep fakes, misinformation, and disinformation as they will have understanding on how these tools can be used for manipulation and fake content production.
- The third strategy is establishing collaborative efforts to prepare a comprehensive guideline outlining to what extent and for what purposes they will permit the use of generative AI by both their teachers and students in their academic activities. As academic integrity and transparency are important, universities can facilitate dialogues and organize discussions to identify the potential adverse consequences and ways to minimize them. Guided discussions on AI ethics in the classrooms will promote best practices among the students and also mitigate the risks of their misuse, overuse, and explicit abuse. This will enable both teachers and students to embrace the changing scenarios brought by AI and navigate the boundary with clarity, transparency, and responsibility.
- The fourth strategy is emphasizing and incorporating the entrepreneurial and business aspect of journalism and the media industry in the curriculum. The advancement of digital technology democratized content production and dissemination, opened opportunities for anyone. YouTube channels, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or LinkedIn pages, as well as news portal, magazine, or podcast are some of the democratic platforms where students can create their own identity and brand. By studying the dynamics of media economics and management, revenue process, SEO and social media marketing of these platforms, students can cultivate their own ventures. A solid understanding in developing sustainable business models, navigating the legal and regulatory landscape will empower them to build their own brand instead of seeking employment with renowned houses.
We are standing at the threshold of Industry 4.0 with Artificial Intelligence leading the way. Denying the need for a change in the curriculum in this age will be self-destructive for the universities. As it inevitably adds new opportunities and challenges to the journalism industry, universities bear the responsibility of nurturing graduates who are adaptable, technically adept, ethically conscious, and entrepreneurial—equipping them to meet industry demands and address challenges. Failure to adjust curriculum for Industry 4.0 could leave graduates struggling in the competitive job market. Only by ensuring that students have a solid relevant expertise, will they be able to remove their fear and gain confidence in their ability to work alongside AI systems rather than living in a constant fear of getting replaced by them.