Opportunities for journalism education in an online entrepreneurial world

The global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 accelerated change in media houses around the world. As the value of media companies plummet, some newspapers have closed entirely or reduced staff numbers, while other publications have stopped printing and produce online-only editions. Others have chosen to outsource content. At the same time, new and evolving digital technologies are changing the way journalists operate. Some journalists are embracing multiple-media forms of reporting, and managers are coming to understand the need for a changed mindset. This paper argues that educators need to appreciate the issue of mindset, and prepare students for a range of opportunities associated with the internet, the blogosphere and new entrepreneurial forms of media. These will become available more often than jobs with mainstream media. Journalism educators must change their curricula to prepare students for a different, and perhaps more difficult world. The paper ends with suggestions for updating the journalism curriculum.