Journalism programs adapting to the changing news industry amid layoffs, pressure

Journalism schools across Ontario say they are adapting their programs to better reflect changes in the industry, and students are learning how to become storytellers not only in traditional newsrooms but in other fields as well.

According to media educators, it will be a shift that will prepare graduates for careers that may have to endure several shocks — a reality underlined as many journalism students received their degrees this week amid mass layoffs at Bell Media.

“In the same week we have this joyful meeting, we have this job carnage at Bell Media, which is significant and not good,” said Allan Thompson, journalism program director at Carleton University in Ottawa, in an interview.

BCE Inc. said Wednesday it would cut 1,300 positions, close two foreign bureaus and close or sell nine radio stations under the Bell Media banner. A staff memo said that Bell Media was “moving to a single newsroom approach across all brands,” citing cost pressures for the change.

Those cuts came a few months after newspaper chain Postmedia laid off 11 percent of its editors.

Despite the cuts, Thompson said there are still good reasons to consider a career in journalism, citing the need to combat disinformation and provide solid, fact-based accounts of everyday events.

Tina Cortese, president of Seneca Polytechnic’s media school, agreed.

“There is still an absolute need for journalists and really good storytellers,” she said.

But journalism schools needed to recognize the realities of the challenges facing the industry and prepare graduates for careers that could potentially take them beyond traditional newsrooms, she said.

“It’s about really preparing our students for the future of this industry,” she said. “It’s about creating content across multiple platforms.”

Ravindra Mohabeer, chair of journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University, said progress in the industry today is not as linear as it used to be.

“You used to think about the idea of ​​going to journalism school because you had an explicit goal of going to a big network,” he said.

“Now there’s a greater diversity of places where students see themselves as engaged and invested in telling fact-based stories that matter to their communities.”

In Hamilton, Ont., Mohawk College recently halted new admissions to its journalism program, citing low enrollment and graduation rates. However, it said it planned to revamp its offering to better reflect changes in the industry.

“It is our intent to launch a revised or new program to respond to the evolving media landscape,” said Wendy Lawson, associate vice president, academic at the university.

Gina Lorentz, broadcast journalism coordinator at Fanshawe College, said journalism skills are transferable to areas outside of news media, including digital and corporate communications and the nonprofit sector.

As a result, journalism programs emphasize freelance skills and teach students how to work independently, Lorentz and other media educators said. Schools also teach students how to create digital content across multiple platforms, including social media and podcasts, they said.

“Those newsrooms of old don’t exist anymore,” Lorentz said. “So it’s really about giving them the experience and the knowledge they need to make it in a new way of looking at our industry.”

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 18, 2023.

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