The Pre-Socialization of Future Journalists

Abstract

While the role of university journalism education in the professionalization of journalists has been extensively debated, systematic and comparative studies of journalism students are still scarce. This paper reports the findings from a comparative study of journalism students in seven countries: Australia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. The data show a number of similarities, but also important differences between pre-professional cultures in journalism around the world. The findings are in line with recent conceptualizations of media systems, although some variations and particularities are observed at the country level. While students in all countries reject a loyal approach and favor a citizen-oriented role, they also do so to different extents. Brazilian and Chilean students believe in the citizen-oriented and watchdog roles, whereas their counterparts in Australia, Switzerland, and the United States favor the consumer-oriented approach to a greater extent. Mexican and Spanish students, on the other hand, while supporting the citizen-oriented role, reject the loyal role comparatively less than the rest of the countries.

KEYWORDS:

• comparative
• journalism education
• professional views
• professionalization
• role perception
• students

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to express our gratitude to Kris Kodrick, Carolyn Byerly, Sallie Hughes, Claudia Lagos, Paulina Salinas, Carlos Del Valle, Rodrigo Araya, Pedro Farias, José Álvarez, Noelia García, Estefanía Vera, Andreu Casero, Enric Saperas, Joaquín López del Ramo, Kathryn Bowd, Leo Bowman, Trevor Cullen, Beate Josephi, Michael Meadows, Lousie North, Dione Oliveira, Janara Sousa, Kenia Ferreira, Sonia Moreira, Gabriel Corral, and David González, for their assistance with data collection.

Notes

1. There are 10 universities in Switzerland with programs in communication science. Only two of them offer journalism education.

2. Chile: Universidad Católica del Norte, Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Concepción, Universidad de la Frontera, Universidad de Santiago, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso; Spain: Jaume I, Universidad de Málaga, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; Australia: University of the Sunshine Coast, Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology, Monash University, Edith Cowan University, University of South Australia; Mexico: Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Universidad Iberoamericana, Universidad de Querétaro; Switzerland: Zurich University of Applied Sciences; Brazil: Universidade de Brasilia, Rio State University, Unipampa, FIAM University, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte; United States: Colorado State University, Howard University, Texas State University, University of Miami.