Entrepreneurialism in Digital Journalism Education: The Niche Model

Drawing on theories of niche journalism, this chapter presents a theoretical model which educators exploring entrepreneurialism in digital journalism can use to help coach higher education students into establishing themselves as specialist journalists with a strong, personal brand in any field of reporting they wish to pursue. It examines three crucial journalistic components—subject, audience and the journalist—to demonstrate how these can be utilized effectively to help students identify gaps in the digital marketplace. The model, developed from the authors’ own teaching practices, empowers students to find their niche in a competitive digital marketplace without compromising their core journalistic values and, over time, develop a strong, digital presence and build their own audiences and expertise.