Professional Competencies for Journalism in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Digital technologies from the Internet to artificial intelligence (AI) have fuelled a disruption of journalism across the globe. This disruption brings enormous consequences for the field, including a transformation of the professional competencies for journalism. This chapter outlines a set of four broad professional competencies mandated by the digital disruption of journalism. These are new skills or competencies for: (1) reporting (i.e., news gathering), (2) the production (i.e., professional practices) of news content, (3) the management of news media organizations, and (4) the engagement of the public. These evolving professional competencies intersect with a four-part framework in the application of digital technologies to the journalism industry. These four parts are: (1) Internet (and other networking technologies), (2) AI, (3) mobile media, and (4) multi-sensory communications. This chapter will critically examine the nature and consequences of this transformation in journalistic professional competencies in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.