a young or inexperienced reporter called Cub reporters, you should be aware that the world of media is undergoing a rapid transformation. The skills needed to thrive in this evolving landscape are changing too. Journalism students pursuing media jobs must stay informed about the emerging trends in the media world and work on skills in demand by the industry right now.

Emerging Trends in the Media World You Should Be Aware About

• Rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is rapidly changing how news is created, distributed, and consumed. While AI offers opportunities for automation and personalization, concerns exist regarding the potential spread of misinformation and the ethical implications of AI-generated content.
• Shifting Audience Preferences: Traditional media is facing declining trust and decreasing traffic from social media platforms. To adapt, media companies are focusing on direct audience engagement through newsletters, podcasts, and videos, catering to the evolving consumption habits, particularly among younger audiences who favour short-form content formats.
• Subscription-based Revenue Models: As ad revenue declines, many publishers are turning to subscription models for financial sustainability. This necessitates a shift in content strategy, focusing on high-quality, exclusive content that caters to specific audience interests.
• Immersive Storytelling: Technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are gaining traction, offering new avenues for immersive storytelling and potentially revolutionising the user experience.
• The Blurring Lines of Formats: The boundaries between traditional media formats are becoming increasingly blurred. We see this with the merging of talk shows and political podcasts into video formats, reflecting the evolving content landscape.
• The Fight Against Misinformation: With the rise of “deep fakes” and sophisticated fabricated content, consumers are struggling to distinguish between real and fake news. This necessitates the development of AI tools for fact-checking and increased focus on media literacy to combat the spread of misinformation.
• Balancing Automation with Human Expertise: While AI offers valuable tools for back-end tasks and content optimization, it’s crucial to remember that journalism students and professionals with critical thinking and human judgment skills remain essential for responsible and ethical journalism.

How These Trends are Challenging the Ways Traditional Media Works?

These emerging trends in the media world are challenging the way traditional media has operated for decades. Some of the key challenges include:

1. Loss of Trust and Revenue:

The use of AI in content creation, especially the use of deep fake technologies, has eroded the public trust in traditional media considerably. It has led to a drop in ad revenue as its primary source of income. This financial strain forces them to adapt their operations and redefine their value proposition.

Social media platforms are increasingly seen as sources of news, often overshadowing traditional media outlets. This competition is not only challenging the audience share of traditional media but is also impacting its reputation.

2. Shifting Audience Preferences:

Consumers, especially younger audiences, are increasingly favouring short-form video content found on platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels. This shift necessitates a change in content strategy for traditional media, requiring them to move beyond lengthy articles or news broadcasts.

With audiences migrating to different platforms, traditional media outlets are focusing on direct channels like newsletters, podcasts, and personalised content to maintain engagement. This requires them to build stronger relationships with their audience and cater to their specific preferences.

3. The Rise of AI and its Uncertainties:

The potential for AI-generated content to be inaccurate and biased raises concerns about the spread of misinformation. This challenges the core principles of responsible journalism, which relies on factual information and objective reporting.

While AI offers great automation and optimisation opportunities, it also raises concerns about replacing journalists. This necessitates journalism students and Mass Comm students to develop skills that complement AI, such as critical thinking, human judgement, and storytelling expertise, to remain relevant in the evolving media landscape.

4. The Fight Against Information Overload:

Due to the proliferation of “deep fakes” and fabricated content, the onus is on traditional media to invest in fact-checking and develop innovative ways to present information authentically.

Also, consumers are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of news available, leading to news fatigue and disengagement. The traditional media needs to find ways to make their content more engaging and relevant to combat this challenge.
Hence, we can say that the media world is witnessing a paradigm shift and journalism students and Mass Comm students aspiring to become media professionals need to embrace new skills to be successful in the new world.

Skills Journalism and Mass Comm Students Need to Learn to Get Good Media Jobs

1. Adaptability and Digital Fluency:

We suggest Mass Comm students familiarise themselves with trends like AI, AR/VR, and voice-activated devices. You must explore their potential applications in storytelling and content creation. Read about and stay informed about their ethical implications.

If you are pursuing BA (Hons) in Mass Communication from SMS Varanasi, it is also a good time to start creating engaging content in various formats. Try short-form videos, podcasts, and data visualisations – catering to different audience preferences and platforms. 

This will help you develop a strong portfolio to show your future employers and offer you valuable practical experience in how different platforms work.

2. Data Literacy and Critical Thinking:

In this age, data analysis, fact-checking, and source verification skills are crucial to combat misinformation and ensure the accuracy and credibility of your (or your organisation’s) work. If you are adept at identifying and debunking “deep fakes” and fabricated content, you will surely find some of the best media jobs in the best media organisations.

You can also take online courses to develop a deep understanding of how algorithms work, how they influence information access, and how they can potentially perpetuate bias. 

Also, learn how to critically evaluate information and present diverse perspectives. These skills are mandatory in a world where artificial intelligence is under threat of being misused and abused for spreading propaganda and biases.

3. Audience Engagement and Storytelling:

Building communities and engaging audiences has become quite sophisticated these days. You should learn about different strategies being used for these endeavours. You may also try using different social media platforms effectively, creating interactive content, using innovative community-building strategies, and fostering two-way communication with your audience.

Experts believe that good storytelling skills play a crucial role in captivating your audiences and keeping them informed. If you know how to present complex information in a clear, concise, and engaging manner, you will surely succeed as a media professional.

4. Collaboration and Ethical Practices:

Do not depend too much on AI but do not shun it too. It’s important to understand both the potential and limitations of AI usage in journalism. You should be able to use AI tools effectively for tasks like data analysis and content optimization but do not be lax on human intervention as required and be mindful of the ethics of journalism at all times.

The core principles of ethical journalism have always been:

• accuracy, 
• objectivity, 
• accountability, and 
• transparency. 

Make sure that your personal biases or the biases perpetuated by AI do not temper the fairness of the information you present.

By cultivating these skills, journalism students can increase their chances of securing fulfilling media jobs in the years to come. Remember, the ability to adapt, innovate, and think critically will be crucial for success in this dynamic and ever-changing field.

Contact us at the Media Lab if you want help with mastering the latest content formats and learning skills that can help you score the best media jobs in the industry!