Journalism 2.0: Exploring the Impact of Mobile and Social Media on Journalism Education

According to Hirst (2011) Journalism must change to survive in response to Web 2.0, however in “The Cult Of The Amateur” Keen (2007) argues that Web 2.0 (social media) is f***** (Ha, 2009), as it undermines and decimates the ranks of our professional literary ‘gatekeepers’. In response this paper explores the impact of social media upon Journalism education from two perspectives: both from the pedagogical changes Web 2.0 and mobile devices enable, and within the context of the changes in Journalism that social media use are driving. A participatory action research approach was adopted (Swantz, 2008), focusing upon pedagogical change while allowing the project to develop within a series of reflective interventions within the course. These interventions, or critical incidents (Brookfield, 1995, Sharples, 2009), included the exploration of Twitter, blogging, QR Codes, and Facebook as part of the course. Drawing on this experience, the paper presents an emergent framework for a response to social media within Journalism education, illustrating the positive impact of integrating the use of Web 2.0 tools on student engagement and contextualising theory within authentic learning environments.