The School of Communication organised the ‘Where Would Journalism Education Go: A Roundtable Forum between Academia and Industry’ on 24 October 2020. Scholars and experts in journalism education and the journalism industry gathered to discuss in-depth ‘The Roles and Challenges of Journalism Education’ and ‘The Future and Opportunities of Journalism Education’.

Participants raised at the Forum many of the challenges faced by journalism education and the news industry in recent years and the implications these challenges have brought about. Issues heatedly discussed included the rapid transformation of the traditional news industry, fast-developing communication technologies, the recent controversy over the professional ethics of journalists, and so on. Participants also thought that technology should be actively integrated into journalism courses to keep up with the development of society and the industry. There was also an opinion that, while journalism acts as the ‘fourth estate’, journalists should take up social responsibilities to uphold journalistic standards, maintain objectivity and impartiality, and verify the authenticity of news, so as to restore the credibility of the news industry now being questioned. What’s more, apart from strengthening the training of students to groom their creativity, global horizons and capability with technology application, it’s also important to cultivate students’ empathy and proper attitude towards people and affairs, in order to meet the future needs of the industry.