Exploring South African Journalism Students’ Perceptions of Journalism in Relation to War Reporting

Journalism is a vital profession in today’s world. However, existing research in tertiary journalism education is limited regarding understanding journalism students’ learning experiences. Contemporary digital media forms are increasingly available to journalism students. Therefore, higher education institutions face growing pressure to produce ethical and informed journalism modules which align with professional constraints in the context of a multifaceted media age. This study explores the understandings of journalistic ethics and the transformation of such perceptions held by South African journalism students through their encounters with digital mainstream war reporting. Using a qualitative approach and utilizing purposive sampling, four full-time South African journalism students in their third year of study who consistently attend a private institution of higher learning were respondents. The data obtained from in-person interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate a transformation of these students’ perceptions through their exposure to digital mainstream war reporting. The study reveals that the students’ journalistic ethical values became increasingly complex. The findings showed that the challenges presented by digital mainstream media may serve as a vehicle for learning realistic journalistic ethics. The findings of this paper highlight implications for the education of young journalists in light of the financial and political elements of modern digital journalism. Specifically, this paper demonstrates the need for journalism to be taught not as just another theory-heavy, lecture-room-based tertiary subject, but in line with the practical constraints and (un)ethical challenges that the profession faces.