Robots Versus Journalists: Does Journalism Have a Future?

Abstract

The article deals with the prospects of robotization of a big part of journalists’ work that may lead to redundancies in the media industry, transformation of traditional professional skills and emergence of new standards and competencies. The topicality of the article is proved by the need to explore the new boundaries of journalism as profession. The author analyzes both types of work that can be automated, and those journalist activities where artificial intelligence cannot replace a human. The subject of the study is the data of the most recent researches, sociological surveys and statistics on transformation of the current media market and the new requirements for media-workers’ competencies in the context of the digital revolution. Basing on extensive factual material and experts’ forecasts, the author infers that it is high time for media professionals to extend the range of competencies and determine a related professional niche to secure them a job in case of redundancies caused by robotization. The original results of a sociological survey carried out at the Department of International Journalism of MGIMO University build up the scientific novelty of the article. The aim of the survey was to find out and analyze the undergraduate students’ vision of their work prospects as journalists, to correlate their career plans and employers’ demand, and to identify their readiness to adapt to the new media practices. The results of the survey bring the author to the conclusion that it is necessary to radically update the current syllabi to focus on the most recent information and communication technologies.