What We Inherit, What We Teach: Tradition and Transformation in Electronic News Education

Abstract

Electronic news education stands at an inflection point as artificial intelligence, streaming platforms, and mobile-first consumption reshape newsroom practice and classroom pedagogy. This article situates current disruption within a longer history of broadcast journalism education, from early radio laboratories and the Missouri Method to teaching hospital models grounded in experiential learning. Drawing on a systematic review of 88 electronic news education studies published between 2015 and 2025 across ten leading journals, we find a shift from technically centered training toward mission-driven, experiential pedagogy. Critical thinking remains central, while data skills appear less prominent. Since 2020, scholarship has increasingly emphasized social issues and ethics, reflecting journalism education's civic response to misinformation and polarization. We argue that the task for educators is not merely adapting to new tools, but stewarding journalism's enduring mission of truth seeking while redesigning pedagogy for an evolving media landscape.