Currently, more than 4 billion people use the internet. This number is on the rise. Cyber Security Ventures estimates that there will be 6 billion internet users by 2022 and 7.5 billion users by 2030. As the worldwide use of the internet increases, many industries are becoming Web-friendly, using strategies to increase their brands’ online presence.

Careers in journalism are constantly evolving, adapting to modern technologies and trends. As print newspapers and broadcast media are evolving to meet current consumers’ expectations and preferences, the journalistic teaching methods in graduate education are changing. Universities are revising their course structures, incorporating modern strategies, such as social media implementation, multimedia skills and internship requirements.

Impact of social media
One of the major ways people consume and share news is through social media. Someone might get their news from their Facebook timeline or from following news organizations on Twitter. It is imperative that journalism students and professionals embrace and incorporate social media in their strategies.

Social media requires news outlets to post immediate, accurate information that they can interact with and share. The following news outlets are among some of the most-followed accounts on Twitter:

• CNN Breaking News: 54.4 million
• The New York Times: 42.1 million
• BBC Breaking News: 38.4 million
• ESPN: 33.8 million

This involves a great deal of flexibility and collaboration with others. When journalists write stories for online news publications, they might collaborate with video editors, on-camera talent, graphic designers, photographers and other individuals in their organization to translate this story across different platforms to cater to different types of consumers.

Internship experiences
Journalism graduate students understand how difficult the job market can be for individuals across all industries. Many grad programs encourage students to participate in internships to gain experience and networking contacts, which are crucial in the 21st-century job hunt, such as:

• Boston University M.S. in Journalism
• CUNY M.A. in Journalism
• University of Arizona M.A. in Journalism

As journalism practices have changed in the past several decades, graduate programs are evolving to teach students how to be successful 21st-century journalists. For information about graduate programs in Film/TV/Broadcasting and Communications, use GraduateGuide’s platform to find the ideal program for your journalism specialization.