Tackling Uncertainty for Journalism Graduates |
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Authors: | Renee Barnes Margarietha Johanna de Villiers Scheepers |
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Affiliation: | 1. Journalism, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia.;2. Business, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia. E-mail: MScheepe@usc.edu.au |
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Abstract: | As journalism struggles to adapt to technological disruption, journalism educators are searching for ways to prepare students for an industry in flux. Entrepreneurial journalism has been incorporated into university curricula as a solution, however the discourse and application lacks a theoretical basis. This article aims to address these gaps by clearly defining entrepreneurship, its theoretical principles relevant for journalism education and then outlining the trial of a Multidisciplinary Experiential Entrepreneurship Model (MEEM), designed to enhance graduates’ career aspirations through cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset. The MEEM trial was assessed using a sequential mixed-methods approach, consisting of survey data collected at the start and completion of the course and interview data collected two months later. The findings demonstrate that the theoretical principles underpinning MEEM not only enabled students to create a new media venture, but the skills acquired also provided a method for entrepreneurial problem-solving and innovating, which is valuable to students working inside or outside traditional news media. This paper contributes theoretically by outlining five principles of entrepreneurial problem-solving and providing a teachable method that can be deployed through an effectual entrepreneurship pedagogy. |
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Keywords: | Australia career aspirations entrepreneurial journalism entrepreneurial mindset entrepreneurship journalism education problem-solving method startup |
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