Professionaalne ajakirjandus ajakirjanduse eriala üliõpilaste perspektiivis

Abstract

Professional Journalism from the Perspective of Journalism Students. This master's thesis analyses Estonian journalism student's motivations, understanding ja vision of professional journalism profession. The thesis is made as part of a international survey which had the aim of comparing Estonian, Finnish, Swedish, Polish and Russian journalism students in order too evaluate the professionalization of journalism education and profession. The analysis is made based on the survey results which was conducted in the five nations top journalism teaching universities. The international data gives the opportunity to position and analyse Estonian journalism students, their evaluations and vision of journalism profession in an international context. The analysis revealed that the evaluations and assessments of journalism students are broadly similar and originate from professional values and roles of journalism. This co insides with the theory of professional journalism, which states that a integral part of a professions professionalization is a standardised education that teaches the same values and understandings to the future professionals. This means that thanks to the standardized journalism education the journalism profession in participated countries is professionalizing. Estonian journalism students are even more than the others basing their values and evaluations on classical professional journalism roles and norms. This points to a highly professional journalism education in Estonia and the forming of professional identity of the students during their education. Unlike the other nations, Estonia on the other hand puts less focus on specialization and on the information and communication technologies. This makes the students also less interested in those subjects. The thesis also confirmed that in the process of education and rising in the degree level, the idealistic young journalism students become more realistic and critical in their views. The students in the masters level are more certain in themselves and their evaluations and have an even higher degree of respect for the roles and tasks of professional journalism.