Professional and Academic Elite’s Vision for Developing the Skills of Specialized Journalists in Light of the Digital Environment Qualitative Study

Abstract

     This study sought to identify the vision of professional and academic elites towards developing the skills of specialized journalists in light of the digital environment. Therefore, the study selected a sample comprised of the leaders of journalistic field, working in 4 specialized Saudi newspapers and news websites, as well as 6 academics working in press and digital media departments in 3 Saudi universities. The study adopted a qualitative approach to achieve its goals and used two tools for this purpose: in-depth interviews and focus group discussions.

     The study concluded that specialized journalists working for Saudi newspapers have not been able to proportionally keep pace with the developments of the digital environment due to several factors, including: insufficient training, outdated knowledge, and lack of management that focus on aspects of "creativity".