Submitted by Tina Cortese, Academic Chair, School of Media at Seneca Polytechnic

From my earliest days in an entry-level production role to producing, leading a newsroom, and later taking on executive responsibilities in media, I’ve had a front-row seat to journalism’s transformation. Now, as the academic chair of the School of Media at Seneca Polytechnic, I find myself reflecting on both the resilience of this field and the challenges it faces.

Back in the day — and I hate using that phrase — my job at Citytv was to bring audiences “a day in the life of Toronto.” In its heyday, the combined newsroom of CityNews (formerly CityPulse) and CP24 included more than 200 people. There were beat reporters, seasoned editors and producers, cameras and videographers working together with one purpose: to inform the public and hold power to account.

Today, those same newsrooms are shells of what they once were. Across Canada, journalism is shrinking — not because the need for it has lessened, but because the traditional business models that sustained it are collapsing. Yes, the process of creating content has become more efficient with enhanced technology, regardless, we are seeing fewer eyes on city halls, the courts, school boards, and corporate boardrooms. And the next generation of journalists often enters the field without the editorial infrastructure or mentorship we once took for granted.

Yet what hasn’t changed — and what must not be lost — is journalism’s purpose: to serve the public interest and strengthen democracy. Journalism remains the first rough draft of history. And in an age of misinformation, disinformation, and AI-generated content, that first draft matters more than ever.

At its best, journalism makes governments more accountable, citizens more informed, and our world more transparent. And while the platforms and technologies have evolved, the core skills of the journalist remain essential: critical thinking, ethical judgment, storytelling, interviewing, writing, and fact-checking.

This is where journalism education plays a crucial role.

Journalism schools are no longer just training grounds — they are incubators of civic literacy, ethical reasoning, and inclusive storytelling. In our classrooms, students don’t just learn to report; they learn to challenge assumptions, explore bias and representation, and understand the impact of their words. They’re taught to verify sources, navigate deepfakes, and consider the ethical weight of their reporting. They’re exposed to solutions journalism, advocacy, and the evolving definition of what journalism can and should be.

And while many institutions have shuttered their journalism programs in Canada, I’m happy to report that here at Seneca Polytechnic, we have not.

At Seneca, we continue to offer journalism and media training because we believe in its future. We are proud to still be here, at a time when students face fewer choices and limited options. We don’t say this to be opportunistic. We say it because we believe it’s part of the larger narrative — that investing in journalism is an investment in democracy, accountability, and informed citizenship.

Our graduates are not just reporters. They’re working in digital media, nonprofits, advocacy, public policy, research, and content strategy. The skills they’ve gained — writing, analysis, ethical communication — are among the most future-proof in any industry.

So yes, journalism is under attack — from political forces, public skepticism, and economic pressures. But it is not dead. It is adapting.