Fake news, journalism and the future of the profession: what students in the area think

In the current technological and media context, in which disinformation circulates freely, journalism is accused by various groups of producing untrue or biased information, which affects the credibility of the profession. Within this context, this article aims to understand how journalism students at the State University of Paraíba, in Brazil, understand the profession in terms of its relevance and impartiality. This is an exploratory and descriptive study. Sixty-two students, which corresponds to 13.21% of those enrolled, answered a questionnaire sent electronically in the second semester of 2023. The results show that students understand that there is a crisis of confidence in journalism, aggravated by the power of digital platforms. 82.3% of students consider that there is partial journalism. 90.3% said they came across fake news on some social media platform, with WhatsApp being the application pointed out as the environment in which this type of content circulates the most. 96.8% of respondents said that misinformation can change the outcome of an election. On the positive side, 45.3% of students answered that journalism plays an essential role in the fight against disinformation. However, the survey highlighted a worrying fact: 21% of respondents say that the profession is demotivating. Journalism; Fake News; Desinformation; Journalism Students; Credibility.