As the way people consume, produce and distribute media completely changes, so do the roles that are represented in the workforce, especially for communications and journalism students preparing to enter the field.
While technology has made labor performance more accessible and convenient, it is important to consider the significant long-term impact each advancement leaves on the world. As of 2026, the most recent and heavily debated advancements have been ones revolving around the rapidly growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications on the world around us.
From a journalistic standpoint, as reliance on software and algorithmic tools increases, the lines between man-made and machine-generated content continue to collapse.
As more examples of AI integration in journalism emerge, the journalistic authenticity now portrayed to the public becomes questionable, raising concerns for students learning how to develop their own voices in the field.
Professor of communication and media studies Ambrose Curtis emphasizes the importance of humanity in storytelling.
“AI lacks nuance,” Curtis said. “It cannot tell human stories in humanistic ways. The human element is the framing.”
Knowing public reliance plays a vital role in technological convergence, it is evident that AI has become the most modern form of the phenomenon, mainly due to affordable platforms such as ChatGPT.
It’s easily accessible, including for students. With that, reliance formed within companies, including the news world, allowing for the merging of traditional journalistic practices with AI systems.
AI models are able to produce results that would take the average person hours to complete, so integration has proved to be beneficial; however, there is still concern among journalists and students whether these systems will replace them.
“This is a cost-cutting measure,” Curtis said. “When you have large multinational corporations, the profit motive is always number one.”
As AI continues to develop, we now see problematic phenomena such as AI imagery being used within the news world, forcing journalistic ethics to become questionable.
With efficiency and high output volume being the main priority for many news agencies, journalists have fought to try and keep up with expectations, which directly impacts students entering the workforce.
Junior communication and media studies and public and professional writing major Allen Macaraeg expressed his concern.
Allen Macaraeg is a junior communication and media studies and public and professional writing major at Montclair State University, a student journalist and freelance photographer who has contributed to The Montclarion and WMSC. Photo courtesy of Allen Macaraeg
“It haunts me when I look at job platforms,” Macaraeg said, further noting, “there are circumstances where using AI would be faster and put me over another candidate.”
Rash Vinakota is a senior journalism and digital media student at Montclair State University, an associate program director at WMSC 90.3 FM, and an intern in the digital documentary department at NBC News.
Arianna Czaplicki | The Montclarion
As Rash Vinakota, senior journalism and digital media major, and associate director of Montclair State’s WMSC Radio elaborated, “One of the biggest entry-level positions used to be news writer. That’s not really there anymore.”
This shift has also changed the structure of newsrooms, where multiple roles are now combined into one, increasing expectations and limited options for students entering the field.
While it is argued that AI is a tool in the newsroom, the bigger picture shows that the main benefactors are the people in control of these corporations, leaving students to adapt to a rapidly changing industry.
Jose Calderon III is a sophomore journalism and digital media student at Montclair State University and a senior editor and anchor for the Montclair News Lab, a student-run newsroom producing weekly broadcasts.
Arianna Czaplicki | The Montclarion
“[AI] can be damaging, but it can also help and enhance the work being done,” said sophomore journalism and digital media student Jose Calderon III. “However, using AI is not going to get the trust of the audience or of the public.”
The way these AI systems are designed reflects the bias of their creators, which is then projected into the algorithms themselves, making this something students must learn to critically evaluate.
“Data means nothing without human interpretation,” Curtis said.
Journalistic commentary relies on lived experiences and human awareness, which AI does not possess, making it essential for students to preserve their individuality and critical thinking skills. As audiences are exposed to more AI-integrated media, it becomes harder to discern what is human-written news or AI.
This lack of transparency is a major issue, especially for future journalists trying to build trust with audiences.
“People do not trust the news right now,” said Calderon.
As AI influence continues to grow in the news industry, public trust continues to weaken, creating even greater pressure on communications and journalism students to uphold ethical standards. If the main goal of journalism is to inform, connect and reflect the human experience, then replacing that human element with machines can mean losing the very core of what makes journalism meaningful.
Curtis warns that the loss of human input into storytelling can lead down a dangerous slope for journalism.
“If the framing is gone, then we’re in real trouble because then it’s just slop.”
