Will the merger of media organizations reduce job opportunities in the journalism industry?

At the 2026 College and Career Guidance Fair, jointly organized by Tuoi Tre Newspaper and the Ministry of Education and Training on the morning of March 8th, a candidate asked: "Given the current trend of media mergers, will the demand for jobs in the journalism industry decrease?"

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Truong Giang, Deputy Director of the Academy of Journalism and Communication, believes that this is a very practical question.

According to Ms. Giang, in the current context, it's not just the journalism and media industry that's struggling to find jobs; it's a common problem in the job market.

"In recent years, especially over the past two years, the merger and streamlining of the organizational structure at press and media agencies nationwide has been strongly implemented in line with the major policy of the Party and the State. Not only in the field of journalism, but many other industries, agencies, and organizations are also undergoing mergers," Ms. Giang said.

She argued that, in the field of journalism and media, mergers in recent years have also changed the number of media outlets. Many newspapers and broadcasting stations, both radio and television, have been merged, affecting the jobs of thousands of journalists at these media organizations.

However, according to Ms. Giang, in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, especially the development of artificial intelligence and social networks, the need for accurate, authentic, and "clean" information on all forms of media, especially digital platforms, is enormous.

“Every day, upon waking up, we see thousands of pieces of information flooding our phones and computers. But selecting the good, relevant, and valuable information from that requires the role of professional journalists. Therefore, while mergers may affect and reduce the number of media outlets, they do not narrow job opportunities. We can expand the space for development, not only in traditional journalism but also on new platforms such as digital journalism, multimedia journalism, and data journalism…,” Ms. Giang said.

According to her, students who are passionate and aspire to become journalists, conveying information quickly, accurately, and humanely, can still confidently choose this field of study.

Associate Professor Dang Hong Son, Vice Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said that the field of journalism and media is very diverse, ranging from political and current affairs journalism to corporate communication. In addition, personal media is also developing strongly and playing an increasingly important role.

"Therefore, changes in state management of media and journalism do not narrow but expand the labor market, especially the private sector and individuals (self-building and developing brands)," said a representative from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Also at the event, another candidate wondered: "Currently, the local government model has shifted from three levels to two; many government agencies have a surplus of personnel. So, which major should I register for that would be suitable?"

This candidate also stated their desire to study at the National Economics University.

In response to this question, Dr. Le Anh Duc, Head of the Training Management Department at the National Economics University, stated that in the new era, young people should not worry too much about whether they will work in the public sector or other sectors. First and foremost, they need to strive to study hard to become valuable individuals, to become a valuable human resource needed by many organizations and businesses.

“Therefore, if you study at the National Economics University, in my opinion, regardless of your major, you need two basic skills. Firstly, proficiency in English, because in an international work environment, you will need to be able to use this language wherever you work. Secondly, in addition to the specialized knowledge of your major, you need digital skills. The higher your digital skills, the easier it will be to adapt to various work environments after graduation. In the era of the digital economy and digital society, digital skills will certainly be one of the important criteria in recruitment,” Mr. Duc said.