Journalistic Competences and Skills in the 21st Century. Perception of Journalism Students in Spain

Through a survey (n=176), this research evaluates the relationship between Spanish Journalism undergraduate students' perception of their current skills and those required in the exercise of the profession and their sociodemographic profiles and their media consumption habits and models. Data were analysed through ANOVA tests and simple linear regression model. In all cases, students perceive their competences below what they consider necessary for the performance of journalistic activity. Informational competences self-perception is related to global media consumption. Media habits were not able to predict professional competences expectation. The only exception in this regard is News-Find-Me Perception, that is linked to lower importance granted towards humanistic competences comparted to technologic abilities. Regarding sociodemographic profiles, self-perceived competences are higher when students move to uppers courses. By the same token, students with an arts background in middle education grant less importance to informational and public speaking skills. Last, professional internships are linked to higher self-perception of technological competences and media structure knowledge.