Rennes set to welcome its first journalism school in 2024

From the start of the 2024 academic year, the French city of Rennes (Brittany/Bretagne region) will be home to a brand-new journalism school. With this fifth campus, the European Journalism Institute (IEJ) is expanding. After arriving in Paris in 1998, the IEJ then expanded to Marseille (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region), Strasbourg (Grand Est region) and London. This new journalism institution will be based at the MédiaSchool campus.

Faced with an evolving media landscape, the new school aims to train versatile journalists. Professionalism and close contact with journalists are major assets for the institute.

Since 2012, the number of journalists in France holding a press card has fallen (37,012 in 2012, compared with 33,626 in 2022). However, journalism and its modern and growing challenges are still proving attractive. Every year, thousands of candidates register for journalism school entry exams.

From university institutes and private schools to major establishments, France is home to more than 30 journalism schools in over 13 cities. Their degrees are recognized in different ways. On the one hand, the most widespread are the 14 schools recognized by the National Joint Commission for the Employment of Journalists (CPNEJ), i.e. the profession.

These schools include:

• Seven university institutes: CELSA (Paris, Ile de France region); IFP (Paris); IJBA (Bordeaux, Nouvelle Aquitaine region); CUEJ (Strasbourg, Grand Est region); EJCAM (Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region); EJDG (Grenoble, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region); and EPJT (Tours, Centre-Val de Loire region).
• Two university institutes of technology (IUT): one in Lannion (Brittany/Bretagne region) and one in Cannes (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region).
• Two major institutions: IEP Paris, IPJ Paris-Dauphine.
• Three public schools: CFJ (Paris); ESJ (Lille, Hauts de France region); and EJT (Toulouse, Occitanie region).

On the other hand, there are schools that are not recognized by the profession, such as the IEJ, but whose degrees are nevertheless certified by the French state. All offer a wide range of specializations.

Like many other professions, journalism has to face up to the challenges of globalization. International journalism and international affairs/journalism are courses offered by schools in France. Some of them, such as the IEJ, also offer students the chance to study journalism abroad.

In this digital age, the issue of credibility is one of the greatest challenges facing the media and journalism. In today’s world of information overload and fake news, journalism training plays an essential role in teaching the importance of impartiality and trustworthiness.