‘THE role for journalists remains strong in an era of fake news and dwindling national newspaper sales’ – says a principal lecturer in journalism at the University of Worcester.

Claire Wolfe was speaking following the release of the latest newspaper readership figures, showing a decline for the biggest selling daily, The Sun, which also reported a £68 million loss.

She said: “While hard copy sales decline for the paid for papers there is a major shift with much going online.

“As there are lots of news sites online and a growing number of organisations setting up to fact-check material- with the media companies having their own fact-checking unit- this trend generates work for our students.

“Businesses connecting directly with their potential customers directly via the Internet and Social Media was also helping to generate work for young professionals as there was more of a demand for PR/communications experts.

“Employers are employing professional people to vet material and check that it is safe to go out for circulation.”

The course boasts a high uptake of graduates into industry and has one of the highest overall student satisfaction ratings.