Young businessmen and their web communication projects: a case study of Periodistas en Potencia and Portal del Sur

Abstract

The economic crisis in which we live has meant that Communication professionals must undertake new initiatives to launch and develop their own work projects. Internet allows the development of such initiatives independently. This helps university students in Communication, faced with an scenario so precarious after graduation, opt for starting their own business and begin a microjournalism experience with partners. This is a complete reversal role. Instead of looking for / finding a job where they are supervised by more accomplished professionals, they become their own boss by purchasing and implementing the roles of journalists and businessmen simultaneously. We refer to ‘Periodistas en Potencia’ (audiovisual reports portal which is specialized in cultural issues) and ‘Portal del Sur’ (website about current information of the municipalities node south of Madrid), two network projects made ​​by students and former students of Journalism and Audiovisual Communication at the ‘Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Madrid’. This article is based on a content analysis from the websites before mentioned, and in depth interviews with the websites creators. It allows a wide knowledge about the formative experiences of these journalists graduates, labour market trends and microenterprise. Therefore, the research question focuses on both the products and the journalists who create them. The results show that these training needs of journalism students and young businessmen have been detected in its foray into the world of work.