Young journalists should see journalism as a "holy calling" and focus on telling meaningful stories that inspire hope rather than chasing attention, said founder and president of the Institute of Strategic Intelligence Prof Henrik von Scheel.

"My suggestion for young journalists is that journalism is a holy calling because you are the guardians of people," he told UNB in an interview during his recent visit to Bangladesh. "You are telling their stories, igniting hope and giving them a real view of what is happening."

Invest in skills, not just AI, says Prof Henrik von Scheel

Addressing aspiring journalists, the professor, who is widely recognised as the originator of the ‘4th Industrial Revolution’ and a defining voice in the global digital agenda, described journalists as "guardians of people," saying their responsibility is to present an accurate picture of society while helping citizens understand challenges and prepare for the future.

Prof Henrik said much of today's media is increasingly driven by the pursuit of attention instead of serving citizens, urging journalists to return to the profession's core mission of storytelling.

He said journalists should highlight the stories of local heroes, their struggles and achievements, and the opportunities that exist within communities to inspire hope and confidence among people.

The professor also expressed optimism about the future of journalism in Bangladesh, saying the country's media industry has the potential to grow through quality reporting in both English and Bangla, with greater emphasis on investigative journalism and culturally relevant storytelling.

Prof Henrik cautioned journalists against relying on artificial intelligence to produce news stories, arguing that excessive dependence on AI could weaken essential reporting and writing skills.

"I recommend every journalist not to use AI to write content," he said. "If you use AI, you are losing your own skill."

Drawing from his experience as a university teacher, he said he asks students to redo assignments generated with AI because genuine learning comes through practice, mistakes and improvement.

"I want to see mistakes because that tells me someone is trying and learning," he said. "We are humans. We learn by making mistakes."

Encouraging young journalists to develop their own ideas, he said some of them could shape the future of journalism by creating new ways of telling stories, connecting with audiences and building sustainable business models for media organisations.

Prof Henrik said the media industry is undergoing significant changes and argued that journalists should not simply follow prevailing trends.

Quoting the Roman philosopher Marcus Aurelius, he urged the journalists to think independently.

"If you want to find your destiny, swim upstream," he said, adding that AI tools may be useful for tasks such as spell-checking, but journalists should write their own stories instead of allowing technology to replace their creativity and judgment.