Navigating the crossroads: Motivation, professional identity, and aspirations of Chinese journalism students in media and beyond

Amidst a global decline in students’ interest in journalism careers, this study investigates the complex interplay of motivation, professional identity, and career aspirations among journalism students in China. Drawing on social identity theory, this study proposes and tests a mediation model where professional identity bridges initial motivations and career aspirations. Based on a survey of 502 students from leading Chinese universities, we employ a regression-based parallel mediation analysis. Our findings reveal that professional identity (operationalized as professional identification and journalistic role perceptions) channels motivation effects onto distinct career aspirations across sectors. Public service motivation is associated with state-aligned aspirations mainly through indirect pathways, especially through professional identification and the advocator role. Utilitarian motivation is linked to market-driven sectors, including platform-based media and the private sector, both directly and indirectly. While students strongly endorse the watchdog role, this role is unrelated to career aspirations. Our analysis shows that the pivotal career differentiation for Chinese journalism students is not simply between “journalism” and “non-journalism,” but between state-aligned (“political”) and market-driven (“non-political”) sectors. The study offers a theoretically grounded framework for understanding how students’ career aspirations are shaped within the politically salient media environment of a transitional society.