Unapec launches Contemporary Journalism degree for working journalists

The Universidad APEC (Unapec), together with the Colegio Dominicano de Periodistas (CDP) and the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Prensa (SNTP), has launched a two-year Licenciatura en Periodismo Contemporáneo aimed at working journalists who already hold a university degree. The program, approved by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Mescyt) in 2025, is designed to elevate professional, scientific, and technological training in the face of digital communication and artificial intelligence challenges. It will benefit more than 500 journalists who lack a degree in journalism, filling a gap in the country's higher education offerings Source: eldiado, diariolibree.

Key points

• The degree lasts two years and is part of Unapec's Faculty of Arts and Communication Source: diariolibree.
• It targets practicing journalists with a university degree, recognizing competencies developed over years of work Source: eldiado.
• Rector Erik Pérez Vega emphasized that it fills a void in Dominican higher education Source: diariolibree.

The reaction

At the launch, Aníbal de Castro, director-founder of Diario Libre and National Journalism Prize 2026, delivered a keynote on the journalist's role amid information abundance and AI. He warned that "democratizing the capacity to publish does not equal democratizing the capacity to do journalism," and stressed that AI tools can assist but not replace professional judgment. He also cautioned against confusing "what attracts with what matters" Source: diariolibree.

What's next

The first cohort will offer an opportunity for journalists who have not yet obtained certification, according to CDP president Luis Pérez, who called it a "first step" for the guild Source: diariolibree. The program aims to strengthen the profession and open paths for further studies.