The trajectory of education is inextricably linked to industry developments. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has exerted a transformative influence on the journalism sector, demonstrating significant potential to disrupt news production models and reshape the professional ecosystem. This evolution necessitates corresponding adaptations in journalism education. Amid the unstoppable rise of AI, journalists face growing concerns about technological unemployment, compelling them to cultivate core competencies in critical thinking, practical skills, and innovation as key differentiators. Generative AI empowers the news industry by enhancing productivity, fostering unprecedented advancements in human-machine collaboration, and facilitating global exchanges through the widespread deployment of intelligent technologies. Consequently, in-depth reporting, international communication, and disciplinary integration have emerged as pivotal areas for curriculum reform in journalism education. The global surge in generative AI underscores the imperative for journalism educators to prioritize digital media literacy, integrating journalistic skills with technological proficiency into revised cultivation frameworks and pedagogical practices. Furthermore, digital media literacy education should not be confined to journalism programs; enhancing public competence in digital media usage and critical engagement also falls within the purview of journalism education’s societal responsibilities.