[Paper Review] Is Journalism Still a Human-Centered Activity?

This research reveals how Korea''s "salaryman journalist" identity and the "democracy watchdog" ideology are colliding in the AI adoption process. Warning: if news organizations adopt AI solely for economic efficiency (commercialism), journalist satisfaction may increase but journalism''s public interest value could be diluted. The ontological boundary collapse from robot to active actor: "robot journalism" was previously an auxiliary means converting structured data into articles per fixed rules and templates. Generative AI presents a categorically different challenge — invading territory previously considered journalism''s exclusive domain: "contextual understanding" and "creative expression." AI is no longer a mere tool but has evolved into an "active actor" participating in draft writing, brainstorming, and even decision-making about output in the news production process. This creates the essential question: "Where exactly does human journalists'' domain end?" — a paradigmatic shift threatening journalists'' professional centrality. The paradox of threatened identity: journalists who perceive stronger AI necessity show greater concern for professionalism values and public service roles (information provision, government oversight, advocacy for the marginalized) — interpreted as a psychological defense mechanism where threat to professional status activates more emphatic identification with uniquely human journalistic functions that AI cannot replicate. The satisfaction paradox: journalists who emphasize public interest roles report lower job satisfaction — suggesting that recognizing what is most valuable about journalism (what AI cannot do) simultaneously highlights the gap between what journalism should be and what current economic conditions enable it to be. Policy implication: AI integration in journalism should be designed to enhance reporters'' capacity for the genuinely human aspects of journalism (source relationships, contextual judgment, accountability reporting) rather than replacing them with AI-generated content — both for journalist wellbeing and for journalism''s democratic function.