This study’s findings offer clues about journalism’s possible future in South Korea by exploring what news users ？ rather than journalists themselves ？ think about journalists’ role in a rapidly changing news media environment. The study first examines how the public’s use of different news media platforms and their different types of citizenship relate to perceptions of journalists’ roles. The influence of perceived journalists’ roles on the perceptions of journalists’ expertise and status was then explored, as this sheds light on shifting degrees of journalism authority. Findings showed positive correlations between online news media use, “monitorial citizenship” and perceptions of journalists’ roles in South Korea. The study also found that a new role ？ journalist as guide ？ has strong associations with perceived journalists’ expertise and status.