There’s so much constantly happening around us that it is practically impossible for us to keep a track of new discoveries across the world and the socio-political scenario of the society that we reside in. Through the advancement of technology and communicating mediums like radio, televisions, newspapers, online news portals, journalism has become a significant part of everyone’s life. Journalists are the ones who help to bring these stories to all of us and has become one of the most prestigious jobs opted by several students all over the country. This has become a very challenging field and plays a key role in the development of the country.
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Know About Journalism And Mass Communication
Journalism is the means the communication of information through writings in newspapers and other periodicals. All the daily news, current affairs, hot topics of socio-political and economic discussions are conveyed to the citizens of the country by the journalists through these print or digital media platforms, or even radio and televisions. Journalism includes writing, reporting, broadcasting news, editing, and also photography.
Mass communication happens to be a broader field. It mainly looks into mediums of communication with the mass through photography, filmmaking, advertising, journalism, public relations, and even content writing.
Work Profile Of Journalists in India
Journalists hunt down stories and gather news pieces of everyday happenings. They believe that person is political and every bit of what individuals do affect the society by and large in which they reside. Journalists take inspiration from the present and showcases situations as they unfurl or develop. They immediately transmit the news they gather. Journalists are also responsible for analyzing situations and events and interpreting and commenting on them for the audiences to develop an opinion of their own. Journalists may not cite views of their own and can elicit the reports of those people who are knowledgeable concerning such matters. Journalism is always active delivery of news and cannot be done at one’s leisure and has to be kept on its move always in order to have its desired effects.
Scope Of Journalism & Mass Communication in India
Journalism in India has a very vast scope and is ever increasing. Journalists work on reporting, writing, editing, broadcasting news, and delivering commentaries over televisions, radios, and newspapers. All documentaries made requires the help of the reports of journalists. Journalism in terms of sports, weather, entertainment, current affairs is always demanding as people always decide on communication sources to collect their information and to know more about the world, they are a part of. As people want to know more and more about everything around them the work of journalists is not only challenging but also demanding. Hence the scope of journalism is constantly widening and has become a very prestigious job option for many talented politically and economically aware students.
Courses To Become A Journalist in India
One must opt for a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism after completing high school and opt also can choose several journalism courses available after class 12. Postgraduate in Journalism essentially requires one to graduate with a degree in Journalism. One-year certificate courses are also offered in several institutions and have the same eligibility criteria for completing high school. These courses teach only the technical aspects of Journalism but it completely depends on the individual’s writing skills to produce news in an appealing form. Some of the popular courses in Journalism are as follows:
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Undergraduate Courses–
- Bachelor of Mass Media and Journalism
- Bachelor of Communication and Journalism
- B.Sc. in Journalism and Mass Communication
- BA in Media and Communication
- BA in Journalism
- BBA in Mass Communication and Journalism
Post Graduate Course:
- MA in Journalism and Mass Communication
- M.Sc. in Mass Communication
Skills Required To Become A Journalist in India
One should have the curiosity to know the news in detail. This will enable one to dig deeper into the details and gather a lot of information that they can simplify. They should have the will power and dedication to look into all news properly and keep an eye for details. They should also know how to make the news they gather presentable in front of their audience. They should have the aptitude and capability to make the news concise and precise so that these news pieces can be gripping and can hold the attention of the people. Journalists should know how to communicate their thoughts orally and in written format as well.
Journalists should possess the skill to be diplomatic and organized while interviewing celebrities and other public figures. They should filter the information they get and focus only on the relevant ones. They should also know how to handle criticisms as that is a key ingredient that would help them better themselves in this field. They should be ready to edit and rewrite pieces or articles over and over till it is presentable in front of the audience.
Career Options in Journalism & Mass Communication
Journalism can be mainly subdivided into print and electronic media and hence journalists can work in any of these areas. Print media includes periodicals, magazines, newspapers, and the likes. While electronic media includes the television, radio, and news portals or blogs on the world wide web.
Job Prospects For Journalists in Print Media:
Reporter: As a reporter in various print media agencies one’s job will be to report news and current affairs accurately, efficiently, and speedily. They should also possess the intellect to segregate relevant information from the irrelevant ones.
Special Reporter: A special reporter or a reporter who serves only a particular purpose, one must possess thorough knowledge in a particular field like politics or sports. The ability to interpret and analyze the news and showcase it according to one’s understanding is also important.
Feature Writer: A feature writer is supposed to write stories in detail and the observations on a particular topic.
Leader Writer: These writers can put forth their views in the editorial columns alone.
Proof Reader: Proof Reader’s job is to have control over the language the writings are produced in and they should look into the grammar, punctuation, and other errors in the edited articles.
Editor: Editors have the key responsibility is to ensure that the writings are uniform and presentable in front of the audience. He edits the writings and looks into making articles more appealing to the reader’s eyes.
Columnist: A columnist writes only in a particular column in the newspapers or magazines like sports, fashion, etc. Their viewpoints are restricted to the column where their knowledge surpasses others.
Critic: Critics should know a subject matter thoroughly and their jobs would revolve around how well they can observe and how much knowledge that have on that subject.
Photo Journalist: A good photographer can become a good visual reporter if they know when to click pictures and what kind of pictures are required. They should be ready to work in difficult situations and come up with captions for the pictures they click.
Cartoonist: They illustrate the socio-political and economic scenarios in subtle satirical ways that bring out the subject matter as well as humor.
Career Options for Journalism & Mass Communication Candidates in Electronic Media:
Researchers: Their jobs revolve around doing a lot of research. They must also be innovative and pick up news pieces that would appeal to the audience.
Broadcast Reporters: a broadcast reporter should possess communication skills and know-how to present the news they have gathered and analyzed.
Blog Writers: Several journalists cite their opinions via blog posts or through online news portals. The blogs of knowledgeable journalists are always at the forefront of the World Wide Web.
Additionally, people who have taken mass communication as their course can work in Advertising and Branding, Film Making, Video Editing, Photography, Journalism, Event Management, Creative Direction, etc. Although most people with a mass communication degree enter the journalism line itself.
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Salary Journalists Earn in India
Journalism is such a career field where the pay package keeps growing with the experience and the knowledge of the individual. Journalists can start with Rs.6K to Rs10K per month when they join as trainees or interns under any renowned media agency. A reporter’s salary is around Rs.12K to Rs.20K per month which keeps increasing with time. Editors usually have their pay packages ranging from Rs.20K to Rs. 35 K per month at the initial stage. As time passes by, and a journalist is able to show their hardworking spirit and encyclopedic knowledge their pay package will take an upward trend and can even reach Rs.50K to Rs. 1 lakh per month.
Conclusion:
Journalism is a very important profession in today’s world as it can act as a medium to educate and enlighten the minds of common people. Good journalism can help common citizens of a country develop independent opinions. Journalism is a very demanding career, and one who loves keeping themselves abreast with the latest news and current affairs and have a knack in writing can definitely think this of a good job option for their future career.
