Journalism And Mass Communication: Career, Top Colleges, Job Prospects

Journalism & Mass Communication is one of the most popular courses nowadays among students. Mass Communication, in general, refers to the distribution of message and information to a large collection of people, whether it may be the country or across the globe. Mass communication can mean any sorts of medium for information transfer to the audience. These might be radio, newspaper, television, social networking, billboards. When it comes to Journalism, its all about transmitting of the right news to the right audience with rigorous verification & various presentation.

Journalism is the act of gathering, analyzing, creating, and presenting news and information to a large group of audience. It is a distinct form of communication where the journalist delivers a one-way message or story to the audience as per his or her observations and discoveries on a particular happening. This type of storytelling is presented in different forms, like Breaking news, Feature stories, Investigative reports, Editorials, Reviews, Blogs.

Whereas, Mass communication is the process of conveying the message through channels of communication including broadcast television, radio, social media, and print media to a large group of anonymous and heterogeneous audiences. Even though journalism and mass communication are two different aspects but they are interrelated and interdependent on each other.

Journalism and Mass Communication is the course study for a  career path that gives fame, prestige, and money at a time that is why a career in journalism engrosses many students towards it. The students who don’t have much idea about this course would get a clear idea after reading the following information.

Areas of Specialisation

Electronic media:

• Some of the primary electronic media are Televisions, Radio Broadcast, Multimedia presentations, etc. This media uses an electronic or electromechanical audience to access its content. 

Print Media:

• This is the printed version of the media industry that uses tools like books, newspapers, magazines, etc to deliver its content. With the passage of time, Print media has evolved from more than just news platform to a stage of entertainment, education, and advertisement.

Web media:

• This media is the textual, graphical, and audio form of communication presented on the web. These days Web media has had a significantly broad and complex impact on society and culture. Examples of web media include Social Media, E-Books, Websites, Streaming platforms, etc.

Top Colleges

• Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM), Bangalore
• Symbiosis Institute of Journalism & Mass Communication (SIMC), Pune
• Indian Institute of Journalism & Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi
• Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA), Ahmedabad
• Asian College of Journalism, Chennai             
• Xavier Institute of Communication (XIC), Mumbai.
• Sharda University, Noida
• Mahatma Gandhi Mission College of Journalism and Mass Communication – Aurangabad
• Panjab University, Chandigarh

Highlights

The Journalism and Mass Communication Highlights section contains all the details regarding the course in a summarized format for the easy understandability of the students. This section contains brief information regarding the duration of the course, the admission process, eligibility criteria, top recruiters, etc.

Eligibility

If interested in applying for this course, the aspirant should check their eligibility for the same. The ineligible candidate's registration will be not accepted under any circumstances. The eligibility criteria of Journalism & Mass Communication for Undergraduate is different from that of the Postgraduate and M.Phil. Details of the eligibility criteria have been mentioned below:

Top Recruiters:

Journalism & Mass Communication brings in a lot of opportunities for its students. There are many national wide well-known institutions like Times of India Group who prefer journalists, columnists, and reporters from Journalism & Mass Communication background. Students who are interested in this field can build their bright futures with the lucrative job offers provided by the media communication industry. Here are the top recruiters of this course:

• Indian Express
• LT Finance
• Max New York Life
• Tata Steel
• Times of India Group
• India Today Group
• Anand Bazar Patrika
• Zee Entertainment Enterprise
• CNBC
• Guardian Group
• BBC
• ABC
• AIR
• NDTV Network
• Hindustan Times Group of Publication
• Zee TV Network
• Viacom
• Big Entertainment
• TV 18 Groups

Admission Process:

The students who want to pursue their career in Journalism and Mass Media Communication can start by doing the Bachelors's in the stated discipline. To get into the bachelor's or master's, the candidate has to appear the entrance exams required by the selected institute. Many universities or institutes have their own entrance examinations specialized only for Journalism and Mass Communication. However, some universities have Common Entrance Tests for this course. After the examination, colleges conduct group discussions and many colleges have an extra round of selection like Studio Test or Personal Interview. The admission process will vary as per the institutes' norms.

Syllabus and courses:

Syllabus for Journalism & Mass Communication may differ from one Institute to another. The syllabus of the course highlights the complete course curriculum of a particular degree. It is classified accordingly to the semesters and the core subjects selected by the candidates. The students can check the syllabus for Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D. degrees that is given below:

B.A. Journalism & Mass Communication

Skills Required:

The aspirants of the Journalism & Mass Communication Course should have some of the primary skills for a bright future in the long run. Not all skills are inherited rather some skills can only be earned with long term practice. Some of the important skills required in this field of Journalism & Mass communication are mentioned below:

• Creativity
• Good Communication skills
• Skill to address different types of problems
• Observations
• Ability to Interpret
• High Self-Confidence
• Researching ability
• Ability to express one's thoughts and ideas

Top Entrances:

Many institutions offer admission into this course only after a student qualifies in the entrance examination. Different universities or colleges have a separate entrance examination for journalism, while others have a common entrance test.  When choosing Journalism & Mass Communication for the career, the students need to qualify one of these entrance exams. These are mentioned below:

• Asian College of Journalism Entrance Exam
• Indian Institute of Journalism & Mass Communication Entrance Exam
• International School of Business and Media Entrance Exam
• Jamia Milia Islamia Entrance Exam
• Manipal Institute of Communication Entrance Exam
• Symbiosis Institute of Journalism & Mass Communication Entrance Exam
• Xavier Institute of Communications Entrance Exam
• Mudra Institute of Communication Entrance Exam
• Andhra University Common Entrance Test
• Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP)

Career and Job Prospects

A career in Journalism and Mass Communication has a very rewarding future. With a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication one may avail one of many high paying jobs like becoming a Publisher or a Screenwriter. This field is associated with Journalism, Mass Media and Reporting, so, anyone can easily get a job with secure future.  Here, are some of the top career/job profiles associated with the field:

FAQs:

Q: What are the career options available in Journalism & Mass Communication?
A: In Journalism & Mass Communication, a student can opt for a content writer, editor, Journalist, Senior Graphic Designer, Relationship Manager, etc. For detailed career guidance in Journalism & Mass Communication check out the Career and Job Prospects section above.

Q: How much can a candidate expect as a Journalist?
A: As a journalist, one can expect a salary range from INR 310,000 to INR 610,000 per annum.