Career Guide for Journalism Studies

Journalism is the occupation of reporting, writing, editing, photographing, or broadcasting news or of conducting any news organization as a business. Newspaper, radio, television, and more recently the new media of the internet have completely revolutionized dissemination of news to the public. In a predominantly democratic country such as India, the power of press is significant and journalists are esteemed as frontrunners in shaping public opinion. A career in journalism offers many opportunities to young aspirants passionate about serving the country through a press that is increasingly becoming the conscience keeper of the nation; little wonder then that the press is called the fourth pillar of democracy. Reporters, editors, designers, anchors, news analysts, and producers are of great demand in several media houses in the country today. Skills required for this field are creativity, hard work, dedication and an in-depth knowledge of socioeconomic and political issues.

Courses and Eligibility:

The minimum eligibility for admissions in a bachelor’s program is a 10+2 pass certificate in any stream whereas for a postgraduate degree a candidate is required to complete graduation in journalism. Some institutes offer one-year certificate courses in journalism for which eligibility is again a 10+2 pass certificate. One can specialize in a specific area of journalism such as sports, television, photo, press law. Candidates must have a nose for news in addition to an ability to write and produce news stories in correct, concise, and appealing style.

Career Prospects:

A graduate can be inducted as a reporter, correspondent/special reporter, feature writer, proofreader, editor, columnist critic, photojournalist, and cartoonist in any newspaper organization.

Since journalism is such a broad field, there are many opportunities for career growth. Those interested in returning to academics can take up faculty positions in colleges and universities. One can also shift to business and marketing departments in news agencies. In the last few years, the market for online journalism has expanded at a very fast rate. More and more people prefer getting their news via the Internet rather than through newspapers. This has led to a huge demand for online journalists, with publishers, broadcasters, and other news-gathering agencies queuing up to take advantage of the new technologies. However, competition for jobs remains stiff on big daily papers, news magazines, and major cable, television, and radio networks.

Remuneration:

Fresh graduates can expect to start off with a salary of Rs. 15,000–Rs. 20,000 as a trainee. As a reporter, one can earn Rs. 20,000 – Rs. 25,000 initially. Chief editors draw a salary of more than Rs. 50,000, besides earning other perks and benefits.