What are the Career Options and Scope of Journalism and Mass Communication in India?

Answer :

Journalism is concerned with collection and dissemination of news through the print media as well as the electronic media. This involves various areas of works like reporting, writing, editing, photographing, broadcasting or cable casting news items.

Journalism is classified into two on the basis of media- (i) Print Journalism and (ii) Electronic (Audio/Visual) Journalism. Print Journalism includes newspapers, magazines and journals. In print journalism one can work as editors, reporters, columnists, correspondents etc. Electronic journalism includes working for Radio, Television and the Web. In the web, skilled people are required to maintain sites by web newspapers (which cater only to the web and do not have print editions) and popular newspapers and magazines that have their own web editions. In electronic journalism one can be a reporter, writer, editor, researcher, correspondent and anchor.

Nature of Work

Mass communication is a vast field covering many areas under it. Some of these are discussed under the following headings.

 PRINT JOURNALISM: In short, journalism is collecting and editing of news for presentation through media. Print journalism has been one of the oldest forms of journalism. Newspapers and magazines, big or small have always been major source of news and information throughout the world and millions of readers go through them daily. Over the years, print journalism has witnessed major transformation; the simple reporting of yesteryears has taken a shape of highly specialized and professional field owing to competition and other factors.

ELECTRONIC JOURNALISM:Introduction of electronic communicaiton especially through broadcasting has affected the lifestyles and thoughts of masses. Communication mediums like television, radio, audio, video etc. has made possible news, entertainment, information, education related subjects reach the very far and wide places. It has to an extent sidelined other forms of communication.

List of Mass Communication Colleges 

Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, JNU New Campus, New Delhi-110067
A J K Mass Communication Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110025
Manipal Institute of Communication, Udayavani Building, Press Corner, Manipal-576119.
Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, Senapati Bapat Marg, Pune-411004.
Asian College of Journalism, Express Building, 1 Queen’s Road, Bangalore-560001.
Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Poona, Pune-411004.
New Delhi YMCA, Centre for Mass Media, 1 Jai Singh Road, New Delhi-110001.
Amity School Of Journalism and Communication, (More available at AKC House, E-27 Defence Colony, New Delhi -110024.
Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication, Apeejay Campus, Sector 8 Dwarka, New Delhi-110075

Career Prospects

Diversification in different areas of mass communication is witnessing a steep rise and is expected to thrive further, on account of growing professionalism and advancement in this sector. Anyone who is creative, dynamic, enterprising and has a flair to project his ideas, thoughts, observation through different mediums of communication can accomodate himself comfortably in this industry.