Everything You Need to Know About Courses in Mass Communication

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Mass Communication Mass CommunicationCourse Review Course Review
CONTENTS
1. Introduction03
2. Eligibility 05
3. Course Structure 07
4. What after Graduation? 09
5. Journalism as a Career 11
6. Job Profiles 13
7. Radio, TV, PR and Advertising 15
8. Earning Potential 21
9. Industry Talk 23
10. Best institutes for BJMC 25
11. Best institutes for PG Diplomas in Masscom 25
12. Specialization at Select Foreign Universities 25
INTRODUCTION
From Mark Antony’s speech, “I come to
bury Caesar” in Shakespeare’s Julius
Caesar, to Barack Obama’s book ‘Audac-
ity of Hope’, the right words have always created
magic. The field of communication does exactly
that. Finding the right way to convey the right
idea.
Journalism is the profession of communica-
tion wherein anything related to news is collect-
ed, transformed according to the medium, and
then distributed. The medium can be anything:
newspapers, magazines, books, radio, television,
webcasts, blogs, podcasts, social media and even
e-mail. What are disseminated can be news or
featuresandcommentariesrelatedtonews.Ear-
lier, the term ‘journalism’ was used to reportage
ofnews,especiallyinnewspapers.Butnowitalso
encompasses a broad spectrum of media related
to electronic communication. As the field grows
and takes into its fold any type of platform from
social media to Internet streaming to news on
FAST FACTS
Programme: Bachelor
of Journalism Mass
Communication (BJMC)
Specializations: Journalism; Film,
TV Radio; Advertising; Public
Relations Popular Bachelor’s
institutes: Delhi University,
Amity School of Communication,
Manipal University, Institute of
Management Studies (Noida),
University of Lucknow, Guru Govind
Singh Indraprasth University,Jamia
Millia Islamia, Bangalore University
(affiliated colleges) Eligibility:
Class 10+2 any stream Duration:
Three years Course Fee: Moderate
at state-run institutions/approx.
Rs. 50,000 and above per year
at private institutions Job Roles:
Journalists, reporters, anchors,
junior sub editor, chief sub editor,
news editor, resident editor, photo
journalist/cameraman, producer,
anchor, script writer, copywriters,
visualizers etc.
THE FIELD OF COMMUNICATION CONTINUOUSLY ENDEAVOURS
TO FIND THE RIGHT WAY TO CONVEY THE RIGHT IDEA
Cover Design: Rajesh Chawla
Copyright © Pathfinder Publishing Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or means electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,without prior permission of Pathfinder Publishing Pvt. Ltd.
Editor: B Mahesh Sarma
Project Editors Dr. Nimesh Chandra, S. Rajaram
Research Shiphony Pavitran Suri, Prerna Singh
Art Director Anshul Sharma
Asst. Art Director Rajesh Chawla

ELIGIBILITY
Acareer in Masscom requires an insatia-
ble curiosity, tremendous ability for
hard work and thorough knowledge of
the chosen fields. Some people find their calling
earlyinlife.Butmostothersthinkofitasacareer
option. Raju Narisetti, former Managing Editor,
The Washington Post, says he used to write let-
ters to newspapers even as a child. “A favourite
game for my sister and me was to sit and look at
the vast number of books my dad had in book-
shelves and try to name a fragment of a book title
that the other could spot or complete. And I
would dash off lots of letters to local newspapers
on various topics,” he says. Narisetti could be an
exception, but if you are inclined for this career,
a professional qualification can come in handy.
If you have passed 10+2 in any stream, you
can apply for a 3-year degree course in journal-
ism. Usually the nomenclature for the course
IF YOU HAVE PASSED 10+2 IN ANY STREAM, YOU CAN APPLY FOR A
3-YEAR DEGREE COURSE IN JOURNALISM
mobile phones, it is broadly termed as Mass Communication or in short,
Masscom.
Each and all of the various types of media focus on producing and consum-
ing knowledge, information or entertainment. Employing over one million
people,directlyandindirectly,thesectorhastremendousjobpotential.From
a reporter or a stringer, to a customer care executive in Public Relations to a
creative person in Advertising, the communication field offers a large spec-
trum of opportunities.
Earning Potential: 12,000 to
20,000 (for freshers) Job areas:
Print, Electronic Media, Radio
TV Top recruiters: Newspapers,
Magazines, Digital Media, (PTI, UNI,
Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan
Times, India Today, Outlook,
Times of India),TV (NDTV,Aaaj
Tak, Headlines Today,Times Now),
TV production houses (Balajai
Telefilms Ltd, Endemol India Pvt
Ltd, Rajshri Productions),Ad
agencies (Ogilvy Mather, McCann
Erickson India, Lowe Lintas, Mudra
Communications, Leo Burnett),
PR agencies (Communication
Management Consulting Group,
Ethos PR, Clea PR, Decibel India),
Radio (All India Radio, Radio Mirchi,
My FM, Big FM, Radio City, Radio
One, Fever FM)

is Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication (BJMC). In certain
colleges/institutions it is also called BA (Journalism) or BSc (Journalism).
Though the nomenclature may vary, the basic course content remains more
or less the same.
COURSE STRUCTURE
The 3-year BJMC course basically makes
you skilled for all types of media careers
-- print, television, online, advertising,
public relations etc. It will introduce you to vari-
ous schools and thoughts about media and
its role in history and in today’s times. It will
train you in reporting, editing and the latest
technologies.
The curriculum begins with an introduction
to the principles and history of communication
and comparison of local and global media. In the
second year, students learn about every aspect of
journalism (from print, radio, TV to new media),
film studies, advertising, event management and
public relations. The third year covers media
trends, laws and ethics. Regular media-indus-
try interface is a must for any BJMC course.
Students need to get a whiff of professional
THE COURSE IS STRUCTURED IN A WAY THAT TRAINS YOU IN ALL THE
FACETS OF COMMUNICATION AND THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES
ELIGIBILITY
l 10+2 with PCB/M
l Admission is merit-based.
l Some institutes conduct
entrance exams

ambience early, as the underlying principle of the profession is hands-on
training.
The main papers comprise print media (reporting and editing), fundamen-
tals of advertising, introduction to visual communication and electronic
communication. Environment studies, English, digital photography, public
relations, web designing, development communications are also major
fields of study. Corporate communication, event management, film theory,
multimedia, advanced research, behavioural science etc., form part of the
curriculum.
WHAT AFTER GRADUATION?
Usually students specialize in one of the
fieldsofmasscommunication:Journal-
ism/TV/ Radio/Advertising /Public
Relations. Some of them either take up a job or
pursue PG Diploma from prestigious institutes.
“I could have opted for postgraduate studies, but
Iwantedtoenterthefieldearlyasindustryexpe-
rience matters more than higher qualification in
media,” says Mrinalini Raman, a former student
of journalism at University of Mumbai. Though
film studies are part of this domain, there are
separate courses exclusively devoted to this.
IIMC, ACJ and Jamia Millia are some of the
leading institutes offering postgraduate diploma
in various areas of mass communication, be it
print, TV, advertising, new media, to name a few.
Most reputed institutes conduct entrance exam
for admission. There is no set pattern for written
exam. However, the test-takers will be judged on
MOST OF YOU WILL BE READY TO TAKE UP A JOB WHILE THOSE WHO
ARE ACADEMICALLY INCLINED MAY GO FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDIES.

JOURNALISM AS A CAREER
As a career, journalism is far more com-
plex and different from the popular,
glamorousimages.Inrecentyears,tech-
nology has been the driving force, changing the
media in big way. “We get breaking news on
mobilephone,shareitonweb,lookforvisualson
TV and the same gets documented by newspa-
pers. The entire spectra of media are in a race to
get hold of masses,” says Pratap Somvanshi,
Senior Resident Editor with Hindi daily Hindu-
stan.
Newsreportingcreatesopeningsformediaper-
sonnelinvariousdomainslikereporting,editing,
and production. The areas of interest are varied
like sports, politics, crime etc. Before deciding to
buildacareerinjournalism,itiscrucialtounder-
stand different platforms like print or electronic
media and skill sets required.
IN THIS INFORMATION-DRIVEN FIELD YOU WILL NEED TO ACQUIRE IN
DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF ISSUES AND HONE YOUR WRITING SKILLS.
theirspecificfieldknowledge,generalawareness,aptitude,brandawareness,
analytical and comprehension skills. You must read newspapers, magazines,
editorials and articles related to current affairs regularly. This will brighten
your chances of getting into a top institution.
Abroad, the courses related to mass communication are quite expensive.
The cost of programme varies according the status of the university. Some
of the top universities are Columbia University, Arthur L. Carter Journalism
Institute and James Madison University, to name a few.

JOB PROFILES
Editorial department of a typical media
organisation has two basic domains -
input and output. ‘Input’ comprises
reporters and writers working on different beats
(political, economic, art, business, internation-
al).‘Output’hastheresponsibilitytomakeinputs
presentable. In newspapers, it is called a ‘desk’
where a team of editors select stories from the
input,decidesonitsplacingandwayofpresenta-
tion. Experienced people who work in close
coordination with the chief editor lead both the
domains.
In reporting, you start as a trainee journalist
andthengraduatetoseniorreporter,specialcor-
respondent and bureau chiefs. On desk there are
junior sub editor, chief sub editor, news editor,
resident editor etc. There are senior positions
like Assistant Editor, Managing Editor, and Edi-
tor etc. But these are meant for people who have
THE DOMAINS OF A JOURNALIST CUT ACROSS POLITICS, BUSINESS,
SPORTS, CRIME ETC., TO NAME A FEW OF THEM.
A BJMC degree or PG Diploma degree helps you to start your career as a
journalist. Most of the universities and their affiliated colleges do offer such
programmesbutonlyafewmediaschoolslikeIndianInstituteofMassCom-
munication (IIMC), Jamia Milia Islamia, Xavier Institute of Communica-
tion and Asian School of Journalism are well recognized.
If you wish to make a career in the information-driven industry like news
media, you must invest on enhancing knowledge, in depth understanding of
issues and writing skills. “Searching for truth and taking stands for human-
ity should be the core ideal of every journalist and for that you have to doubt
and cross check each and every one and every fact before you publish,” says J
Gopikrishnan, Special correspondent, The Pioneer.
SanjayaBaru,formerEditor,BusinessStandard,says,“Unlessyouarewell-
read you cannot be a good journalist.” Top names in the industry agree that
to become a good journalist in India, one must have good understanding of
socio-economic profile of the country, developments after Independence,
and prevailing political philosophies.
Devinder Sharma, food policy expert and ex-newsman of Indian Express
says, “No doubt, journalism is an exciting profession but there are lots of
pitfalls. Everyday you have to prove yourself. Missionary journalism has
changed. Now market is dictating the media.”
Prominent Domains
in Journalism
l Politics
l Business
l Sports
l Crime
l Auto tech
l Personal Finance
l Features lifestyle
l Films
l Literary
l Education health
l Environment
l Development
l Agriculture

years of experience. This is applicable to any media, be it print, radio, TV or
new media.
Innewschannelsoutputteammembersarecalledproducers.Thoughbasic
skillsarealmostthesametherearedifferencesinreportinganddeskjob.Asa
reporter you will have to be an outgoing person and keep an eye on your beat,
meet people and file news stories. For a desk job you should have excellent
languageskillsandsubjectknowledge.Photojournalist/cameraman,graphic
designer and cartoonist are also important profiles.
The domains of a journalist cut across politics, business, sports, crime etc.,
to name a few of them (See list for details).
Internet has brought in a new era in journalism. With the help of social
networking sites Internet provides the power of mass communication to
individuals. It has created lots of opportunities for budding journalists who
are tech savvy. Panini Anand, an experienced journalist of new media and
editor of community news portal www.pratirodh.com feels that they should
have abilities of a reporter, editor, and anchor, all combined in one.
RADIO, TV, PR AND
ADVERTISING
Televisionandradioarepowerfulmediaas
they reach people regardless of age, sex,
income, or educational level. “Television
and films offer sight and sound, and make dra-
matic and life-like representations of people and
products whereas radio creates impact with the
help of sound effects,” says Prof. Ashok Ogra,
Director, Apeejay Institute of Mass Communi-
cation.
At the last count India has over 800 TV chan-
nels offering news and entertainment. FM radio
is literally booming after the sector was opened
toprivatesector.Arecentreportsaystheemploy-
ment potential of the sector is going to treble.
Across the media spectra like Print, TV and
Online,divisionoffunctionsislargelysimilarbut
requiredskillsandwaysofworkinghavechanged
over a period of time. Ajit Anjum, Managing
THE FOUR TRADITIONAL DOMAINS OF MASS MEDIA OFFER EXCELLENT
CAREER GROWTH. NEW MEDIA PRESENTS ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES.

Editor of NEWS24 says, “Unlike Print, in TV a reporter is engaged not only
in news gathering but also in later stages of packaging and presentation.
That’s why TV reporter must also have visual sense and ability to express in
a few words.” The 24x7 nature of the television news makes it imperative for
media persons to work at odd hours. Reporters are expected to be only mas-
ters of their beat, anchors are supposed to know something about anything
and everything.
In India radio news is still monopolised by the New Services Division of
All India Radio (AIR). This is because the government has so far not allowed
news broadcast for private FM players.
The newsroom in All India Radio functions almost similarly like that of a
televisionchannel,thoughthetechnologyandproductdeliverydiffer.Thejob
profiles are also similar. AIR also offers ‘News-on-phone’ and a news portal.
Most of the recruitments are done through the Staff Selection Commission
and UPS. But beyond news, the private FM channels and community radio
offer openings for trained journalists.
InIndiathePrintmediaisexpandingthroughthevernacularpress.Though
India has only less than 10% of Internet penetration, still it translates to 120
million people. And the situation is changing fast. TV continues to grow with
the number of channels reaching 800, almost half of it being news and cur-
rent affairs channels.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
The role of a PR professional is clear-cut.
It is to make the product or brand or ser-
vice that one represents gets adequate
exposureinpublicthroughmedia.Itcanbeprint,
television (news media) and digital media. PR is
not only responsible for the image of a brand or a
company but also plays a role in strategic com-
munication at boardroom levels.
The requirements of PR skills are different
across levels, but the basics include good writing
skills and general knowledge. “As for corporate
communicators, it is important to have a thor-
ough understanding of your client’s business
and the environment in which it operates and
to stay in touch with current news and views,”
says Nandita Lakshmanan, CEO, The PRactice.
“Strong communications is ultimately the core
skill. Knowledge of English and the ability to
write well and express clearly is the key,” says
PR SKILLS ARE DIFFERENT ACROSS LEVELS, BUT THE BASICS INCLUDE
GOOD WRITING SKILLS AND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.

DilipCherian,Founder,PerfectRelations.InPublicRelations(PR),youcan
choose job functions like Corporate Communications, Brand Management,
Lobbying, Image Management or Event Management.
ADVERTISING
Advertising is the art of addressing a mes-
sagetothemasses. Itplaysacriticalrole
in marketing various types of products.
Media plays a supporting role in advertising
products through TV, radio, websites, newspa-
pers, magazines, billboards, hoardings, etc.
Career in advertising is best suited for those
who are creative, passionate and don’t mind
multitasking. To have people skill is crucial, as
you often have to understand what client needs
and also help in effective decision-making. Hav-
ingexcellentcommunication,goodpresentation
skill,andteamandleadershipskillsisanassetfor
the advertising world.
Mumbai-based Janak Bhatt, working with
Ogilvy as a senior art director says that ad busi-
ness is all about ideas. “You need to put an idea
that’s relevant to the brand and benefits it,” he
IF YOU ARE CREATIVE, PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR WORK AND LOVE
MULTITASKING, THIS DOMAIN WILL SUIT YOU BEST.

underlines. Copywriters employ a host of tactics to grab consumers’ atten-
tion.
There are countless career options in advertising. You can join right from
advertising agencies, PR houses, market research organizations, TV, film,
magazines, newspapers to radio. There are many professionals who get into
freelancing services as well. There are two sides of advertising profession –
Executive department, which deals with client servicing, market research
and media research. And the other is creative department that employs
copywriters, scriptwriters, visualisers, creative directors and photographers.
In an advertising agency, all creations emanate from hard work, under tight
deadlines. “You are expected to learn very quickly, there is no concept of a
slow induction,” states Malavika Harita, CEO Saatchi and Saatchi. Good
communicationskills,theabilitytothinkvisuallyandcommunicateclearlyis
amust.Onehastoberesilientandtough.“Advertisinghasnowbecomemore
accountable and needs to deliver results,” says Harita.
EARNING POTENTIAL
Your earnings will depend on the media
you join, and your role. In print media
the entry-level salary is around Rs.
12000-Rs.15000.Asonegainsexperienceof3-5
years salary can grow somewhere between Rs.
25000-50000.
Depending on your qualification, you could
be paid well in PR. A trainee’s starting salary
would be around Rs. 10000, and with eventually
he/ she can expect a salary of Rs. 10,000 to Rs.
25,000. An established professional can expect
Rs. 20,000 or more. Certainly, the package var-
ies drastically if you join MNCs. In Advertising,
eventhoughtheinitialsalarymaybecomparable
to print or PR, after enough years of experience,
the salary levels reach up to Rs. 50,000 per
month and beyond.
YOUR EARNING POTENTIAL WILL DEPEND ON THE MEDIA YOU CHOOSE,
YOUR SPECIALIZATION AND EXPERIENCE..

Television has emerged as one of the better paying options. But it all
depends on where you want to make a mark. “Even today, deep down inside
I still believe that I would be more comfortable doing print. The joy you get
from a byline, for me at least, is a bigger high than on TV on a daily basis.
Given a choice, I will still go for print. But print doesn’t pay as much as TV,”
says Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-chief of CNN-IBN.
INDUSTRY TALK
Raju Narisetti
Former Managing Editor, The Washington Post
Working with Tower Watson India, a global firm
in risk and financial management.
Q. Tell us a little about your growing up years in India?
A. I grew up with newspapers, books and conversations about language and
journalism as my father was a journalist and my mother was a professor of
English. A favourite game for my sister and me was to sit and look at the vast
number of books my dad had in bookshelves and try to name a fragment of a
book title that the other could spot or complete. And I would dash off lots of
letters to local newspapers on various topics.
Q. So, a journalist is what you always wanted to be…
A. I didn’t necessarily think of journalism as a career. In fact, I went to
Institute of Rural Management, Anand, (IRMA), to get my two-year MBA
equivalentinRuralManagement,afterwhichIworkedasregionalsalesman-
ager for AP Dairy, the producers of Vijaya brand of dairy products. But some
two years into that, it dawned on me that selling butter and cheese wasn’t
how I want to spend the rest of my life and that I wanted to really become a
journalist.
Q. Were you a good student in the conventional sense?
A.Ibarelypassedmy10thgradeHindiexambecauseIhatedthesubjectand
never put effort into it but that event was such a shock to me that it forever
changed my thinking on education. Not only did I score very well in Hindi
later but never ever got myself into a situation where I didn’t sail through
my exams.

Q. Why Indiana University and not an Indian university for journal-
ism?
A. I got a Post Graduate diploma from The Times School of Journalism
(TSJ), back in the late 1980s, the best journalism education you could get.
Q. How was education in the US different from India?
A. Irealizedthatgoodteachersareonesthatmakeyourmindopentomulti-
ple possibilities and challenge you to find answers. David Pritchard, Indiana
University professor, taught me the value of rigour and ethics in journalism.
I owe Indiana University a great debt of gratitude: for making me think.
Q. You seem to suggest that there are fundamental flaws with Indian
education…
A. The focus on year-end exams, the static nature of testing based on rarely
updated textbooks, the unwillingness to formally recognize and reward
intra-year two-way conversation in a course between students and teach-
ers, the fixed set of subject pairs you can take rather than being able to build
your course-work, teachers who aren’t measured by their ability to attract
students to willingly attend classes, teacher education that is ancient in its
focus on curriculum development and teaching methods – the list is endless
and yet something that can be fixed because it isn’t rocket science.
Best institutes for BJMC
Amity School of Communication
Lovely Professional University
Punjab Technical University
Guru Govind Singh Indraprasth University
University of Lucknow
IIS University
Manipal University
Institute of Management Studies (Noida)
D.A.V. Centenary College
Mewar University
Punjabi University
Best institutes for
PG Diplomas in Masscom
IIMC, New Delhi
Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai
Asian College of Journalism, Chennai
A.J Kidwai MCRC,Jamia Millia Islamia Delhi
Symbiosis Institute of
Mass Communication, Pune
Indian Institute of Journalism
and New Media, Bangalore
Mudra Institute of Communications
Ahmedabad
Dept. of Communication and
Journalism, Pune University
Manorama School of
Communication, Kottayyam
Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, Delhi
Specialization at Select Foreign Universities
Public Relations Advertising Journalism
Georgetown University University of Florida Columbia University
James Madison University University of Texas
Arthur L. Carter Journalism
Institute
New York University Michigan State University Medill School of Journalism
University of Alabama University of Illinois Standford University
University of Southern California Boston University Syracuse University

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