By Durdana Bhat
The world has witnessed a phenomenal and unprecedented explosion in communication technology and media. All boundaries have been transcended, and the entire global community seems to have been brought together into one unified whole. And it is here that mass-communication, as a stream of study, and as a career, becomes so important and enviable.
Mass Communication is not limited to journalism alone. To a great extent mass media is a modern reality which covers all aspects of human life. Moreover, a great change can be observed in the concept of people working in mass media. Careers in Mass Communication are not only high paying but also bring in a great deal of job satisfaction and expression of creativity.
Not long ago, people with good communication skills and a degree in literature were considered fit for journalism and other areas of mass communication. However, with technology playing greater role in our lives, all professions related to mass communication now require skilled professionals who work fast and efficiently send across the message to a whole range of audience.
Unlike engineering or medical streams there are no preparation strategies or set formulae for making a career in mass communication. A graduate degree in the field is good to start with but a post graduate degree or diploma is almost essential to be considered for responsible positions in any organisation. Meanwhile, you need to start blogging or work as a freelance contributor to newspapers and a host of online publishing sites to develop your communication skills. Maturity, objectivity and a sensible train of thought are essential.
Is it the Right Career for Me?
Answering this question requires a critical self-evaluation. You need to have creativity—a way with words and excellent communication skills as you will be required to explain and inform, about the most complex of issues, in the simplest of terms—to a large number of people. Moreover, you require great deal of patience, because in this field, it takes a lot of hard work, and quite some time, to make it to the top.
What would it Cost Me?
Courses in Mass Communication are expensive as tuition fees and charges and expenses for doing projects, internships, and field work are quite high. Most of the institutes offering under graduate courses charge anywhere from Rs 60,000 to Rs 2, 00,000 per year. It means you will have to pay nearly three lakhs rupees for a course of three years duration. Similarly, a PG diploma course from Indian Institute of Mass Communication can cost in the range of Rs 40,000 to Rs 1,00,000 for one year. PG course in Mass Communication from MCRC at Jamia Millia Islamia can cost around one lakh for two years.
Funding/Scholarship
IIMC offers scholarship for candidates in each branch i.e. print media English and Hindi and Electronic Media which is almost half of the fees – for first two toppers. Several other memorial scholarships at the institute are based on merit. Other mass communication institutes too provide merit based freeships and scholarships.
Job Prospects
A professional course in mass communication opens doors for a career in films & TV, publishing, public relations, journalism, editing, direction, filmmaking, scriptwriting, production, etc. In nutshell, Mass Communication widens up the horizon of career options for a person. Depending upon personal interest and inclination a mass communication professional can choose a job. Attractive and high paying jobs as journalist, actor, director, editor, screenwriter, RJ, producer, VJ are available to the talented and trained individuals.
Whereas candidates passing out from IIMC, MCRC Jamia, Symbiosis College and many other institutes receive attractive placement after their courses and handsome salaries, students from not-so-well-known institutes have to work hard to get placed. Starting salary for a mass communication professional could be between Rs 12,000 and 25,000. After 5 Years of work experience a professional can expect higher salary in the range of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per month.
But like any career option, Mass Communication too has positive features as well as a flip side.
A career in Mass Communication requires commitment, dedication and sacrifice of personal time for the sake of staying on front or top, particularly in news industry. A journalist may have to work day in and day out to get breaking news. Similarly, media professionals who are in entertainment or film making need to work with passion which may come at the cost of their personal life.
However, in a nutshell, Mass Communication as a career provides job satisfaction, name and fame and a challenge to live with.
Following are the various job profiles offered to graduates in mass communication:
Fashion Photographer, Film Director, TV Correspondent, Producer, Radio Jockey/ RJ, Screenwriter, Sound Engineer, Sound Mixer and Sound Recordist, Special Correspondent, Video Jockey, Art Director, Editor, Event manager and Public Relations Officer.
Top Institutes
Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, Pune-411004
AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia,
New Delhi-110025
Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi-110067
Asian College of Journalism, Chennai
Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and
Communication, Bhopal
