Media is termed as the fourth pillar of a democracy. The power and relevance that media possess in a democratic country like India show how relevant this industry is. Today, approximately 900+ media channels (government or private) are running in India. This number shows how many opportunities that this industry can provide to the youths. Journalism career is one of the most aspired careers among youth these days.
Journalism is a course that imparts knowledge about the essential working of the media industry. Some various universities or colleges offer this course. In this article, everything about the journalism career is mentioned.
Journalism Courses in India
For making a journalism career, a candidate can pursue the following courses:
- B.A.(Hons) in Journalism
- Diploma in Journalism
- Bachelors in Journalism and Mass Communication (BJMC)
- Post-graduation in Journalism and Mass Communication
The purpose of every course is to impart knowledge of the media industry. However, the BJMC course is popular in this industry. It is so because the BJMC Course scope is impressive. During the course, a candidate is trained for various skills like confidence, reporting, writing, editing, problem-solving, and decision making.
However, the minimum requirement and eligibility for the Journalism course are as follows:
Minimum educational qualification: A candidate must do 10+2 from any stream. It can be either science, arts, or commerce.
Eligibility criteria for Journalism course: The common eligibility criteria for this course include:
- A minimum of 50% is required in 10+2 for being eligible for this course. A candidate can belong from any stream.
- In some universities or colleges, it is mandatory to have English as a subject in 10+2.
- The 10+2 education should be done by a recognized central or board of education.
- A relaxation of 5% is given to the candidates who belong to SC/ST or other reserved categories.
- For being eligible for the PG diploma programs, it is essential to have 45% in graduation.
- Some universities conduct their entrance test. A candidate needs to clear the entrance test and other rounds of selection to become eligible for that respective course.
In India, some various universities or colleges offer the Journalism course. However, the top colleges for making a good journalism career are:
- University of Delhi
- Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha university
- Symbiosis International
- Amity University
- National Institute of Mass Communication
- International Institute of Mass Media
- Indian Institute of Mass Communication
- Jamia Millia Islamia
However, every college has different criteria for admission. It can include either an entrance test or direct admission based on the 12th standard marks.
Job Profile in Journalism Career
In the journalism career, there are various types of journalism jobs for which a candidate becomes eligible. It includes job opportunities like Editor, Photojournalist, Researchers, Social Media Specialist, Public Relation Specialist, and Copywriters. Apart from these journalism degree jobs, a candidate can become a journalist with a specialization in various areas. The specialization in journalists can be social media, Civic, Agricultural, Cultural, and Solution. Let’s understand the role of these journalists:
- Social Media Journalist focuses on the job of gathering the news about social media platforms and spreading that in the world.
- Civic Journalists focus on gathering current affairs or everyday problems of people. Here, the citizens of the country are interviewed about current or political affairs.
- Agricultural Journalists are expected to cover the news related to the agricultural sector, be it land, farmers, crops, or any other related thing.
- The role of the Cultural Journalist is to cover religious or cultural events and create news on them.
- The Solution Journalists are expected to perform the duty of ensuring the credibility of the news. These journalists monitor that the news is not fake. In this, content writing is also involved.
Placement opportunities and Salary Structure after Journalism
After completing the journalism course, a candidate can get the chance of working with the top media houses. If the course is done from a reputed college, then the top recruiters can be Hindustan Times, Network 18, Outlook, Zee Network, India Today Group, ABP News, the Pioneer, the Hindu, and India TV. However, when the salary structure of a journalist is concerned, then it is not fixed for every individual. The salary structure of the journalist depends on the type of the organization, specialization, experience, and gender.
Salary structure Details
- In the case of government organizations, the average annual salary of a journalist is INR 1,50,000-4,00,000. While in a private organization, it is INR 2,00,000-10,00,000.
- A broadcasting journalist becomes eligible to get average annual pay of INR 6,00,000-8,00,000.
- A Photojournalist can get a salary of INR 4,00,000-6,00,000. While a political journalist can get a salary of INR 3,00,000-4,00,000.
- However, in the case of freshers, the salary offered is between INR 2,00,000-3,50,000. While an experienced journalist can charge INR 6,00,000-10,00,000.
Conclusion
Journalism career has a wide scope in terms of opportunities. Being in the media industry can give a candidate fame, and a handsome salary. There are various jobs after BJMC that make the journalism career good for an individual. This makes this career option aspired by today’s youth. However, not all can perform better in this career. It requires good communication skills and confidence. Therefore, choose a career option wisely.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
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