Press and media are considered as the fourth pillar of the democracy. Being the largest democratic nation in the world, the importance of this sector is quite evident. Mass communication does not include only the press, it includes even the movies, radio, and all such allied fields. India houses the world’s largest filmmaking industry. From filmmaking to advertising, all come under mass communication. The glamour and fame associated with this field attract everyone. You can be a news reporter covering serious drug abuse among the youth in Punjab to a well-acclaimed songwriter.
This field has got lots of scope and possibilities. You will be surprised to know that the Tunisian Jasmine revolution was the result of powerful reporting of events by the youth. With internet penetrating deep int our lives, the scope of mass communication has become limitless. Above all, serious reporting and meaningful portrayal of subject matter is the need of the hour. We have come across so many innocent deaths because of fake news. Professional and morally strong, media person need to take control of this field to maintain its dignity.
Who should go into the Field of Mass Communication?
There is no such hard and fast rule for entering this field. But those who have a creative bent of mind and can express their thoughts beautifully should definitely go for it. It is true that talents cannot be taught in the mass communication colleges but those who have it can get their skills brushed up. A student with a sharp eye for musical notes can learn more about it only by getting enrolled in a music school. Similarly, a person with good writing skills can learn more about the correct techniques only by the experts in the field.
Mass communication colleges offer a talented team of professors in the respective fields who guide the budding talents. Students can learn the technical details of video editing, article writing, filmmaking etc. in these schools. This is a unique field that offers you the opportunity to express your ideas and make it available to the masses. If you love writing about history, you can become a historical novel writer. The proper training will help you in writing in the way people love. If your novel turns out to be a best-seller, it will change your life. You must have heard about J.K.Rowling who faced several rejections for her Harry Potter novels. But when they were ultimately published, they became classic hits. You need to have faith in your talent. You should never get disappointed by rejections.
How to get admission in Mass Communication?
You can get in this field just after your intermediate. There are three ways in which you can earn this degree:
Most of the institutes offering masters in mass communication also admit candidates from other fields. So, if you are already a graduate from some other field, you still have a chance of getting into this field.
Where to Study?
These days most universities offer some course in Mass Communication. There are several private colleges too. But the most reputed ones have a different charm. You get a better exposure and a well-informed faculty here. Here is a list of top 5 mass communication colleges in India:
- IIMC: http://www.iimc.nic.in/
- SIMC: https://www.simc.edu/
- Lady Shri Ram College for Women: http://lsr.edu.in/
- Christ University: www.christuniversity.in
- Manipal Institute of Communications: www.manipal.edu/mic
Job Prospects and Career opportunities in Mass Communication
- Journalism: If you wish to keep the general public informed about the various events around the world, you should get into journalism. This consists of the jobs of the News Editor, Reporters, News Anchors, writers, etc. apart from having the flair to write and correct mistakes, you also need to be presentable. Those aspiring to be news anchors should have a flair for speaking. They should have a positive body knowledge. News anchors are always the face of the media. Everyone idolizes Sarala Maheshwari who revolutionized the way news was presented to the people. Salary in this field is highly variable. If you are working with some news or magazine firm, you can expect 10k per month.but if you have a degree from a well-known college and work in a big media firm, salary will get really handsome; something around 30-40k/month. This will definitely increase with experience and expertise.
- Advertising: There are several consumer products. Not only that, advertising is an inseparable part of marketing. Filmmakers advertise their films to get more audience. The Internet is the biggest advertising platform. Youtube channels get paid for hosting ads. So, if you wish to create catchy advertisements, you should specialize in this field. You can do a course in web advertising or the traditional one. But in either case, you should be highly creative. You should know how to touch the right chords to make maximum impact. Advertisements make a mark only when the target audience manages to connect it with their real life. An advertisement for a tractor cannot target the audience if it is shown to be running on highways. But the same in agricultural field will be up to the mark. This field holds high potential and definitely pays well. The average salary is around 10 lakhs per annum.
- Radio Jockey: Most of us are fans of the FM channels. These have revolutionized the once obsolete radio stations. It was feared that with the growing popularity of television, the radio will lose its sheen. But thanks to the FM channels, they are now a craze. You just have noticed how chirpy and presentable the Radio Jockey are. They know what to take and how to carry on the communication. If you wish to be a radio jockey, you first need to have the right voice pitch and tone. You need to know how to take interviews and keep the audience engaged. It is one of the most sought-after careers. The fame and instant recognition are unparalleled. Usually, the radio stations hire the candidates with a bachelors degree in mass communication for this post. Your salary can start at 30k/month. In addition to that, you will have a distinct identity. Your voice will reach millions of the listeners.
- Editor: The job of the Editor is to ensure that the news article or any written material is free of mistakes. They need to ensure that it is presentable. If a writer creates an article n tough language, it will have low readability. The editor ensures that the nation-technical articles are easily understandable by all. If you are an editor for a technical paper or magazine, your job will ensure that the pieces of information are correct. Also, the syntax, punctuation, and fonts need to be correct. With the growing use of the internet, plagiarism is on the rise. So, you also need to see that a particular article is not copied. Otherwise, the media firm may face serious copyright infringement cases. Editors’ job is pretty hectic. If you are associated with a daily newspaper, you will need to correct the articles and the whole newspaper in a very short time. S, apart from having skills, you also need to be adept at time management. Despite being such a serious field, the freshers get paid around 3.6LPA. but with experience, you can rise to be the editor-in-chief of a national daily!
- Photographer: You must have noticed that most news pieces carry a photograph. In news channels, the reporters are always accompanied by photographers. The professional photography is not just handling a DSLR. It is about covering the right angles, events and with clarity. If you are good with the cameras, you can go into this field. Not only news media, the fashion photographers are also needed. There are always some glamorous events going on. From photo shoots of the film stars to the fashion weeks, photographers are needed for proper coverage. Even in sports, we have Photographers who capture every move of the players. Then there are wildlife photographers. In this role, you can work freelance or with some channels like Nat Geo for covering the unique flora and fauna. This will give you an opportunity to see the rich biodiversity around the world. The initial investments in this field are high. The high power lens, camera, and other accessories do cost much. Not only that, you need constant persistence and passion for the job to succeed. Most famous photographers spend their whole life in taking that perfect shot. So, you should be patient to achieve success. Several institutes offer courses in photography. Doing that will give you an in-depth knowledge o the field. Salary in this field is unpredictable. You may get 9-13k/month working for some local agencies. You may get 50-60k/month working for the top-notch firms. Most of it depends on the skills and how to present yourself.
- Video Editor: Just like the newspaper editor, the job of the Video Editor is to make videos seamless and watchable. The entertainment industry has their biggest demand. All the movies, series and programmes are never shooted at a single stretch. They are shot in small parts. Then the video editor works to join these fragments and insert the background track if required. This is a very tedious work. You may need to cut and re-paste several clips to get that perfect shot. Not to mention the correct choice of music, dialogues, and lighting. Even after dubbing, you need to ensure that the dialogues go in perfect lip sync. The salary in this field starts from 10k/month and can reach up to 50k/month. This depends majorly on the company and the city you work in.
- Video Jockey: The job profile of video jockey is similar to that of the radio jockey. The only difference is that you have to interact with people on camera. So, your body language and expressions play an important part. Most of the music channels like MTV and Channel V have programmes where you can call and talk with their Video Jockeys. Just observe how they answer each call and keep the audience entertained. Even if you are not the caller, you will be interested in their conversation. You should always look interested on screen. Your USP should be the ability to strike a conversation with anyone. If you have these qualities, the whole world is there to conquer. VJs get unprecedented popularity from their fans. Financially, you can expect to start earning from 15-20k/month. This will go up as you gain popularity and experience.
- Sound Engineer: If you have ever been to a concert, a theatre play or a recording studio, you must have noticed that the voice coming from the microphone is smooth to the ears. Even in the movies, the voice never seems too harsh. A sound engineer is behind the desk in these cases. They moderate the amplitude, bass, speakers and complex PA systems. But their job is not limited to handling the gadgets. As a sound engineer, you can even go into R&D to work towards creating better appliances. You can work on creating devices that better amplify the sound. Sound engineers are definitely in huge demand. You must have noticed how much irritating screeching of microphones is in the local events. The same microphones lend out the smooth sound in concerts. Expert sound engineers are behind this. you can do a diploma or certificate course in this field from different film institutes. The average salary is around 20k/month.
- Public Relations Officer: A PR officer’s job is all about handling the client’s reputation. You have to creatively influence the general perception towards your client. You should be fluent in the usage of all social media tools, should know how to handle the press meets and then plan strategies for getting a good reputation. In the entertainment industry, this role is the most important one. You can get good roles and projects only when your Public Relations Officer manages to portray you as a talented artist. To know the technical details of this course you should go for the academic courses. The average salary in this field is around 2.5LPA.
- Screen Play Writer: If you have a flair for writing captivating pieces, you can go for screenplay writing. A screenplay writer’s job is to create a quality content in tight deadlines. You can be associated with TV channels or movie production houses. You can start by writing short episodes and go on to write the whole films. This is that one field where you can show your creative and organized side. You can earn anything in this field. Good Screenplay writers earn something around 20 lakhs for each movie. The average salary is around 5 lakhs per annum.
- Blogger: With the internet reaching deep into the lives of people, Blogging has emerged as a lucrative career. You can start by writing on the topics you love. You can have a travel blog, food blog, fashion blog, book blog and so on. Concentrate on creating easy understandable original pieces. Learn about the SEO techniques. You will find that this gives you immense professional satisfaction and beautiful returns.
Mass communication is a wide field. These are just the representative career options. This is a field where you can find novel ways to reach out to the people. But to survive in this industry, you should have persistence, constant motivation and creativity.
