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About Journalism

There are 4 Pillars of a Democracy - Legislature. Judiciary, Executive, and Media. A Journalist is a part of the 4th Pillar.

Who is a Journalist?

Imagine being a part of a career that is a Pillar of the Constitution. That is Media and right at the center of that ecosystem is Journalism.

Journalists are storytellers. But the stories they tell are not fictional. They can be about a person, a group, a country, the world, politics, sports, entertainment, or anything current and important. A journalist spends time using news releases and developing story ideas, verification of facts, researching and investigating a single topic in-depth, and interviews.

From newspapers and radio, to Twitter, and Facebook, the Journalism industry has changed immensely. With industries adapting to the digital platforms, journalists too, worked hard to find their place.

Peter Parker had said, “With great power, comes great responsibility”.

With the media industry shifting to digital platforms, the verification of news decreased, giving birth to ‘Fake News’. 

A journalist spends time using news releases and developing story ideas, verification of facts, researching and investigating a single topic in-depth, and interviews. A journalist's workplace may vary depending on his or her roles and responsibilities.

Being in the path of becoming a Journalist, you may work for various news sharing platforms in varying responsibilities. These could include broadcasting news, reporting there, photography and content production, including videos, social media platforms or even in the print media.

Now that you have a fair idea what a career in journalism could be like, let’s track back to how you start - With A Formal Education!

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Journalism, Media, PR & Communication 6683 Students Shortlisted

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Duration: 3 years

Fee per course/annum: Rs.20,000 - Rs.80,000 Per Annum

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Fee per course/annum: Rs.25 - Rs.35 Lakh Per Annum

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Fee per course/annum: Rs.15 - Rs.30 Lakh Per Annum

Career Prospects

Reporter

Be it a Leopard witnessed in a village, or a political scandal, or even a sports event in the country, a reporter is always on the lookout!

As a reporter, your primary responsibility is to report the news with swiftness, accuracy, and clarity. But it’s not about telling the news, it’s about maintaining the integrity of the news by being objective.

There are several qualities of reporters that make them crucial for a news organisation. Some of these qualities include eye for detail, strong networking, communication skills, persuasive skills, investigation and research skills. There are several types of reporters out there depending on the beat, such as political reporters, entertainment reporters and crime reporters.

Correspondent/Special Reporter

Being a Correspondent or a Special Reporter, it is essential to have extensive knowledge about the particular field. From having the ability to read between the lines and to explaining the news on the basis of the facts, that’s what a Special Reporter does!

As a special reporter, you would have to travel to different parts of the country or the world to talk about events that are of relevance to the people of that area, or the world. Correspondents often report news in adverse conditions, specially during war, natural calamities, and more.

Feature Writer

As a features writer, you will be offering your view on specific topics by writing in-depth stories about them. But it doesn’t have to be only stories. It could be interviews, a case study, or a trend!

Unlike journalistic writing and reporting, feature writing gives you freedom to write in a more informal and conversational tone. Feature articles are usually in depth and require a strong narrative tone. They tell a story and give an extensive insight into a person, an idea or a place.

Editor

The ultimate ‘Grammar Nazi’ in the world of Journalism, an editor is the chief when it comes to maintaining the writing style of all articles.

As an editor, you will ensure uniformity in the writing format along with checking for all and any kind of errors in facts, numbers, or the news event as a whole.

Columnist

As a Columnist in a newspaper or a magazine, you get paid for your views. Some of the famous columnists include Shashi Tharoor, Shobhaa De, Twinkle Khanna, and more!

What makes them different from other journalists?

They write for a particular segment in the newspaper or magazine and it would highlight your viewpoint on any topic that you expertise in such as fashion, politics, films, sports, etc.

Critic

Food critic or movie critic, to become any kind of a critic, you should be highly experienced in that field, and well-read. (Or, people end up criticising the critic too)

Today, the world of film and food have taken over so much of our lives. To filter out and focus on good ones, this is where a critic comes in. Your knowledge of the subject helps people make informed decisions on whether or not one can invest time and effort on that particular subject.

Photojournalist

A Photograph says 1,000 words.

Imagine a job where you take photographs and tell the story behind it.

That’s what a Photojournalist does. One of the most challenging jobs in the field of journalism, a photojournalist must represent the news pictographically along with adding words to describe the scene, and the moment.

Apart from this, you, as a photojournalist must also have the technical skills, and equipment knowledge to work in harsh and challenging conditions and environments.

News Anchor

News Anchors were a highly demanding and popular job a few years ago with TV journalism witnessing a boom in the industry.

In a newsroom, a news anchor, as the name suggests, holds the news together. From talking about different news stories, breaking them down, to talking with correspondents, and more, an anchor maintains the flow of that particular news segment.

We have many renowned news anchors in India including Barkha Dutt, Prannoy Roy, and more!

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Jobs & Salary

The Journalism industry has seen the highs and lows when it comes to the scope of it in the country and abroad. Back in 2010, when the scope of making a career as a journalist was booming, the jobs were many and the salary was catching up to the corporates.

However, that did not last long, after the internet took over.

The jobs in Print Journalism have reduced, and the salary hasn’t increased. However, the reputation of journalism and media has taken a hit as well. However, the demand for Journalism will never diminish.

That being said, here are some industries that hire Journalists -

  • Publishing House
  • Public Relations
  • Corporate Business
  • Education
  • Law
  • Consulting Firms

Top Companies Recruiting Journalists

  • Hindustan Times
  • The Hindu
  • Times of India
  • BBC

As the jobs have gradually reduced, so has the salary of a journalist. In India, the average salary of a journalist ranges between Rs.3 and Rs.3.5 Lakh Per Annum. In the United States of America, a journalist earns a yearly average salary of Rs.42 Lakh.

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Being a part of the media ecosystem
Cons
  • Low job security
  • Less salary

Famous Personalities

Prannoy Roy

Born in 1949, Prannoy Roy is a well-known Indian economist, chartered accountant, psephologist, author, and journalist. He has been a familiar face in Primetime news since early 2000.

In 2015, he was awarded the Red Ink award by Mumbai Press Club for lifetime achievement for his consistent and pioneering contribution to news television and his service to journalism. He is the executive co-chairperson of NDTV and is also credited for pioneering opinion polls in India.

Barkha Dutt

Born in 1971, Barkha Dutt is an Indian television journalist and among the few who revolutionised women making their place in the world of journalism. She graduated from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and gained recognition for her frontline war reporting of the Kargil conflict in 1999.

This included an interview with the Shershah- Captain Vikram Batra that brought her to fame in India. Apart from this, for her achievements and contributions, she was also given a Padma Shri.

Alan Rusbridger

Alan Rusbridger was editor-in-chief of Guardian News & Media from 1995 - 2015.

During his editorship the paper has fought a number of high-profile battles over libel and press freedom, including cases involving Neil Hamilton, Jonathan Aitken, the Police Federation, Trafigura, etc. He gained recognition after he along with the Guardian were responsible for Julian Assange and the Wikileaks story.

Alan Rusbridger has been named editor of the year three times. In the past year he has won the Liberty Human Rights Award and the European Press Prize.

Timeline

1456 The Printing Press is born!

1665 ‘The Oxford Gazette’, the first regularly published paper is launched.

1780 ‘The Bengal Gazette’ was first published in India

1887 Radio Waves are first detected.

1921 Journalism starts becoming ‘Scandal Focused’

1923 The ‘Time’ Magazine is launched.

1930 Fortune’ Magazine debuts.

1939 Dorothy Thompson is regarded as the ‘First Lady of Journalism'.

1980 A surge in the Radio news industry is seen.

2000 Print and TV Journalism gain major influence in the economy.

2017 Deccan Chronicle is shut down.

2020 Top 4 leading newspaper publications record decline in readership.

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