An exciting career path for those who have a flair for writing, journalism offers the opportunity to learn about all the aspects of news-focused writing in areas including travel, politics, and lifestyle. If you're considering your career in journalism, you might be wondering what this career path entails and whether it could be a good fit for you. Here are some of the important things you need to know before you kick start your career in journalism.
What is Journalism?
Journalism comes in several different forms:
1) News
Feature Stories- A detailed look at something interesting or unique that's not breaking news.
Breaking News- Giving out information about an event as it happens.
Enterprise or Investigative Stories- Stories that uncover information that very few people know about.
2) Opinion
Editorials- Unsigned articles that express a publication's opinion.
Reviews- Such as restaurant, movie, play or concert reviews.
Columns- Signed articles that express the writer's reporting and his/her conclusions.
Online journalism can come in the forms listed above, as well as:
Discussion Boards- Online question and answer pages where anyone can participate in the discussion.
Blogs- Online diaries kept by individuals or small groups.
Wikis- Articles that any reader can change or add. It should be easy-to-read.
Reporting
How do you get the facts for your news story? There are three main ways to gather information for a news story:
Observation- Listening and watching where news is taking place.
Interviews- Talking with people who know something unique about the story you are reporting.
Documents- Reports, public records, reading and other printed material.
While asking questions, you will have to write down the answers to the "Five Ws and an H" about that source:
Who are they?
What were they doing?
Where were they doing it?
When did they do it?
Why did they do it?
How did they do it?
Eligibility Criteria and Higher Studies
Candidates must earn a bachelor's degree in journalism. Once graduated, you can then pursue a post-graduation degree in the area you are interested in. You can specialize in sports, broadcast, business, photo journalism, etc.
Curriculum and Core Subjects
The syllabus and subjects taught in a Bachelor of Journalism (B.J) course may vary from college to college. However, candidates can go through some common topics that they are likely to study as part of the Bachelor of Journalism course:
Bachelor of Journalism Curriculum
Introduction to Journalism
Press Laws and Ethics
English
Political Science
Economics
Creative Writing for Journalism
Journalism in India
Production
Reporting and Feature Writing
Broadcast Journalism
Introduction to Electronic Media
Indian Economy
Global Media
Writing for the New Age
Editing
Photo Journalism
Reporting
Communication Research
History of Press
News Media Management
Magazine and Niche Journalism
Indian Regional Journalism
Job Prospects
Some of the job prospects are:
Copywriter
Editor
Reporter
Public Relations Specialist
Social Media Specialist
Sports Information Director
Technical Writer
Content Marketer
Corporate Communications Specialist
Salary
A beginner can earn a salary ranging from Rs. 3 lakh to 4 lakh per year and an experienced candidate can earn a salary ranging from Rs. 7 lakh to Rs. 11 lakh per year.
Top Universities
Some of the top universities and colleges in India are:
Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bengaluru
Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune
Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi
Christ College, Bengaluru
School of Communication, Manipal
Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, New Delhi
Indraprastha College for Women, New Delhi
Kishanchand Chellaram College, Mumbai
Kamala Nehru College, New Delhi
Madras Christian College, Chennai
Disclaimer- On basis of different sources salary may vary according to experience in India. " />
An exciting career path for those who have a flair for writing, journalism offers the opportunity to learn about all the aspects of news-focused writing in areas including travel, politics, and lifestyle. If you're considering your career in journalism, you might be wondering what this career path entails and whether it could be a good fit for you. Here are some of the important things you need to know before you kick start your career in journalism.
What is Journalism?
Journalism comes in several different forms:
1) News
Feature Stories- A detailed look at something interesting or unique that's not breaking news.
Breaking News- Giving out information about an event as it happens.
Enterprise or Investigative Stories- Stories that uncover information that very few people know about.
2) Opinion
Editorials- Unsigned articles that express a publication's opinion.
Reviews- Such as restaurant, movie, play or concert reviews.
Columns- Signed articles that express the writer's reporting and his/her conclusions.
Online journalism can come in the forms listed above, as well as:
Discussion Boards- Online question and answer pages where anyone can participate in the discussion.
Blogs- Online diaries kept by individuals or small groups.
Wikis- Articles that any reader can change or add. It should be easy-to-read.
Reporting
How do you get the facts for your news story? There are three main ways to gather information for a news story:
Observation- Listening and watching where news is taking place.
Interviews- Talking with people who know something unique about the story you are reporting.
Documents- Reports, public records, reading and other printed material.
While asking questions, you will have to write down the answers to the "Five Ws and an H" about that source:
Who are they?
What were they doing?
Where were they doing it?
When did they do it?
Why did they do it?
How did they do it?
Eligibility Criteria and Higher Studies
Candidates must earn a bachelor's degree in journalism. Once graduated, you can then pursue a post-graduation degree in the area you are interested in. You can specialize in sports, broadcast, business, photo journalism, etc.
Curriculum and Core Subjects
The syllabus and subjects taught in a Bachelor of Journalism (B.J) course may vary from college to college. However, candidates can go through some common topics that they are likely to study as part of the Bachelor of Journalism course:
Bachelor of Journalism Curriculum
Introduction to Journalism
Press Laws and Ethics
English
Political Science
Economics
Creative Writing for Journalism
Journalism in India
Production
Reporting and Feature Writing
Broadcast Journalism
Introduction to Electronic Media
Indian Economy
Global Media
Writing for the New Age
Editing
Photo Journalism
Reporting
Communication Research
History of Press
News Media Management
Magazine and Niche Journalism
Indian Regional Journalism
Job Prospects
Some of the job prospects are:
Copywriter
Editor
Reporter
Public Relations Specialist
Social Media Specialist
Sports Information Director
Technical Writer
Content Marketer
Corporate Communications Specialist
Salary
A beginner can earn a salary ranging from Rs. 3 lakh to 4 lakh per year and an experienced candidate can earn a salary ranging from Rs. 7 lakh to Rs. 11 lakh per year.
Top Universities
Some of the top universities and colleges in India are:
Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bengaluru
Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune
Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi
Christ College, Bengaluru
School of Communication, Manipal
Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, New Delhi
Indraprastha College for Women, New Delhi
Kishanchand Chellaram College, Mumbai
Kamala Nehru College, New Delhi
Madras Christian College, Chennai
Disclaimer- On basis of different sources salary may vary according to experience in India. " />