Scope of Journalism in India: Courses, Eligibility Criteria, Entrance Exams and Job Options

Journalism has become one of the most popular professions among youths in the current era. People from different academic backgrounds are opting for journalism courses due to various career options and job opportunities. Let us know in detail about the possibilities of this sector.

Journalism is mainly classified into two sections - Print Media and Electronic (Audio/Visual) Media. Print Media involves newspapers, magazines, and journals. Different work profiles in Print Journalism include reporters, editors, correspondents, columnists, and many more. Meanwhile, Electronic Media is the dissemination of news or information through electronic media like radio, television, and the web. Prominent work profiles in electronic media include anchor, reporter, editor, correspondent, etc. Journalism has become one of the most popular professions among youths in the current era. Youths from different academic backgrounds are opting for journalism courses due to various career options and job opportunities. Here in the article, we have discussed in detail journalism scope, courses, types, work areas, and more.

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Journalism Courses & Eligibility Criteria

Students from any stream (Arts/Commerce/Science) can opt to pursue a course in Journalism. Most colleges/universities that offer Journalism as a course specify that candidates will be considered eligible to apply for admissions if they have cleared their 10+2 from a recognized institute with a minimum aggregate of 50%. To pursue a Journalism course at the PG level candidates should have completed their graduation degree with passing marks. Many colleges offer journalism courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Some of the courses are tabulated below:

Course	Level	Duration
Bachelor of Mass Communication	Undergraduate	3 years
Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication (BJMC)	Undergraduate	3 years
BJ (Bachelor of Journalism)	Undergraduate	3 years
BSc in Journalism and Mass Communication	Undergraduate	3 years
BBA in Mass Communication and Journalism	Undergraduate	3 years
BA in Mass Media and Mass Communication	Undergraduate	3 years
Master of Journalism	Postgraduate	2 years
Master in Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC)	Postgraduate	2 years
Master of Mass Communication	Postgraduate	2 years
MSc in Mass Communication	Postgraduate	2 years

Entrance Exams For Journalism

Admission to a majority of colleges/ universities offering journalism courses is done based on candidates’ performance in the written entrance exam followed by a personal interview round. The written exam contains objective type multiple choice questions on topics like English, Logical Reasoning, Current Affairs, General Awareness, Media Awareness, etc. However, some institutions also offer direct admission to candidates based on their performance in the qualifying exam (Class XII or graduation). Some of the popular journalism entrance exams are as follows:

Types of Journalism

In recent years, the communication channels have widened from radio, and television to digital and social media. India has one of the biggest media industries in the world providing an ample number of job opportunities to the suitable candidates. Currently, Journalism has become one of the most prestigious careers in India. Candidates can get jobs as journalists in English, Hindi, and many other vernacular languages. Candidates can also avail jobs in different types in different types of journalism mentioned below:

Types of Journalism
Broadcast Journalism	Communications
Fashion Journalism	Foreign Correspondent
Freelance Writing	Investigative Journalism
Newspaper Reporter	Photojournalism
Social Media	Sports Journalism

Job Profiles in Print Media

Below are some important job profiles and their roles in print media.

Reporter: The role of a reporter is to gather news and report with accuracy. News sense, objectivity and timeliness are few important qualities, which a reporter should possess.
Correspondent: Correspondents are also known as special reporters who are assigned for a particular purpose. Correspondents can be of any beat like politics, sports, crime etc.
Feature Writer: The responsibility of a feature writer is to write soft stories with deep research and observations on particular subject.
Proof Reader: The role of a proof reader is to assess the edited copy. A proof reader must have good grammatical and punctuation skills.
Leader Writer: The role of a leader writer is to write their views on the current topics through editorials.
Editor: The editor's responsibility is to maintain a journal's reputation. He/She also ensures that the article corresponds with the media's in-house style guides.
Columnist: The role of a columnist is to write for a specific column in detail in the newspaper or magazine. The column can be related to any topic highlighting his viewpoint on any subject like politics, fashion, or films.

Photo Journalists and cartoonists are some other profiles.

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Job Profiles in Electronic Media

Here are various job profiles included in electronic media.

Researchers: The role of researchers involves deep research on a particular topic. Significant qualities required for this job profile are creativity and excellent research skills.
Electronic Media Reporters: An electronic media or broadcast reporter should have good verbal and presentation skills. He should have a news sense.
Presenters/Anchors: A presenter should be confident. He must have excellent communication skills, the ability to remain balanced in stressful conditions.
Freelancers: Apart from the above-mentioned job profiles, freelancers are informal employees who are assigned particular tasks and are paid according to it.

Top Recruiters For Journalists As a Career

Below are few areas where a journalist can work at different profiles.

Top Recruiters
News Agencies	Press Information Bureau
Legal Affairs Department	Television Industry
Newspapers	Circulation and Public Relations
All India Radio	Journals
Blogs	Websites

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Pay Scale in Journalism

Most of the aspirants chose journalism due to their interest and passion. According to a report in Glassdoor, the annual salary of a journalist at The Times of India ranges from INR 2.33-9.58 lakh. Meanwhile, the annual salary of a reporter at The Hindu is INR 7.30 lakh. The pay scale of a journalist in print, television, and radio with similar experiences differs. For example, a senior journalist in electronic media is paid more than a journalist in radio and newspapers with similar experiences. The major difference is because of the higher advertising revenue on television.

Pros and Cons of Journalism

Journalism is a profession for curious people and like every other profession; journalism too has both pros and cons. Some of the pros and cons are given below:

Pros	Cons
New opportunities and challenges	Not very lucrative
Opportunity to work with informed people	Challenging and demanding
You learn for a living	Long workdays
Opportunity to meet people	Work pressure
Opportunity to travel	Stressful
A strong sense of achievement	Risk to life
You get paid for writing	-
Benefits of a press card	-

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