How to Become a Journalist (Journalism Specialisation & Job Role)
A career in journalism aims to empower individuals with important news and information. Journalists have the power to inspire people's thinking, whether they are working for a newspaper, magazine, broadcast networking or a new-age digital platform. Candidates aspiring to become a journalist can know about journalism career prospects, courses and colleges in detail.
Journalism is one of the most responsible and brave profession in the world because a journalist work hard to bring out every incident that concerns citizens, communities, societies and governments in any way. In a democratic society, the role of a journalist is also that of a responsible person who holds the corrupt accountable, that is why journalists are also called watchdogs of democracy.
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Q: How hard is it to crack FTII JET?
It is a bit tough to crack the FTII JET exam because FTII is the premier film making school in India and aspirants from all over India apply for this coveted exam making the competition a bit tough. To pass through the competition candidates will have to make a proper exam strategy and allot equal time to covering the whole syllabus, solving the question papers and leave good time for revision. In the FTII JET exam students will be judged on their intellectual skills, general studies, English, general knowledge and the prescribed syllabus.
Q: What resources can I use to enhance my general awareness of FTII JET?
Stay updated with current affairs through newspapers, magazines, and online news portals. Engage in discussions about socio-political events, cultural trends, and technological advancements to broaden your general awareness.
Q: Which are the best resources to prepare for GMCET exam?
Before preparing for the Global Media Common Entrance Test (GMCET) candidates must know that the GMCET is easy to crack. The difficulty level of the question paper is easy to moderate level so they need to just clear the basics and not stress too much about the preparation and the resources as candidates can easily find various resources to prepare from, there are books, e-books, various educational portals, YouTube channels, and more through which they can prepare. Candidates can also rely on newspapers, current affairs magazines, and general awareness books to prepare for the GMCET examination.
Popular Journalism Specialisations
Some of the major specialisation areas under Journalism courses are given below:
| Journalism Specialisation | Description |
|---|---|
| Political Journalism | Political journalism is a popular domain on every media platform, from print to radio to digital. It's a type of journalism that focuses on all areas of national and international politics. The goal of this field is to offer voters with information that will allow them to form an opinion on government issues that will likely affect them. |
| Sports Journalism |
A career as a sports journalist is the ideal combination of a journalism vocation with a passion for sports. As a sports journalist, you'll be responsible for sports coverage, sports investigative journalism, game statistics reporting, interviewing coaches and players, and game commentary, among other things. Sports fans interested in pursuing a career in journalism will find plenty of chances in this profession. |
| Investigative Journalism |
Investigative journalism entails the discovery of information that has been hidden, either intentionally or accidentally, behind a jumble of facts and situations, as well as the study and public disclosure of all relevant facts. |
| Photojournalism |
Photojournalism is a type of journalism that uses photos to tell a story. It involves gathering, editing, and presenting news stories for publication or broadcast. It is generally widely accepted that it exclusively refers to still photos and, in certain circumstances, video utilised in broadcast journalism. |
| Entertainment Journalism |
Every area of the entertainment industry is covered by entertainment journalism. Entertainment journalism spans anything from celebrity coverage to fashion news to cinema critics to music and even video game reviews. As an entertainment journalist, you can work for newspapers, magazines, online publications, radio and television newsrooms, public relations firms, television and film production companies, and so on. |
Apart from the specialisations mentioned above. There are many other areas in the field of journalism that you can specialise in: Travel Journalism, Data Journalism, Broadcast Journalism, News Reporting and Writing, Watchdog Journalism, Digital and Interactive-Media Journalism, Public Relations and Advertising, Science and Environmental Journalism, Enterprise Journalism and more.
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Journalism Courses Eligibility Criteria
Given below is brief eligibility criteria followed by various universities and institutes offering Journalism Programmes:
- Students from any major (Arts, Commerce, or Science) can enrol in a journalism programme.
- Candidates who have completed their 10+2 from a recognised institute with a minimum aggregate of 50% would be regarded qualified to apply for admissions to most colleges/universities that offer journalism as a course.
- Apart from the aforementioned requirements, several universities stipulate that candidates would be considered for admission if they score at least 75% in English/Hindi, depending on the medium in which they wish to pursue the course.
- Candidates must have earned their graduation degree with passing grades in order to continue a journalism study at the postgraduate level.
Journalism Entrance Exams 2023
Candidates can secure admission in Journalism courses either on the basis of merit or through an entrance test. However, these days most of the popular Journalism colleges conduct an entrance exam to shortlist candidates for admission. These entrance tests are often followed by a personal interview round which students need to clear in order to secure admission in the course of their choice. Typically, a Journalism entrance test consists of three to four sections that test the candidate’s comprehension, logical reasoning, general awareness and media aptitude. Some popular Journalism entrance exams that candidates should consider giving are:
- JMI Entrance Exam
- IIMC Entrance Exam
- ACJ Entrance Exam
- XIC XET
- GMCET
- CUET PG
- CUET UG
- DCJ Entrance Exam
- MASCOM
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Role Of A Journalist
Journalists produce stories on everything from social, political, environmental and business issues to sports and entertainment. They write reports and also work on related stories. They not only make people aware through their reports but also play an important role in forming public opinion. However, becoming a successful journalist takes a lot of hard work and building your network. To write a story, reporters must develop story ideas, verify facts, thoroughly research the topic, investigate the matter, and conduct interviews. Also, the job of a journalist differ depending on his/her specialisation. Sometimes journalists also use news release to write news on a specific event.
Q: How to prepare for JMI Entrance Exam and get good scores?
Here are some tips to help you prepare for JMI Entrance Exam and improve your chances of getting a good scores:
- Understand the Syllabus: Go through the JMI exam syllabus for your course thoroughly and create a study plan accordingly. Divide the topics into manageable chunks and make sure you cover each one systematically.
- Refer to Good Study Materials: Use the best study material available in the market, such as NCERT books, reference books and sample papers.
- Make a time table: Time management is crucial when it comes to cracking an entrance exam. Devote sufficient time to each section, and make sure you complete the entire paper within the given time frame.
- Stay Healthy: Take care of your physical and mental health to ensure that you can stay focused and motivated during your preparation. Eat healthy food, exercise regularly, and take breaks to avoid burnout.
- Seek Help When Needed: Don't hesitate to seek help from your teachers, mentors, or online communities if you are facing any difficulties in your preparation. Remember, consistent effort and practice are key to success in JMI exam. Keep practicing and stay focused on your goal.
Wish you all the very best for your exam. Prepare well.
Q: How to prepare for the FTII examination?
Not just the FTII JET exam but to prepare for any highly competiive examination there are certain things that need to be taken care of, first is the syllabus and exam pattern. Candidates preparing for FTII JET need to refer to the official syllabus and exam pattern to understand the subjects, topics and sub-topics related to the exam. Once undetrstanding these things, it becomes imperative to check the previous year question paper to know the type of questions asked in the examination. This will help in getting to know the types of questions asked, paper pattern as well as difficulty level of the question paper.
Students should start making a preparation calendar and add all the important topics from the syllabus that they need to cover while preparing for the examination. They must focus more in revisions, previous year question papers etc.
Top Journalists in India
There are many famous journalists in India, which are known for their dedication, work and grit. These journalists have worked hard to make their presence felt among the audience. Aspiring journalists have a lot to learn from them as these veterans have decades of experience in the field of media. Given below is the list of top 10 journalists of India:
| Famous Journalists of India | ||
|---|---|---|
| Barkha Dutt | Rajdeep Sardesai | Vinod Dua |
| Rajat Sharma | Ravish Kumar | Arnab Goswami |
| Vikram Chandra | Rajeev Masand | Sucheta Dalal |
| Rahul Kanwal | -- | -- |
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Job Profiles In Journalism
Popular media companies that hire Journalism graduates are – The Times of India, Hindustan Times, India Today, The Pioneer, The Hindu, Malayalam Manorama, Outlook, Zee Network and the likes. Any aspirant wanting to join the field of Journalism needs to have a nose for news. Some of the popular job profiles that candidates can hope to join in the Journalism field are:
- Reporters: In such a job profile one needs to research all possible story topics as well as angles and thereafter interview people to gather the required information. Once all the required information is received reporters either write scripts for radio and television broadcast or news stories for print or online publication.
- Desk Writers: This is usually an entry level job in a journalistic set up. Desk writers are tasked with the responsibility of providing editorial content like news reports, reviews as well as features. The difference between the job profile of a reporter and a desk writer is that a reporter has to travel to collect information for a story/ news piece but a desk writer’s job is office based.
- Editors: In this job profile one needs to acquire news insights and thereafter assign stories to reporters as well as desk writers. After the story has been filed by the person concerned, an editor goes through the entire content piece and edits it to meet the organisation standards.
- Technical Writer: In such a job profile an individual has to collate, compile and compose clear as well as coherent technical information. A technical writer is expected to write on highly specialised fields like commercial products and services, industrial products and services as well as write instruction manuals for users.
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With over 7 years of experience in the digital content arena, Vikrant specializes in creating unique content specific to the Media, Journalism, Film and TV stream for Shiksha. He writes articles and news covering th... Read Full Bio