Jobs in Mass Communication

Mass communication has been into practice since time immemorial or from the times when humans started living in groups. There were many methods by which groups chose their representative who addressed them during gatherings and before hunting ventures. Later when societies came into being, there were rulers for the provinces; they kept a special messenger who disseminated the message to the gathering of people at a spot, conveying his message.

During the world war many countries trained pigeons for exchanging highly sensitive information because mail services were disrupted.

With the coming of industrial revolution and the development of printing press, the radio broadcasting, newspaper and magazine industry flourished. It employed many workers. Later television and internet revolutionised the media industry. The transmission of the messages or information became very fast. There is no waiting for the information to reach people. So from here we can take that mass communication means relaying of information to a large segment of the population using the various forms of communication.

The various media forms now are the Television, Radio, Print Media and the latest and booming Social Media and Internet. There has been a rapid growth in the mass communication industry in the last 10 years, with many news channels and media houses coming into picture every year. The size of the entertainment and media industry in India is currently estimated to be Rs. 2,600 billion, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 per cent over the next five years. Thus, this field provides several job opportunities therefore; it is prudent to consider it as a career option after 12th as this field offers job challenge, excitement, glamour, glory, perks and above all, popularity, and respect.

The following reasons give the answer to the million dollar question, ‘Why Mass Communication?

Mass Communication is a vast field that includes Television, Radio, Print Media, and Online websites as media forms. All the media forms are flourishing and job opportunities in the media houses are aplenty. After pursuing a course in mass communication, one can work for various newspapers, television channels, magazines, radio stations as well as films and documentaries. Apart from this, one can also make a career in advertising agencies, PR companies and event management firms after pursuing a course in media studies.

You need to show focus, persistence and interest in creative fields to do well in this profession. The various institutions well known for their Mass communication courses such as Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Xavier’s Institute of Communication, Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication (Pune), Jamia Millia Islamia University, etc. train the students in such a way that the students grow their communication skills, groom their personality and creative, become dynamic, and enterprising during the course.

The major principle on which the job market works is demand and supply. There are certain courses like engineering where the supply exceeds the demand, but in the field of social media, television, magazines, etc. there is a huge demand of skilled and well trained professionals. The various job profiles in this sector include: TV Anchor, News Editor, Screen Writer, Senior Journalist, Junior Journalist and many more. The major recruiters include, Hindustan Times, Times Group, The Hindu, India Today Group, Outlook, Zee Network, Network 18, Star India, Balaji Telefilms Limited, etc.

The salary in this profession depends mainly on the profile and experience. Be it a news reporter or a correspondent at the entry level or editor and anchor at a senior level, this is a very rewarding and lucrative field, especially for some with the requisite skill and drive. The salary may vary from Rs. 3 lac to 10 lac per annum for fresh graduates from reputed mass communication colleges.

Media is known as the fourth pillar of the democracy. The thoughts and ideas propagated in mass media have the power to impact the public and society and bring about a change. In addition to this, there is a wide scope of creativity in this field. At times media has worked as a change agent for the country. Many beneficial decisions for the people are opinionated by the media. These factors make the jobs in this field highly satisfying.

We hope that this article has helped you to get an overview of the positives of pursuing a career in Mass Media.