Have you ever wondered how media manages to get breaking news? Do you have a flair for writing and call yourself a wordsmith? Do you make it a point to poke your nose into someone’s fishy business and get an exclusive revelation out of it?
Well, if you’ve answered yes to the above questions, journalism is the profession you might want to consider.
Earlier, most students stuck to conventional career choices like engineering or medicine with few gutsy and artsy people wanting to join the fourth pillar of democracy. But today, the expansion and increasing competition in the media industry has created an immense scope in the field of journalism in India. Also, there were no formal courses earlier which would teach one the basics of journalism. But today with a plethora of options in courses and institutes, journalism has become one of the most interesting career choices.
Wondering how to go about it? You could opt for a traditional degree in BA after completing your 12th or you could go ahead with BMM, a fancier version of the BA degree. Also there are various institutes that offer graduation and post-graduation courses in journalism.
Here are some of the top universities in India:
Asian College of Journalism, Chennai
Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bangalore
Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi
Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai
Times School of Journalism, New Delhi
One could also take up internships at various media houses to get the on-field experience of this profession.
Well, we’ve spoke about how to get into journalism as a career choice but what is it that takes to be a journalist? Journalism is an adventurous job no doubt but it is also a tedious one.
For beginners, one needs to have an eye and nose for news. Being inquisitive, questioning everything and finding an answer after thorough research and fact-checking are some qualities that one needs to have to be a journalist.
You need to be passionate about knowledge and be ready to do whatever it takes to get behind the truth of a story. But while doing all this, one cannot and must not let go their ethical standards.
Journalism is not a nine-to-five job. It is going to keep you on your toes all the time. Also, adhering to deadlines and staying strong even under pressure is what makes a journalist.
So if you think you are willing to run around the city at any given hour of the day and going to the depth of an issue to get a story in the light, journalism is definitely a career that is meant for you.
