“Come again, what are you are doing?” asked a relative with a perplexed expression when I told her that I am studying mass communication. I get this from a lot of people. Since disciplines like medicine, engineering and accountancy get the centre stage here in our country, the subjects of social sciences are usually deemed unimportant. However, with rapid development and modernization, this seems to have diminished somewhat and many are not only getting informed about mass communication but also prefer to pursue a career in this field.
Ten years ago this field was mostly alien to our society and hardly two to three educational institutes in the country used to offer it. Mass communication is all about sending your message across to a large number of audiences. Journalism, broadcasting, advertising, media management and public relations come under the umbrella of mass communication.
Earlier, good writers used to become journalists, advertising was mostly done by the creators of the products, broadcasting was comparatively developed and the concept of public relations was in its baby steps in Pakistan. When the wonders of effective message transmission were fathomed, media and communication were given due attention.
Presently, we have experts in all the fields of mass communication and the industry is growing with every passing day. Now, mostly all private and public sector colleges/universities are offering this course. And yet, there are some misconceptions about this field in the minds of general masses due to inadequate knowledge about the subject.
Busting myths
Number one, it’s a common belief that students who do not get into an engineering/medical college opt for subject of social sciences like mass communication. This is not true. I had pre-engineering in my intermediate and had scored pretty good grades. I could’ve easily gotten admission in any prestigious engineering college of my city, but I took mass communication because I wanted to study journalism. I am not the only one; there are many others just like me. A few months ago, I got a chance to talk to first year students about their admission. All of them were excited and told me that they were happy to qualify for this department. The University of Karachi increases its merit for mass communication every year (if you don’t believe me, go check their merit list). This field has become competitive now. Period.
Number two, a widespread notion is that people taking up this branch of learning don’t study much; it’s easy-peasy to get through exams. Well, in order to excel in any field, diligent and comprehensive study is a pre-requisite. The subjects of social sciences are very vast; at least, a couple of text books are required to study a single topic. What’s more, there’s new literature being published every year, expanding the already massive text. Add to it the assignments and projects that are given to mass communication students which demand thorough research, and you’re enrolled in a subject that’s definitely not a piece of cake.
If you are still reading this, then I’m happy to know my arguments were convincing enough and that you are ready to explore the fascinating sub-fields of this discipline.
Journalism
Journalism has existed since the beginning of 20th century and is in an incessant process of transformation. A journalist gathers facts, reports events (both usual and unusual), and educates the masses along with entertaining them. If you’re the one who holds on to this definition rigidly, you might be surprised to know that journalism is not confined to these functions only; it is one of the most vast and diverse fields.
Name any area, subject, or topic; all can be included in journalism. We have this very wrong idea that journalism is all about politics only. Although politics gets a substantial amount of space in newspapers, magazines, and TV shows, there is more to it. A person having interest in literature, history, psychology, medicine, arts, sports, astronomy or any other discipline can report/write accordingly. Reporters are given specific beats i.e. particular areas of their interest to work/report on. Like there is politics, international issues, lifestyle, sports, literature, etc.
Moreover, different journalistic writings and programmes are also created according to the appeal and age groups of the audience. We have publications and shows for middle-aged women, children, teenagers and men (mostly interested in news programmes).
Speaking from personal experiences of my acquaintances, some take journalism for the love of this profession, some for fame (one can get really famous!) and some for the purpose of writing. I opted for journalism because I believe I perceive things differently and having a soft corner for inequity is an advantage I can use to express my opinions and write as I want about some particular social issues which, in spite of being very essential, do not get much limelight.
Gone are the days when good writing skills were enough to be a journalist. In addition to writing skills and a firm grasp of the subject, one needs to have that analytical-journalistic eye for things. One needs to comprehend the not-very-obvious things, read between the lines, reach to certain critical conclusions and inculcate other technical skills as well. For this, proper training is required.
Even though theory is very important, one can only properly learn journalism through field work. For this reason, students are sent to cover events like seminars, conferences and workshops. Sometimes students are asked to organize some media workshops and seminars themselves. Furthermore, we get assignments to walk through certain streets or areas and gather first-hand knowledge to produce a write-up (news report, article and feature). Besides this, students get ample exposure to the outer world while studying. For instance, last year, we were taken to Hyderabad to attend a festival called Grower’s Festival, which was organized by an NGO, Oxfam Pakistan. A couple of students participated in an article writing competition in that festival. And more curricular activities like these keep happening.
The job market for journalism will always have vacancy. With time it has branched out into so many sub-fields that a journalist roaming jobless is a very unlikely scenario. In fact, journalists always have an option to work freelance. There are numerous prosperous journalists who work freelance and their work is outstanding. If there’s not a way, go and make one!
Print media
Print media is the oldest component of media and follows the conventional rules. Newspapers, magazines, newsletters, wire service, periodicals, books and other publications make up print media. A majority of the students find print media a bit difficult; most of them say that it involves meticulous research and analysis and one should have remarkable writing skills and so, generally, we are left with only those who are extra-enthusiastic and are ready to work extra hard, to take it as their major.
Students are taught everything about all journalistic writings i.e. news stories, articles, features, columns, editorials and research reports. They are taught about the two-step production strategy of print media: (a) the collection of material (reporting); and (b) the writing/assembling which also includes editing at the end.
Despite the dominance of electronic media in this digital age, the importance of print media is verified by the fact that it has endured since the invention of printing press to the point that electronic media does not deliver the quality that print media does.
Electronic media
The electronic media can be divided into two sub-categories namely radio and television.
Radio
The trend of radio as a medium is fading. It has a very limited audience now with more and more people preferring television over it. But, seeing as how it still exists, students acquiring professional education of media are also taught radio. You don’t have to be a student exactly; an avid listener, I know, can mention the two types of programmes aired on radio - news and scripted programmes. Usually these programmes are recorded beforehand with the exception of some live shows.
Apart from learning the theories of how radio programmes are created, the pupils form the scripts for programmes. They record their shows and get them aired. The department of Mass Communication at Karachi University has a radio room together with its own radio channel where aspiring radio journalists get to practice.
Television
Television and satellite, on the other hand, now, their invention revolutionised the world of journalism. The function of message conveyance got easier. Now people are informed of unusual happenings instantly with some really stimulating graphics.
Not so fast though; the field of television can be further divided into casting and production. Casting is all about presenting the news to the viewers. One is just the to-the-point-news broadcasting and other one is in-depth broadcasting wherein the anchor person tells the story, explains it, takes a stance on it, and then leaves the viewers to judge it or form an opinion about it. On the spot broadcasting requires tons of patience and presence of mind with some background information (which is usually provided by the research team).
The programme production, there are three stages one needs to be familiar with: pre-production, production and post-production. In the first one, information is gathered. In the next step, script is shaped and the programme is recorded. And, finally, in post-production it is edited and final touch-ups are made.
I asked Muhammad Ali, a final year student, “Why did you take electronic as your major?” He replied, “I find production and films/documentaries interesting and I want to work in that sphere.”
Just like Ali, many ambitious journalists want to work in the area of films and documentaries. The trend of documentary making is gaining in our society. Strong messages on societal dogmas and political issues are being successfully conveyed through documentaries in the country. The famous Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy has won two Oscar awards for her exceptionally good documentaries; Misha Rezvi, is yet another journalist and documentary filmmaker to have won an Emmy for Pakistan.
Before I move on to the next sub-fields which can be opted for as a career and shed light on their scope and activities, etc, let me clarify one thing: social media is not really a branch of media. Even though it’s evolving rapidly, it doesn’t follow the established principles of conventional media and communication.
Advertisement and public relations
Nowadays, you won’t see a company which is exclusive of a department of public relations. It is a must. If you want to flourish, you need to have it. It’s all about telling the appropriate information to the appropriate consumers. Literally speaking, Public Relations is the practice of communicating information about an organization or an individual to the masses. Now you know why well maintained PR departments do wonders.
Khushboo Fatima, an M.A student while telling me about her major, said: “It’s a very creative and exciting field. We are in a continuous thought process where we have to come up with innovative and effective methods of marketing and advertisement .We are taught media management along with the management of various events that need to be conducted for the welfare of the company.” Telling me more about its scope, she said: “Its scope is increasing with the propagation of its awareness.” When I asked her if she is worried about employment, she promptly answered, “Not at all, I will definitely get a job and with the passage of time, there will be multiple openings.”
A final word
Be it any country, the future of media and communication industry is quite bright. The velocity with which this industry is emerging, it will soon become a high demand field (some believe it has already become). So whoever out there wants to opt for this field, should go ahead. Piece of warning, the world of media looks very shiny from outside but in reality it needs loads of hard work, persistence and patience - bags of it. But then there is no line of career that is easy to pursue!
