Media has given a broad platform for people to stay connected with communicating tools. Again there are various means of taking ahead this process through different modes of communication. Be it the broadcasting or print media or online media, the basic aim of being communicated remains intact.

In the present age the accessible factor of news and information is quite prominent in terms of technology know how, yet newspapers magazines, journals and other printed version of communication remain the utmost medium of being a vital mode. Newspapers have not only being the source of providing information rather they have been used as a major chunk in developing the national feelings to regain independence. Again they can be treated as the elevating factor for the awakening of minds for educational improvement.

Career breaks in Print journalism are ample. The newspapers and magazines presented in today’s generation have a lot of tasks to perform on varying parameters. In the same run, there is a huge demand for professionally qualified journalist to work on.

Print journalism has got two important sections; field work that involves the reporting part and desk work that covers the editing tasks. A journalist can work as a correspondent/reporter/editor/copy editor/proofreader etc. on different occasions. Again the concept of freelancer in print media is gaining new waves and can contribute articles to the print media.

Reporting

These are basically named as reporters or correspondents working closing with a photographer or camera person on a day to day basis in the real time scenario.  They are seen actively participating in all the field work with an active hand on figuring out news of importance and sending them across to the desk workers to publish the same in a standard format. They take the running scripts or notes along with photographs/image so the concerned person or happenings or shoot videos, either on their own, or by a camera man. Following to that they are also required to categorize news collected and send a raw script to the editing panel.

Editing

While the reporters send across the stories with unstructured content, the news or copy-editors or sub-editors in the organization have the role of framing the story in right order from the news desk. The headline is constructed by the news desk, and certainly not by the reporter. The editor has the authority to change the writing convention in regards to style and format as given in the first draft scripted by the reporter. Subsequently in a thorough manner stories are picked for the daily or magazine edition, and a dummy page is created which further gets an approval from the chief editor before going into a final print.

Freelancing

Newspapers give a wide opportunity for freelancing where people begin as a freelancer but later move into a permanent role.  While freelancing is difficult in terms of imagining a livelihood, but then it is easy for to get into though still on a permanent role elsewhere. Many individuals stick to the idea of earning few bucks extra and having a byline with their pen names. They can contribute stories on a daily or weekly basis in variety of sections of their own choice where they have the freedom of working on their own style guides. Various columns and pages are assigned for the freelancing items where news is carried on a daily/weekly/fortnight basis and assignments can be accordingly paid. 

Writing Columns

Many journalists do tend upon the idea of preparing column stories for the newspaper. They are script on issues pertaining to national and international or regional issues stepping forth a particular point of view. When being in the shoes of a columnist it is highly important to gather required information for your story and then write then synchronizing all the aspects with biased free nature. Obviously, there are hurdles to combat and proceed further but if the individual has a strong connection towards communicating views regarding topics then it can be a better career option always. A columnist writes for publication that is mostly on commentary topics and opinions. Such nature of journalism can be seen in newspapers, magazines and blogs on a daily or weekly basis.

Drawing Cartoons

The print journalism provides a huge boost in terms of caricatures well edited for different genres. The national and international news items are advocated with small snippet items that cover some amount of humour intent as well. Editorial cartoons are found almost exclusively in news publications and news websites. Although they also employ humor, they are more serious in tone, commonly using irony or satire. The art usually acts as a visual metaphor to illustrate a point of view on current social and/or political topics. Editorial cartoons and comic strips some part of the newspapers and magazines with a message being conveyed by them. They include some kind of speech that is written in dialogue boxes that may be in different shapes. Sometimes such images do speak about the ongoing issue in a satirical manner giving rise to new twists and turns regaining a given event.

Photojournalism

Photojournalism is another wave of journalism and mass media that has the feature of narrating stories with the use of pictorial format. It is usually said that a picture can speak thousand stories; similarly the profession needs to be more creative in terms of conveying your message without any kind of oral or written communication. Photojournalism has certain ethical conduct to maintain as per other media related jobs as well.

Photojournalist is a reporter/correspondent on a larger view who is supposed to take quick decisions with not much further delay.  He or she needs to exact in terms of representation of subjects thereby avoiding any type of stereotyping individuals and groups. There should be any kind of edition in terms of validating the authenticity of any photograph. Editing should always be under the umbrella of ethical values.

Educational Qualifications

Students willing to start a career in Print Journalism can move into the same directly after their 10+2. Candidates eager to build a profession should be able to creatively wise enough to play with their own skills effectively. Print Journalism course comes under the general Journalism/Mass media course. There are varieties of Bachelor’s/Post-Graduate degrees in journalism/Mass communication. The minimum required eligibility for Bachelor degree in journalism and mass communication is 10+2 and for master degree level is a Bachelor degree in any field. The duration of these courses differs by organization to organization which may be a school of communication, colleges or universities with mass media department to control upon. However, certain institutes do provide diploma courses for some months in journalism and mass communication for which eligibility is 10+2 and even post graduation. Again there are specialized areas for journalism like sports, television, photo, press law etc.

Schools/Universities/Colleges for Print Media across Globe

–Cuny Kingsborough Community College, USA
–University of Leeds, UK
–School of print media, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), New York, USA
–London College of Communication, UK
–Danish School Of Media and Journalism, Copenhagen, Denmark

Schools/Universities/Colleges for Print Media in India

–Assam University – Master of Mass Communications (MMC)
–Jamia Millia Islamia – AJ Kidwai Mass Communication Research Centre – MA Mass Communications
–Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad
–Xavier Institute of Communications (XIC), Mumbai
–Mumbai University – Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM)
–Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrakarita Vishwavidyalaya – Master of Journalism (MJ)
–Punjabi University – PG Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication
–Punjab Agricultural University – PG Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication
–Banaras Hindu University (BHU) – Master of Arts (MA) Mass Communication
–Netaji Subhas Open University – Post Graduate Diploma in Public Relation and Advertising (PGD PR & Ad)
–Rabindra Bharati University – PG Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication
–IGNOU – Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication (PGJMC)

Moreover there are some universities that offer journalism through distance learning programmes – Barkatullah Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal; Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi Kota Open University, Kota and Sambalpur University, Sambalpur.

Degree/Diplomas in print media in India

-Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) – Mass Communication

-Master of Philosophy (MPhil) – Journalism & Mass Communication (1 Year)
-Master of Journalism & Mass Communication (MJMC) (2 Years)
-Master of Advertising & Marketing Management (MAMM)
-Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication (PGJMC) (1 Year)
-Postgraduate Diploma in Advertising & Marketing Management (1 Year)
-Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism (1 Year)
-Postgraduate Diploma in Development Communication (1 Year)
-Post Graduate Diploma in Writing for Mass Media (PGDWMM)
-Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) (3 Years)
-Bachelor of Mass Communication (BMC) (3 Years)
-Diploma in Mass Communication 

Priya Priyadarshini