There had been a paradigm shift in the present days in the domains of governance and development in India that has been brought about by globalization, changed business environment and new policy regime. Due to these contemporary condition, the relevance of journalism has grown tremendously. In view of the growing essentiality of journalism, many electronic channels, educational institutions and media houses has grown in India and journalism and media are becoming the original mirror of polity and society.

Journalism has become the best platform for raising the demands and problems of the common man and for offering him justice. Career in journalism is a prestigious profession and is highly paid as well and these points is attracting more and more youngsters towards this field. Journalism as we cannot deny plays a crucial role in the development of a nation by offering the people with up-to-date information about happenings in the society.

Opportunities in the field of journalism:

Opportunities in the field of journalism is endless even though, the work of a journalist is challenging. With the heavy competition in this field, simple reporting is not sufficient to shine in this field, rather more professionalism and specialization is required while reporting. Therefore, journalists specialize in different areas like sports, culture, investigation, economics, finance and politics for periodicals and newspapers. Journalism aspirants can find job opportunities in three main areas and they are:

• Electronic (visual/audio) journalism

• Print journalism

• Teaching or research

Personal skills or attributes required to shine in the field of journalism:

For a successful career in the field of journalism, one should possess an inquisitive mind, ability to organize thoughts and to express them both orally and in written format, an aptitude for presenting information in concise, accurate and in an effective manner, will power and a inquisitive mind. Ability to stay calm and polite even during pressure situation can be an added qualification. At the same time, a journalist should be organized, confident and tactful while interviewing people from different walks of life. He should possess the ability to sift relevant facts from irrelevant information. Analytical skills are also required for interpretation of research and information.

Journalism Education in India:

Some of the popular institutions for journalism education in India are:

• Indira Gandhi National Open University

• Symbiosis Institute of Journalism and Communication

• Mudra Institute of Communication

• Indian Institute of Mass Communication

• Jamia Millia University, New Delhi

• Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

• University of Lucknow

• Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism

In addition to these popular universities, almost every university in India has courses on journalism and a wide range of courses right from diploma to Ph. D level is being offered in the discipline of journalism in India.

Government jobs in the field of journalism:

Candidates with graduation of Post graduation in journalism, can find job placement can find job placement in the field of media as well in addition to journalism. This includes internet, films, television, radio, magazines and newspapers. Media plays a crucial role in the dissemination of information. Even though, most of the media houses in India are private-owned, there are also public sector media houses where in journalism graduates are appointed. When it comes to government jobs in journalism, candidate with educational qualification in the field of journalism can find job opportunities in media houses that are directly working under the control of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of Government of India. Some of the Government organizations that recruit candidates with journalism qualification are:

• Press Council of India

• Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity

• Press Information Bureau

• Doordarshan

• Akashvani

Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment of Government of India, recruited candidates with journalism qualification for the position of Deputy Director of Media.