Fundamentals of Journalism Courses

Journalism is the practice of collecting, evaluating, preparing, and presenting information and news. It is also referred to as collecting and filtering information, editing it, and giving it context. The mainstream global population depends on journalism to stay informed. The purpose of journalism is to serve citizens with the information they require to make the best possible decisions regarding their lives, societies, communities, and governments.

People who work in the field of journalism are referred as journalists. They may work for magazines, newspapers, TV or radio stations, and websites. Journalism is unique because it’s a one-way story or message conveyed from the Journalist to the audience. Journalists work on both subjective and objective stories. They produce stories based on their discoveries and observation. Advocating on issues and working on editorial pieces also includes in their scope of work. The fundamentals of journalism imply that it is primarily based on storytelling which may be in various forms like breaking news, investigative reports, feature stories, editorials, reviews, and blogs.

Journalism serves various roles; the foremost one is to inform the public. Being an open medium, the targeted audience incorporates the public or the whole community. After the Journalist reports the information, that information is accessible to all. Therefore, Journalism is a vital component of a democratic society. It keeps the citizens well-informed on issues impacting their government, communities, and daily dealings.

Everybody wants to be informed of cutting-edge development in today's fast-paced life. Journalism helps people in keeping track of the latest happenings around them. With the rising popularity of social media, Journalism is expanding itself through various means. The ability to get all the reliable and relevant information makes it a desirable career. The 24-hour news cycles have transformed the work dynamic of journalism. Essentially, deadlines that may have been once in 24 hours are now continuous.

To learn journalism, you need to begin by pursuing a suitable diploma or undergraduate course in your area of interest. Various journalism courses are available, ranging from journalism and mass communication to entertainment.Although all journalism programs' curricula are

different, all of them share one similar characteristic, i.e., collecting relevant and reliable information and facts.

Journalism comes in various forms:

• Breaking news: Informs about an event as soon as it happens.
• Enterprise or Investigative stories: Stories revealing information few people knew.
• Feature stories: A comprehensive look at something interesting but not breaking news.
• Editorials: Unsigned articles that describe a publication's opinion.
• Columns: Signed articles that describe the writer's reporting and their conclusions.
• Reviews: Description of places or events. Examples: restaurant, concert, or movie reviews.

Online journalism is available in different forms listed below:

• Blogs: Online diaries maintained by individuals or small groups.
• Wikis: Articles that any reader can add to or modify.
• Discussion boards: Online question and answer pages where anybody can participate.

Being familiar with the fundamentals of journalism is not adequate. You should be familiar with the types of journalism courses available. The following section shows all the courses related to journalism at the diploma, PG diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

List of various diploma and PG Diploma courses in Journalism:

List of various Bachelor’s level degree courses in Journalism:

List of various Master’s level and Ph.D. courses in Journalism:

Note: Apart from the courses above, various short certification and short-term journalismcourses are offered by different online platforms like Udemy, Coursera, Alison, etc. Moreover, some institutes or universities in India offer Journalism courses at the certification level.

Notable specialisations for Journalism courses:

• Sports Journalism
• Design Journalism
• Photograph Journalism
• Insightful Journalism
• Communicate Journalism
• Business and Financial Journalism
• Mixed media Journalism
• Article Writing
• Print Journalism

A knowledgeable and skilled Journalist can stand out from the crowd and attract decent career opportunities. When you learn journalism, the course imparts with fundamentals of journalism that can help you embark on this career. However, to sustain well in this career, you must be exceptionally skilled. The blend of exceptional skills and experience will help you advance your career graph.

The journalism training in various journalism classes is only effective if the students thoroughly learn and practice them. If you are exceptionally skilled, you can bring a positive change in the general public's lives.

The top journalism courses equip the students with the following key skills:

• Integrity:

Good journalists should possess integrity and a solid ethical core. They should have their audience’s trust to succeed. They should be able to build every story based on objectivity, fairness, and honesty. Their key responsibility is to report accurately and convey reliable data to the public.

• Communication Skills:

Without powerful communication skills, Journalists are inefficient. They need to interview sources and write in-depth reports and stories frequently. They must have verbal and non-verbal skills to effectively communicate with people belonging to different ages, cultures, traditions, etc. Moreover, they should have exceptional writing skills that help them to report their collected information effectively.

Fluency in English or the specific regional language is a must. They should be able to freely and impressively express their opinions. Furthermore, they should be convincing enough while asking questions so that people can comprehensively explain the event.

• Courageous:

Part of the Journalists’ job involves asking questions and diving deep into topics. Without courage, they can’t effectively interview people and thus can’t get the exact know-how of the event. In the absence of courage, they can’t speak boldly and can’t convince their opinions. Personal feelings should be put aside to reveal the truth. While interviewing, they must not be swayed away by any specific religion, tradition, or culture.

• Tech-Savviness:

Journalists need to use social media for real-time reporting and to provide clear coverage of an event. They must know how to smartly search the Internet to fact check and access public records required for reporting a story. Furthermore, they should be capable of making the most of the social media tools in less time.

• Analytical thinking:

Analytical thinking allows Journalists to base their stories on fact rather than emotion. They should be equipped with sound judgmental skills and critical thinking skills. Even under strict deadlines, they should hone these skills to report stories accurately and validate that all information they have discovered is true.

• Curiosity:

Good journalists love to read and learn as much as possible about the assigned topic. If they are not curious, they can’t dedicate their full efforts to collecting and assessing the information.

Other essential skills Journalists should have:-

• Composition, editing, and research aptitudes
• Interpersonal abilities
• Enthusiasm for solving governmental and social issues
• Reliability and honesty
• Initiative and group working abilities
• Meeting aptitudes
• Communicating thoughts and conclusion
• Fundamentals of computer
• The flexibility of travelling to different places

Whichever journalism programs you have shortlisted to pursue, you need to remember the following points to take a journalism course:

• Candidates should complete their 10+2 with at least 50% marks from any stream.
• The 10+2 must be passed by a recognised state/central board of education.
• Candidates from SC/ST or other reserved categories attain a relaxation of 5% marks.
• Some universities/ colleges have the criteria of English as a compulsory subject in 10+2.
• For pursuing a master's degree in Journalism, candidates must hold a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with at least 50% marks.
• For pursuing PG Diploma programs in Journalism, candidates must have scored at least 45% marks in graduation.