Are you intrigued by the word mass communication? Do you want to know what it exactly is and why everyone gets attracted to it?

It’s no rocket science! We will tell you all about what a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication can provide you and why you should choose this course.

The term ‘mass communication’ has a very simple meaning. ‘Mass’ means a large audience and ‘communication’ means to exchange ideas, knowledge, or anything in general. So, Mass Communication is the process of exchange of knowledge between a large number of people.

What does BA (Hons) in Mass Comm course entail?

Now, “What does a course in this field consist of?” is an often-asked question. Mass Communication is not merely public speaking, it is a lot more than that.

An honours degree in Mass Communication hereon referred to as ‘Mass Comm’, provides an integrated knowledge of the subject and its related fields. Here are some of the topics that are a part of the BA (Hons) degree in Mass Comm that we have to offer, laid over the 3 years tenure of the course:

• History of Indian Journalism
• Reporting & Writing
• Environmental Communication
• Basic Computers & IT
• Electronic Media
• News Editing
• Photo Journalism
• Public Relations & Corporate Communication
• Media Management
• Media Law & Mass Media
• Sports Journalism
• Development Communication

Mass Comm is one of those fields whose syllabus is not defined as a number of topics. It is vast and constitutes numerous variants. However, it is one of the most interesting subjects of all. Its vast nature is what attracts thousands of students towards it.

Scope of Mass Communication

The field of mass comm has an immense scope as it is something that can never be outdone. The use of mass media is continuous and endless. Diving into this field can never be a bad option unless you desire to do something else.

With the ever-changing technological environment, communication tools have also changed remarkably. Gone are the days when one sweet message could do the deal. Communication has taken a step up after the social media game has been on fire.

The following are some sectors where mass comm has a broad scope:

• Trade & Commerce: Mass communication’s role in trade and commerce is dynamic. It is one of the many vital tools of management which is used widely in the commerce sector. Especially, in government-authorized trading projects, mass communication helps to communicate the details to the general public.

As the commerce sector is booming due to numerous factors and policies introduced in recent times, the use of mass comm tools is assured to increase. It is a vital tool to facilitate mass production and sales in an effective and efficient manner

• Human Resource Management: Human resource management is a field of continuity and growth as the human race is expanding day by day. Mass comm tools help in communicating the HR needs of a firm in a cost-effective and time-saving manner.

• Education: This is another steadily developing sector in which mass comm has a prominent place. Mass comm tools are used in abundance to promote education among all.

The government uses mass comm on a regular basis to communicate about the developments and the new schemes introduced in the education sector.

• Social Affairs: Mass comm has played a consistent role in communicating social affairs that are important to the general public, such as Televisions, Newspapers, and Radios, which are constantly used to communicate about social affairs (like natural calamities, changes in the political scenarios, etc.)

The role of mass communication is never-ending. Not only in the above-mentioned sectors but mass comm is also a key player in almost every sector of society. Hence, we can say that the scope of mass comm is considerably broad.

Popular Fields of Mass Communication

As discussed above, mass comm is not limited to a number of fields only. It is very vast and it comes as a useful tool for everyone at some point in their lives. Having said that, we can proceed to some of the major Mass Comm fields students choose to make a career in this sphere:

Advertising

Advertising is the field of promoting a business in front of the target audience. The use of advertising is increasing every day as the number of businesses is also getting larger and larger.

It is one of the most powerful tools of mass comm as it accounts for various factors that help a business grow and expand. Many students have a creative edge over others. Thinking differently and creatively, and being able to find new angles on a subject matter are some of the skill sets required to excel in this field.

There are various roles in advertising that may intrigue a student into pursuing a career in it, such as:

• Creative Services & Producers,
• Web Developers,
• Digital Marketers,
• Project Managers,
• Social Media Strategists, and so on.

Journalism

Then, we have Journalism, another very interesting field of mass comm. Journalism is the collection and distribution of reports to the masses. 

Being such an important part of society, journalism offers a variety of things to learn. A student may take up a career in journalism if writing or communicating enthrals him.

Writing skills are very important for someone who is interested in journalism as even news readers have to write their own reports.

Journalism is divided into Print Journalism & Electronic Journalism. Both of these fields offer various career options, such as:

• Photojournalist,
• Content Writer,
• Proof Reader,
• Editor,
• Broadcast Reporter,
• Researcher,
• Reporter,
• Correspondent, etc.

Public Relations (PR)

PR is the field of building and maintaining relations between a company and the public. Every major company needs a PR department as it deals with all public-related issues of a company, maintains a good reputation of the organization, and prepares for disaster management.

In this digital era where anyone can go online and communicate anything to the masses, it is very important to have a good PR team. There is a lot of criticism found online and to be able to deal with it in the best manner is something PR personnel can do. 

Public Relations also offer a variety of career options to choose from. Some of them are:

• Content Creators,
• Spokespersons,
• Media Relations Managers,
• Social Media Relations Managers,
• Financial Communications Managers,
• Crisis Managers,
• Reputation Managers, etc.

Film-Making

Film-making is a field of art and creativity. It cannot be restricted to a number of profiles as every member that contributes to the making of a film is equally important. If you are wondering what it takes to get into this exciting field, then just trust your instinct about it and your creative capabilities. And dive in for an unplanned journey that may take a lot of hard work and patience but in the end, it’s all worth it.

Here are some of the career options the Film-making field has to offer:

• Producer,
• Director,
• Screenplay Writer,
• Actor,
• Cinematographer,
• Animator,
• Cameraman,
• Editor,
• Lighting Technician/Operator, and
• Soundmen, etc.

With the development and expansion of media tools, the study of communication has become broader to include Social Media and New Media. These media options have stronger feedback models than those of traditional media sources.

Social Media

Social Media is the use of websites and applications (such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) to connect with others online. It has become a powerful tool in the field of communications and businesses are tapping into this market to reach out to their target audience on a more personal level.

Professionals working in this domain need to be well-versed in various social media platforms and be constantly updated on the ever-changing digital trends.

Some of the interesting career options in Social Media are:

• Social Media Strategist,
• Content Creator/Marketer,
• Community Manager,
• Account Executive/Manager,
• SEO Specialist/Analyst, etc.

New Media

New Media is the development of digital media, which gives users new ways to access and interact with content. It includes interactive websites, blogs, podcasts, videos, etc.

Professionals in this domain must have an in-depth understanding of the various modes of communication and how they can be used effectively to reach their target audience.

Some of the career options available in New Media are:

• Video Editor,
• Graphic Designer,
• Motion Graphics Artist,
• Web Developer,
• Content Producer, etc.

Other Fields

Some other popular Mass Comm fields include:

• Radio Jockey,
• Disk Jockey,
• Video Jockey,
• Photography,
• Video Editing,
• Event Management, etc.

All these career paths are very amusing and satisfying for a creative soul. One does not have to look for a 9-5 desk job only, there are various other kinds of work profiles that one can go for.

Mass communication is an ever-evolving field. The above-discussed fields are generally considered the major areas of study within mass communication. These are studied in various well-established schools and universities. One can further look into those once the mind has been made and the choice of the subject is clear.

Conclusion

BA (Hons) in Mass Communication is a field with vast scopes and opportunities. It is not just limited to one or two choices of career paths, but it offers multiple options from which one can choose the best suitable for themselves.

A thorough understanding of this field and its various aspects will help ensure that a person makes the right choice. The options mentioned in the above article are just some of the possibilities available in this field, and there are many more to explore.

So, have a clear understanding of your capabilities and interest areas before you decide on this course and take the plunge into the world of Mass Communication. Good luck!