According to Wikipedia, mass communication is defined as “the study of how people exchange information through mass media to large segments of the population at the same time.”

Mass communication plays an influential role in modern society and is steadily emerging as one of the most popular choices of students today. There has been a rapid expansion in the mass communication industry in the past 10 years and more and more news channels and media houses have mushroomed everywhere.

With the great boom in media and especially social media, mass communication is now one of the top choices of students to study both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Mass communication is often recommended to those students who have a flair for writing, have the ability to present things in an effective manner, have got excellent communication skills and love to take on new challenges. As a fast-emerging field, mass communication presents to its students a wide range of diverse career options.

Career Options for Mass Communication Graduates

After successfully completing Mass Communication, students can find employment with various news channels, TV shows, magazines, and various publishing firms and online news portals. Students can also work as freelancers and work with many different companies at the same time. The job profile often depends upon the company the candidate is working with and the overall experience one has.

A student who has good command over writing can be very successful in this field of work. With at least five new news channels coming up every year, this profession provides various opportunities for freshers to jumpstart their careers.

Some of the top recruiters in this field of work include prestigious news channels like BBC, CNN IBN, Start Network, Viacom, NDTV, UTV, TV Today and Zee Network.

Some of the most popular career options for Mass Communication graduates are as follows:

Advertising:

One of the most popular fields that Mass Communication graduates like to dabble in is advertising. Advertising involves promoting or selling a product with the help of a visual or audio form of marketing communication, with the basic concept being the customer’s ability to recall.

The advertising industry is huge as that is where most of the media houses get their revenue from. As such, it provides a lucrative career option for students of Mass Communication.

Some of the advertising careers Mass Comm graduates can go for are:

• Copywriter: Creates persuasive and compelling written content for advertisements and marketing campaigns.
• Media Planner: Strategically plans and purchases advertising space across various media channels to reach the target audience effectively.
• Account Executive: Acts as a liaison between the advertising agency and clients, managing campaigns and ensuring client satisfaction.
• Creative Director: Leads and oversees the creative team, shaping the overall vision and concept for advertising campaigns.
• Digital Marketing Specialist: Specializes in utilizing digital platforms and tools to execute online advertising and marketing strategies.

By working in advertising, the candidate will either work as a part of the creative process as a copywriter, scriptwriter, or photographer or as a part of the executive process in the client servicing or the media and market research departments. It is important to be creative and communicative with a working knowledge of Photoshop, Corel Draw, arts and a good command over language.

For fresh graduates the salary ranges from INR 9,000 to INR 15,000. With more experience, more than INR 30,000 can be earned depending on the ad agency being chosen to work with.

Film Making:

The process of making a film involving production, recording and editing which are further divided into various parts is called filmmaking. Newsreels, commercials, music videos and documentaries all cater to different audiences and are all similarly intense to create.

To eke out a career in this field, mass communication graduates must earn a further specialization. There are diplomas, degrees and certificates to be earned in almost every specialization like cinematography, acting, directing, animation, animation, photography, etc.

Some of the filmmaking careers Mass Comm graduates can go for are:

• Cinematographer: Responsible for capturing visually appealing and engaging scenes through camera work and lighting in films and TV productions.
• Film Editor: Shapes the final narrative and emotional impact of a film by selecting and assembling the footage in a cohesive and impactful manner.
• Director: Guides the artistic vision and creative decisions in film production, overseeing the actors and crew to bring the screenplay to life.
• Sound Designer: Crafts and enhances the auditory experience in films, including dialogue, sound effects, and music, to create a captivating atmosphere.
• Production Designer: Designs and coordinates the overall visual look and feel of the film, including sets, costumes, and props, to match the director’s vision.

Preferred skills are the ability to work in a team, to ability to take on responsibility, excellent communication skills, good administrative skills, good stamina and a great visual sense. Students can be employed by Film Studios, Advertising Agencies, Government Departments, and Production Houses. They could even dabble in self-employment through the marketing of personal skills. They can also become film critics and film archivists.

Journalism:

Information is made accessible to the public with the help of journalism. With a career in journalism, the mass communication graduate can work either for independent enterprises or for the national press. Alongside, there are also some specialized courses that can be pursued in specialized areas of journalism like sports, television, photo, press law etc.

It is important to have the ability to write and produce news stories in a correct, concise and appealing style. A curious mind, willpower, an aptitude for presenting information in a precise, concise and effective manner, and the ability to arrange thoughts and express them clearly in both written and oral forms of communication are also much-needed skills for this field of work. A journalist also has to be tactful, self-assured and prepared while interviewing the public and celebrities.

This field is divided into two categories consisting of Print and Electronic journalism.  In the print media, jobs revolve around, journals, newspapers, magazines, digests and news agencies while those on the electronic medium consist of television, radio and the new media-internet. In journalism, mass communication graduates can be employed as reporters, correspondents or special reporters, feature writers, leader writers, proofreaders, editors, columnists, critics, photojournalists, cartoonists, researchers, broadcast reporters and presenters.

Some of the journalistic careers Mass Comm graduates can go for are:

• Reporter: Investigates, gathers information, and reports news stories for newspapers, TV, radio, or online media outlets.
• News Anchor: Presents and delivers news stories on television or radio to the audience with professionalism and clarity.
• Photojournalist: Captures compelling and impactful images to accompany news stories and convey important events and issues.
• Investigative Journalist: Digs deep into complex issues, uncovering hidden truths and exposing corruption or wrongdoing through in-depth reporting.
• Feature Writer: Crafts engaging and informative human interest stories, profiles, and opinion pieces for magazines, newspapers, or digital platforms.

As a journalist, the salary that one earns can grow by leaps and bounds as he progresses through his career. A trainee can earn around Rs.6000-Rs. 10000, a reporter around Rs.12000 – Rs.18000, and editors are often paid Rs.20000-Rs.35000 alongside perks of housing and travel concessions.

Public Relations:

Another lucrative career available to graduates of mass communication is Public Relations. To pursue a career in PR, mass communication graduates might have to pursue a diploma which is usually for a period of one year. Jobs in this field are growing faster than ever as the public image has become increasingly important in this day and age when marketing can either make or break a company.

Some of the PR careers Mass Comm graduates can go for are:

• Public Relations Manager: Develops and implements PR strategies to maintain a positive public image for clients or organizations.
• Media Relations Specialist: Cultivates relationships with journalists and media outlets to secure positive coverage and handle media inquiries.
• Corporate Communications Specialist: Manages internal and external communications, including press releases, newsletters, and corporate messaging.
• Event Publicist: Promotes and manages publicity for events to ensure maximum attendance and media coverage.
• Crisis Communications Manager: Handles and navigates communication during crises or reputation-threatening situations to protect the client’s or company’s image.

It is important for students pursuing this field of work to have excellent communication skills, an impressive personality as well as being a team player with self-confidence, far-sightedness and good analytical and organizational skills. The candidate must also have a good understanding of human psychology and must be able to take quick decisions in difficult situations.

The salary for an entry-level position in a PR job might range from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 6,000 a month which might increase to Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 25,000 with more experience and training.

Publishing and Printing:

Mass Communication graduates can also find jobs in the publishing and printing sector. They can work under private publishing houses, in the publication department of organizations that undertake their own publishing or maybe even in the publication divisions of central and state government agencies such as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and of Education and Culture. 

Some of the publishing careers Mass Comm graduates can go for are:

• Editor: Reviews and refines written content for books, magazines, or online publications to ensure quality and consistency.
• Literary Agent: Represents authors and negotiates publishing deals with publishing houses on their behalf.
• Book Publicist: Promotes books and authors to media outlets and bookstores to generate publicity and increase book sales.
• Copy Editor: Checks and corrects grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors in written materials before publication.
• Digital Content Manager: Manages and oversees the creation, publication, and promotion of digital content for online platforms and websites.

The starting salary in this field of work ranges from INR 8000 to INR 15000. If the person has the talent and is ready to put in hard work then he can definitely grow and do very well in this industry. Mass Communication graduates can also pursue other career options like becoming a Radio Jockey, Video Jockey and Disc Jockey. As such, we can see that the career options after completing an undergraduate degree in Mass Communication are diverse and varied. With the right amount of hard work and talent, a Mass Communication graduate can grow and perform very well in his chosen field.