How to Become a Journalist: Career Guide, Courses, After 12th, Eligibility, Entrance Exams, Top Colleges, Jobs, Salary

How to Become a Journalist: Quick Facts 

Journalist Eligibility

The list of eligibility criteria for becoming Journalist are listed below,

• Candidates must have passed their 10+2 with a minimum of 50% marks from any stream. 
• Candidates from SC/ST or other reserved categories get a relaxation of 5% marks.
• The 10+2 should be passed from a recognized central/state board of education. 
• Some colleges/universities have the criteria of English as a mandatory subject in 10+2. 
• For a master's degree, candidates must have a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minimum of 50% marks. 
• For PG Diploma programs, a candidate must have a minimum of 45% marks in graduation. 
• Some of the universities/colleges also ask for a valid score in the entrance examination conducted by the respective university. 

Listed below here are some types of Journalists based on their job roles and the area of specialization they have expertise in.

Investigative Journalism

Website Journalism

Sports Journalism 

Entertainment Journalism 

Political Journalism 

Steps to Become a Journalist

The basic steps that must be followed to become a Journalist are listed below for your reference. 

• Enhance reporting and writing expertise: All journalists must have a solid foundation and level of writing expertise. Although their chosen medium of expression is secondary, they must have a strong background in writing. Candidates should invest time in honing their writing and reporting style even though a bachelor's degree in journalism, mass communication, or English literature will undoubtedly help them in developing their  writing abilities and comprehend how print media operates. Candidates must make their write-ups coherent, succinct, interactive, and informative if you want to succeed as a journalist. The finest strategies to hone  reporting and writing abilities are listed below:
  • Writing each day
  • Logging your activities in a journal
  • Launching a blog
  • Keeping abreast on the most recent news
  • Maintain your grammar practise
  • Keep reading
• Seek Internships: Internships are crucial since they are a key part of learning about the fundamentals of journalism. Theoritical knowledge only provide 1/4^th knowledge about the subject, however one can understand the foundations and the entirety of the subject through internships and direct contact with the industry. Speaking about the media sector, it is necessary to teach journalists to work with experts in a variety of settings, including newspapers, magazines, websites, radio stations, and television stations. Typically, these programmes are associated with universities and need to collaborate with colleges to prepare. 
• Further Studies: While a bachelor's degree in journalism allows candidates to explore job options immediately, many aspiring journalists choose to pursue a master's degree in order to enhance their specialisation. With a master's degree, one can study a variety of journalism types, including photojournalism, broadcast journalism, travel journalism and news journalism. The line between print and broadcast media has become increasingly hazy as digital journalism has grown into a major tertiary industry.  Many journalists choose to work as generalists, write for the media, and report on the stories that are allocated to them. Others choose a very specialised topic with coverage at the same time. The following are the two journalism master's degree specialisations. 
  • Broadcast Journalism
  • Business and Financial Reporting
  • Environmental Journalism
  • Feature Writing and Magazine Writing
  • Global and International Journalism
  • News Reporting
  • Online/Multimedia Journalism
• Lookout for Relevant Jobs: Freshers journalists may encounter several difficulties that are common to other fields. The main obstacle is accumulating experience and assembling a solid field-relevant knowledge and skills portfolio. Both of these support your establishment and presence in the media field. Internships are crucial for students since they allow candidates to discover their interests and their potential for a career in journalism. In particular, journalism students appreciate doing internships in addition to their education because of the value of experience. One must engage in autonomous activities like blogging, video-casting, and podcasting if they want to have a strong portfolio. 
  • As a journalist, one can consider a variety of job profiles, such as 
  • Columnist
  • News Editor
  • TV Reporter/Correspondent
  • Photojournalist

Journalism Courses

• Students can pursue a major in Journalism or Communications or a diploma course in journalism. However, a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication (BJMC) is the most preferred course to become a journalist in India.
• After graduation, they can take up a master’s course in journalism or mass communication.
• They can also pursue a Diploma or PG Diploma in Journalism that trains specifically for a job in journalism.

Diploma in Journalism 

• Diploma in Journalism is a 2-year diploma course that offers professional learning in writing for newspapers, magazines, broadcasting news on channels and television.
• A candidate with 50% marks in class 12 from a recognized board is eligible to pursue diploma in journalism.
• LSR New Delhi, Asian College of Journalism Chennai, Madras Christian College Chennai are the top colleges offering Diploma in Journalism.
• Most colleges offering Diploma in Journalism courses admit students based on performance in a relevant entrance test, and a personal interview, wherein their general aptitude is tested. 
• A few colleges also provide direct admission based on the merit. 
• The entrance exam is conducted by Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC).

• The average course fee ranges between INR 10,000 to 5 Lacs.

PG Diploma in Journalism 

• PG Diploma in Journalism is a 1 year diploma program pursued after graduation to train students in various fields of journalism. 
• It deals with current affairs and latest topics on journalism with proper knowledge and practical skills.
• To be eligible for a PG Diploma in Journalism course, a student should score 50% marks in Bachelor’s degree in journalism.
• Admission to PG Diploma in Journalism is offered based on the valid score secured in entrance exams such as International School of Business and Media Entrance Exam, Jamia Millia Islamia Entrance Exam, Manipal Institute of Communication Entrance Exam, Xavier Institute of Communications Entrance Exam, Symbiosis National Aptitude Test.
• Savitri Bai Phule University, Pune, JMI New Delhi, AMU Aligarh are the top colleges that offer PG Diploma in Journalism.
• The average course fee ranges between INR 75,000 to 3,00,000.

BA Journalism 

• BA Journalism is a 3 year undergraduate course in the arts discipline that focuses on news and media industry. 
• A candidate with 50% marks in class 12, from any stream is eligible to take admission in BA Journalism after class 12.
• The top colleges that offer BA Journalism are JMI New Delhi, Chandigarh University, LPU, DAV Indore and Christ University, Bangalore.
• Admission to BA Journalism course is based on merit, while some colleges conduct entrance exams and a round of PI.
• The average course fee to pursue BA Journalism ranges between INR 20,000 to 1,00,000.

BJMC Course 

• BJMC or Bachelor of Journalism and Mass Communication is a 3-year undergraduate course which imparts knowledge on latest trends and research in media and journalism.
• To be eligible for BJMC, 50% score in 10+2 from a recognized university/board is required. 
• IPU CET and DU Journalism Entrance Test are common entrance tests through which admissions are granted.
• In Delhi University, the BJMC course is offered as BA (Hons.) Journalism and Mass Communication, therefore you need to meet the required qualification criteria to get admission. 
• IP university, Mewar University, IMS Noida are the top BJMC course colleges in India.
• The average BJMC course fee in top colleges is upto INR 3 lakhs.

MA Journalism

• MA Journalism or Masters of Arts in Journalism is a full-time 2-year postgraduate course for graduates from journalism backgrounds seeking a career growth in the media and communication industries.
• Candidates who have a bachelor's degree in journalism or any other related fields are eligible to apply for the MA journalism program.
• Admission is usually based on the marks scored in the entrance exam. 
• The top colleges offering MA Journalism are Sharda University, Mahatma Gandhi Mission College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Panjab University, Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Amity School of Communication, Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT), etc. 
• The average course fee ranges between INR 50,000 to 3,50,000 per year.

MJMC Course 

• MJMC or Master of Journalism and Mass Communication is a postgraduate course on mass communication for 2-years. It involves the study of Newspapers, Magazines, Cinema, Radio, etc to convey latest information and news to the audience. 
• To be eligible for MJMC, students should have a Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline like journalism or mass communication from a recognized university with an aggregate of at least 50% marks.
• Admission to MJMC is done on the basis of candidate's performance in the entrance test followed by GD/PI or on the basis of merit.
• Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara are the top colleges that offer MJMC course in India.
• The average course fee ranges between INR 50,000 - INR 3,00,000

Benefits of Career as a Journalist

Although, being a Journalist not only offers you work but also has some benefits listed below.

• Salary: The average salary of an experienced Journalist ranges from INR 6,00,000 to INR 8,00,000. This simply states that this career offers handsome salary packages. However, the salary of a fresher can be less than INR 3,00,000 but the profession will provide a great salary package in the future.
• Positive Impact of the Career: The most positive impact of being a journalist is that he/she gets an extreme different environment to work and may get a chance to meet some celebrities/athletes/politicians. No matter what, you will always be top loaded with the top stories and events happening in the world. 
• Higher Studies: Even after doing a job, an individual is open to study anytime. He/she can choose to opt for anh Master's degree or Doctorate level program in Journalism and Mass Communication/Media Studies. There are several options for the one to choose for.
• Unique Experience: If you are interviewing someone, you will be introduced to various new things, new stories and different perspectives of someone, that will be a kind of some unique experience to you. As a Journalist, you are required to work even at extreme conditions and circumstances and sometimes situations can be most challenging in your career.

Skills Required to Become a Journalist 

The table below mentions the top skills to become a journalist, based on the skills mentioned on several aspirants who want to pursue career as a journalist.

Top Recruiters for Journalists

Some of the top recruiters who hire fresh graduates as well as experienced professionals Journalism are tabulated below for your reference,