Career and Job opportunities After Master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication

If you’re wondering about career paths- choices after a master’s degree in journalism, look no further. This article will quickly take you through all the possible options you can explore after a Master’s degree in Journalism. 

Before we go ahead, let’s first talk about the need for a specialized Journalism degree to advance your career. The skills required to make a journalist today have grown and encompassed a wide range of topics and areas of expertise. To make sure you’re updated, educated, and have the right set of skills to take over the world, you need to pursue a Journalism course that prepares you for the industry’s reality. 

Whatever your Bachelor’s path may have been, a specialization like the University of Mumbai and upGrad’s M.A. in Communication and Journalism is a viable course option for those who wish to broaden their horizons. Designed by experts, this course will teach you everything you need to know about advocacy, reporting, press laws, ethics, newspaper & magazine designing, sports journalism, and so much more. Not only does this robust course help you develop the skills needed to make it in the field, but it also enables you to learn about the new and unexplored possibilities within the industry. 

There are plenty of jobs after journalism and mass communication for various reasons. The demand is a contributing factor, but more so the variety it offers. Journalism is not limited to one or two options; instead, there are multiple other options that one can choose for themselves.

Some options to choose from are digital media, print media, television, crime reporting, broadcast journalism, trade journalism, sports media, travel, etc. The mass communication and journalism career options broaden due to this. Additionally, the career is not only high paying but is also respectable. 

Journalism is necessary and relevant in one country and every part of the world. So professionals can make a promising career in any world with skill sets. Journalists make a positive impact on society by providing news that is transparent to the public. They should not be biased but rather only present the facts. 

There are numerous journalism and mass communication job opportunities in different areas of journalism. The employers are not limited, unlike earlier. There is a number of options to choose from, as mentioned above. Job seekers can make a successful career in any option depending on their interests.

Let’s look at the viable career paths after a Master’s degree in Journalism. 

Career Paths After a Master’s Degree in Journalism

1. Reporter or Correspondent 

Whether it’s a magazine, newspaper, content website, news channel, or radio show, reporters are the individuals who research and collect information about important events, incidents, accidents, etc., from primary sources. They attend news conferences, set up interviews, write articles, attend hearings, etc., to inform the stories they write or broadcast. Since media has moved beyond the confines of digital and traditional mediums, the average reporter’s job duties have changed. 

Reporter as a career in journalism and mass communication is very exciting and gives good exposure. A reporter must be having certain robust skill sets such as the capability of interviewing because they are supposed to interact with various sources, and extracting the information through interviewing is a skill.

Reporting, writing, communicating, etc., are other skills that are equally important. A reporter must have these skills for them to make the most use of the available resources. And in addition to this, most importantly, the reporter must have investigative and interpersonal skills. 

There are various types of reporting, such as news, sports, entertainment, politics, crime, etc. These are multiple sub-domains; professionals can choose any path that excites them.

2. Writer, Editor, or Proofreader

Within journalism, writers have a unique role as they put the facts at hand into words that can then inform the public. Depending on your experience or your skillset, you could explore a career as a features writer, entertainment writer, sports writer, or even a digital content creator.

If you’re skilled at grammar, punctuation, and spellings, you could consider a career in proofreading where these skills will give you an edge. As you move up the ladder, you can even branch out to an editor’s role, where you will be responsible for ensuring uniformity, authenticity, and continuity of print or digital media publications.  

These kinds of jobs after mass communication and journalism are very good in the long run. These professionals are required in each type of journalism as they are responsible for the content. As known by all, content is one of the most important pillars of any successful media. 

These professionals are responsible for making sure the content is solid and curated according to the target group and error-free. The media houses pay good attention, compensation and respect to their writers, editors and proofreaders. 

Their relevancy is not limited to print media, but with the advent of digital media, they are responsible for the content that is to be present in the digital world as well. The content represents the brand’s image, and it must make sense to the audience. To build this connection, writers, editors and proofreaders are trained as they possess the relevant skills.

3. Columnist, Cartoonist, or Critic 

If you have a specialized area of interest or contribute your views on a particular news segment, a columnist career may be apt for you. Columnists write on a variety of topics like politics, fashion, movies, crime, etc. After a few years, if you gain experience and knowledge within a particular subject, you can branch out and pursue a critic’s path. For those candidates who have excellent illustration skills, a sense of humour, and the ability to be satirical, a career as a cartoonist may be a great fit. 

A columnist is given a space to offer their opinions or shed light on the pressing issue. Columns occupy space in the newspaper, blogs, magazines, etc. The column could be written on any domain such as politics, sports, entertainment, food, education, travel, etc. Depending on the topic, the columnist may write their comments or opinions or give a new perspective to the readers. Columnists must be articulate, well-read, have good writing skills and most importantly, must be creative to catch the reader’s attention. 

Cartoonists, on the other hand, represent their views through their cartoons. They could either present an analysis of the situation through the pictures. The images created by the cartoonists are creative and relevant to the topic.

Critics are also essential media persons. They assess, analyse, and provide feedback. The critics could be in any field such as politics, food, movie, fashion, architecture, finance, etc.

4. Broadcast Reporters or Presenters 

If you have excellent public speaking, communication, and presentation skills, broadcast reporting may be a career path to consider after a Master’s degree in Journalism. For those who have great language, diction, and oration skills, the presentation of shows and news channels can be a good fit. To be a good presenter, you will also have to work on facial expressions, tone, voice pitch, and body language. 

The broadcast reporters or presenters must possess the following skill sets in order to flourish in their jobs-

1. General knowledge
2. Hold on to their voice
3. Conflict resolution
4. Ability to accept criticism
5. Honest
6. Hold on to the language 
7. Self Starter

5. Content and Copy Writing

Suppose you have impeccable writing skills and a keen sense of writing persuasively. In that case, you could be a great fit as content or copywriter in an advertising or digital media agency or even with a brand. Writing branded content can open up your career possibilities within the corporate sphere and help you write marketing copy instead of merely covering the news and current affairs. 

The content or copywriters should be creative and must have time management skills. They should also be having strong research skills as they are required to put content in their write-ups. Most importantly, content writers should be well versed in grammar and must produce content that is error-free; in order to fulfil that, they must be good at editing as well.

Content and copywriters are required in almost every field which makes a lot many opportunities available for them. They should focus on developing their skills and portfolio in order to climb up the ladder.

6. Public Relations or Events Executive 

While a specialized degree in PR or Event Management is more suited to a career path in these industries, you can still consider them if you have a Master’s in Journalism. If you have excellent negotiation, communication, and convincing skills, you can explore a career in public relations to manage brand reputations and manage crises for them. Additionally, event management is a dynamic industry where you can hone your coordination, creativity, planning, and management skills.

They are required in every domain and industry. Some of the skills that are required from these professions include-

1. Strong communication skills
2. Networking
3. Problem-solving
4. Conflict resolution
5. Analytical
6. Self- starter
7. Presentation skills
8. IT skills
9. General Knowledge
10. Creative
11. Interpersonal skills

Conclusion

While this article can advise you on the various career paths after a Master’s degree in Journalism, it pays to do your research and choose your career based on your strengths and interests. 

If you wish to explore further, check out the University of Mumbai and upGrad’s M.A in Communication and Journalism to take your knowledge & skills to the next level. With this program, you can become an expert in media, communications, and journalism.