How to Make Career in Journalism in 2024

A company’s success depends greatly on the information they send out about their products. Further,  the mode of doing so plays a huge role in the impact it creates on the audience’s mind.  There are a variety of ways to publicize your products, but the two most reliable and preferred are Advertising and Public Relations. Choosing one from between the two usually puts businesses in a bind. That’s exactly what we are here to help you with. If you are a beginner in digital marketing marketing, and want to gain expertise, check out our digital marketing certifications from top universities.  Let’s look at the definitions of Advertising and Public Relations before we dive into the distinctions between them to determine which is the right for you.  Advertising Advertising refers to a blend of practices and techniques that are employed to bring to the notice of people a company’s products, opinions, services, or causes so that they consider buying or subscribing to whatever is being advertised. It is a huge subdivision of media, and can either be in printed or digital form.  Here are the reasons why advertising exists: Businesses want to create an awareness of their products and services. They wish to convince them that their products and services are the right choices for them. They hope to increase the demand for their products and services. It is a powerful tool to announce the launch of new products and services. It helps them enhance the image of brands and promotes brand loyalty. Public Relations As a tactical process of communication, PR is focused on building a profitable relationship between consumers and the business. Public Relations is a powerful weapon for an organization as it helps a business to form a direct connection with the public. Naturally, this field of work is currently booming.  Here’s taking a look at the objectives of Public Relations: To positively present the information related to the organization To research in-depth market research on a company. To create a favourable image for a company in the media. To create a bridge of communication between the organization and its target audience. To take appropriate measures for crisis management by responding to negative remarks online. To influence appropriate judicial and regulatory practices by lobbying. To counsel an organization on a variety of issues in the public domain and foster favourable relations with the public. Checkout: How to become a PR freelancer in India? Underlying Differences Between Advertising and Public Relations Advertising and public relations differ in a variety of ways. This includes: 1. How you Interact with the Target Audience? One of the main differences between advertising and Public Relations is how they approach the target audience. In advertising, interaction with the target audience happens on advertising platforms like print and digital media. With Public Relations, it may be through something as small as a tweet or by using a sophisticated company newsletter. 2. What are the Criteria For Payment? For every advertisement, there is a hefty fee charged. And this amount increases each time an ad is repeated in the media. Combine it with creative, production, and space costs, advertising becomes even more expensive. A PR agency, on the other hand, doesn’t charge you per strategy. Their job is to formulate these strategies and help you gain publicity. Of course, you will have to pay your Public Relations team, but it will be in the form of a salary or a monthly retainer.  3. Who Holds the Power to Manipulate The Message? In advertising, you are the master of the message. You have creative control over what your ad will say, where it will be advertised, and how many times it will be repeated. It gives businesses the freedom to monitor how their products will be perceived by the public.  When it comes to Public Relations, you have little to no control over the media coverage of your organization. However, your Public Relations team can support you through a media interview and create multiple opportunities for you. This is a great plus point as compared to the loss of control over the message. 4. How Different the Campaigns Are? It depends greatly on your budget whether the duration of coverage of your advertising is long or short. As we mentioned earlier, advertising is expensive. If you have enough money to pay for your advertisement to be played several times in the media, you can benefit from it greatly.  Furthermore, ad campaigns target specific time periods when the products are most likely to attract traffic. Businesses can run advertisements during holidays or wedding seasons to maximize their effectiveness and reduce costs.  Public Relations agencies send out stories of their clients to a diverse range of journalists, who in turn publish their opinions on the story in their respective ways. This allows the target audience of the organization to digest a variety of perspectives and form one of their own. PR promotes far more sustainability with the way it operates than advertising does.  5. How Credible The Campaigns Are  One of the main shortcomings of advertising is that the target audience of the business knows that an ad has been paid for. This decreases the credibility of advertising on the whole and promotes scepticism amongst the public.  Public Relations has a relative edge when it comes to a campaign’s believability. Because they send out stories about their client’s organization to journalists, there are a variety of angles presented in front of the public. Also, since it is up to the journalists what they make of the stories and how they represent them, their takes on a particular subject are, more often than not, unbiased. This influences the target audience to view these stories from different perspectives and form an opinion about a particular organization. This doesn’t just enhance the credibility of PR but also helps companies deal with crises and profit from long-term relationships with the audience.  Also Read: Marketing vs Advertising  Conclusion Advertising and Public Relations are both wonderful tools. Advertising might require you to shell out a little extra and Public Relations will cause you to lose control to an extent. However, it is the message you need to send across that will help you decide which among Advertising and Public Relations would benefit your organization better.  We hope this helps! If you are curious to get into the world of digital marketing, check out upGrad & MICA’s Advanced Certificate in Digital Marketing & Communication.

In today’s day, there’s no way a brand can do without a sound PR strategy. It’s the most effective and organized way to be heard within your industry and by your target groups. Public relations operations are now more important than ever before, mostly since social media’s reach has made reputations matter even more. Additionally, when ‘fake news’ is rampant among news cycles, business success and trust go hand in hand with managing reputation and perception for your brand. This is where PR comes in. Public relations is not just press conferences and interviews. While these are important in their own right, PR involves strategy, reputation management, thought-leadership and much more. It refers to all the strategic communication approaches or processes that help build mutually beneficial bonds between a brand and its ‘publics’. Before we dive into understanding how to create an effective PR strategy, let’s understand why we need PR in the first place. Why Do Brands Need PR? 1. It Boosts Brand Awareness Learning how to create an effective PR strategy can help generate interest in your brand within the right target groups. It also allows you to support, amplify and reinforce marketing campaigns. By strengthening and increasing brand awareness, you set yourself up for a win. 2. It Aids Your Lead Generation Efforts An effective PR strategy helps you get more eyeballs for your brand’s products and services, which support your lead generation efforts. Needless to say, by attracting high-quality leads, your business will grow in tandem. 3. It Helps You Establish Trust With Effective Branding A sound PR strategy will aid your marketing campaigns and bring clarity to your brand’s identity.  By focusing on your brand’s USPs and other vital characteristics, you have the opportunity to give your brand a humane touch. 4. It Helps Your Crisis Management Efforts Sooner or later, all brands have to deal with a crisis. It happens to the best of us, but having a robust plan to manage these situations with your PR strategy will help maintain a favourable public image for your brand. 5. Its Effectiveness Trumps Advertising It’s no secret that earned media generates more significant and more valuable returns than paid media. Be it positive reviews, ratings, customer testimonials, word-of-mouth recommendations or organic media coverage, earned media will always be more trusted than traditional advertising. 6. It Helps Create and Maintain Long-Lasting Relationships In the course of conducting your day-to-day PR activities, you will generate goodwill for your brand and establish lasting relationships across many verticals. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that this will help you in many ways down the line. 7. Helps You Recruit The Best in The Business With a sound PR strategy to back you up, your brand will come across as a reputed and sound thought leader and titan in the industry. This will help you attract the best talent to work with you, and eventually, it also helps you grow the business. How To Create An Effective Brand PR Strategy? Now that we’ve understood the benefits of having a robust PR strategy let’s understand how to create an effective PR strategy for your brand. 1. Set Clear Brand Positioning Goals Many people mistake PR for this tool that only aids in generating buzz for product launches or events. While it certainly involves that, PR also looks at elevating and amplifying what your company does on a daily basis. Your PR activities can help your brand generate and sustain awareness, credibility, and interest in a very lasting manner. However, none of this can happen without having clear brand positioning goals. For starters, think of the bigger picture. What do you want your brand to stand for? How do you want your brand to be perceived? What feelings or emotions do you want your audience to feel when they think of you? While short-term goals like getting more registrations to an event, landing more sales and generating buzz about new products are all important, think about your long-term goals. By answering the big questions, you’ll be clear on how to position your brand to the public. This, in turn, will help you pick the most relevant writers, journalists, media outlets etc. that can help you put forth and reinforce that brand image. 2. Identify and Utilize the Right Communication Outlets The average audience in today’s day wants content that is unique, engaging, informative and delivered to them through reputed and trust-worthy sources. This means everything from experts, industry leaders, content creators, journalists, writers and individual contributors. Identifying the content your target publics consume will help you choose the right communication outlets to include in your PR strategy. Once you have identified these outlets, websites, channels and publications, go ahead and pitch your proposition. If you’ve done your homework well, you will reach the right audience. Read: Top PR Skills 3. Prepare Good Pitches A good PR pitch is one that gives the prospect everything they need to decide whether or not your story aligns with their needs. Additionally, presenting your information in a way that appeals to the recipient’s sensibilities will always prove beneficial. Please do your research before pitching and look into what they need and how your content may benefit them. To drive home your point, include an easy-to-read list of key points, pertinent facts and figures, sources, as well as an overarching communication angle. Go ahead and add an article summary, quotes from experts, a title suggestion, and you’ve got yourself a pitch that may improve the odds for your success. While your pitch in itself is crucial to land media coverage, you should also pay keen attention to your presentation and people skills. Most of the people you interact with are busy, and probably hear pitches from many executives daily. Be respectful of their time and push yourself to be clear, concise and offer value. Show that you care about more than just what’s in it for your brand or client by building long-term relations that aren’t purely transactional. And as it has always been, it never hurts to be friendly. 4. Create and Market High-Quality Content Regularly Every pitch you make is about content. Content is king, indeed. Modern-day PR isn’t about self-promotional content that doesn’t do much except shout out a one-dimensional message. Today, it’s all about offering value to your network. Think whether what you’re saying will add value to the reader in any way. By creating content that aligns with your brand’s goals and helps solve your audience’s problems, you’re setting yourself up to improve brand perception. The fact of the matter is that a strong PR strategy has a symbiotic relationship with a sound marketing strategy. Since these two processes fuel each other, your content marketing efforts matter just as much. Additionally, it never hurts to create high-quality content on a consistent basis. From a marketing perspective, this helps you gain engagement. It also enables you to build a stronger connection with your target group, all of which have long-term benefits for your brand. In the long run, the right content can help you become respected as an industry leader and a trustworthy source. 5. Stay Consistent PR is not a one-day activity. When you learn how to create an effective PR strategy, you discover that consistency separates the average from the great. Whether it is about creating content or maintaining a strong network of contacts, consistency is crucial. It is important to keep up with your goals on a daily basis. Follow up with your contacts when needed, and send out pitches in time. As is the case in every industry, keep an eye out for industry news, trends, latest updates and the competition. Slowly working towards achieving success for your brand will help you reap the rewards in the short and long term. Checkout: How to become a PR Freelancer in India? Conclusion While this article can act as a thought-starter for all the PR professionals wondering how to create an effective PR strategy, it can only do so much. If you are looking to get into Public Relations, we have just the right opportunity for you. upGrad offers a Master’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Mumbai through its 2-year online program. There is a 6-month inbuilt internship included in the curriculum that comprises 30 learning hours.

If you’re not a fan of the ol’ 9 to 5, freelancing is an exciting alternative to consider. When it comes to public relations careers, many people branch out to consulting roles and take up clients in a freelance capacity. Not only does a career in freelance PR consulting pay well, but it also allows you to work remotely from anywhere in the world. So, if you aspire to be a digital nomad, this may be a viable career move for you.  Without further ado, let’s jump right into answering how to become a PR freelancer in India. How To Become a PR Freelancer in India The first thing to do before embarking on a career as a PR freelancer in India is to gain experience for at least a few years by working at a full-time PR job. This will ensure that you have a first-hand experience of what goes into crafting, proposing, pitching, and executing successful PR strategies. Additionally, it will also help you understand your strengths and weaknesses so that you can work on them before you start wondering how to become a PR freelancer in India. As a freelance consultant, you are responsible for almost all the duties related to maintaining an organization’s online and offline reputation. This means that your duties will encompass many different verticals and areas of expertise. While liasoning, networking, and reaching out to pitch stories for your clients will be one of your primary responsibilities, you will have to should other responsibilities. Some of your essential duties as a PR freelancer will include – 1. Plan and Develop Communication and PR Strategies Success rarely comes to those who don’t have a clear strategy in place. This is why as a freelancer, you will have to work on your planning and strategizing abilities, as well as brush up on your skills related to implementation. To ensure the best results for your clients, learn how to liaise with your connections in the media, with key spokespeople, and across essential organizations. Since you will have to communicate via email, the phone, or over video conferencing apps, make sure you learn how to pitch across these mediums. You will also have to research, write and distribute updates, press releases, and other information to your targeted media outlets, so it doesn’t hurt to upskill if these don’t fall under your expertise. For your clients, you will also have to put together analyzed media coverage for review purposes. This data will also help you keep track of your client’s performance and will help you revise, tweak or change your communication approach if needed. 2. Organize and Execute Events When we say ‘events’, we are referring to everything from a simple photo-op to a more complex press conference. While you will have to organize, plan for, arrange and execute these events, you will also have to do other things like plan ahead for probable crises, oversee and coordinate on-ground activities and update information on online portals, official websites, etc. At times, you will also have to manage, plan and source key deliverables for sponsorship opportunities, special events, exhibitions, etc. It’s also essential to pitch, prepare and supervise the production of promotional videos, brochures, direct mail collaterals, handouts, brand films, etc. If you work with organizations that warrant market research, you may be responsible for commissioning and overseeing the same. Additionally, as a freelance PR consultant, you will be responsible for fostering community relations for your clients through regular involvement in social or community-centric initiatives. Related: PR Skills 3. Develop a Logical and Objective Thought-Process It goes without saying that as a PR professional, you will often be at the epicentre of one crisis or another. Your role in such situations would be to tactfully pull your client out of the fire without damaging their reputation or letting businesses get affected. This requires you to be quick, objective and logical in immense pressure situations and where the stakes are high. Apart from this, you should be able to multitask to monitor multiple media and digital platforms simultaneously. Needless to say, you also need to be quick when it comes to decision-making and have the ability to work under tight and demanding deadlines. If you aren’t already good at these, consider brushing up on your interpersonal skills and your crisis management abilities to ensure that you’re able to do your best for your clients. Make sure you’re prepared to deal with these demands before you set out to answer the question of how to become a PR freelancer in India. 4. Maintain Your Professional Network When you embark on your career as a PR professional, you are bound to meet people and connect with executives, writers, reporters, journalists, editors, etc., on a daily basis. Of course, you’ll reach out to them when there’s an emergency requirement or when you’re hoping to get coverage for your clients, but that’s not all. While you will have to acclimate yourself to the process of pitching stories to these people, you will also have to learn how to maintain your relations with your professional network when you aren’t actively pitching stories on behalf of your clients. This means that you will have to learn how to keep in touch with your professional network through the occasional email to check up on them or through a small goodie bag during the holiday season. Remember, the goal is not to come across as insincere or, worse, as if you’re bribing them into prioritizing your clients’ stories. Instead, try and be courteous, sincere, and dedicated to those in your network. Checkout: Top Career Options in India 5. Work on Your Soft Skills  Whether it is time-management, problem-solving, flexibility, or decision-making – these soft skills go hand-in-hand with your expertise in PR activities and operations. When it comes to cracking the code of how to become a PR freelancer, your soft skills have a huge role to play. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense! Without critical soft skills like your interpersonal abilities or ‘people skills,’ it would be nearly impossible to pitch or land coverage. After all, who wants to work with someone who is rude, aggressive or someone who comes across as insincere? That’s why it’s best to invest in improving yourself and honing your soft skills. Conclusion While this article can act as a simple guide for those wondering about how to become a PR freelancer in India, it can only do so much. There are innumerable other skills, competencies, and expertise you need to develop before embarking on your journey as a freelance PR executive.  If you are looking to get into Public Relations, we have just the right opportunity for you. upGrad offers a Master’s Degree in Public Relations from the University of Mumbai through its 2-year online program. There is a 6-month inbuilt internship included in the curriculum that comprises 30 learning hours.

Public Relations has always been a demanding field. Only the toughest survive the cut-throat competition and succeed in making a mark for themselves. Being at the forefront of manipulating a business’s brand image in the public domain, a PR executive is required to be quick, decisive, and bold. Not to mention, extremely skilled. Yes, you heard that right. Relationship-building skills and influential writing are only part of what a potential PR is expected to be excellent at. With globalization and advancements in technology at an all-time high, Public Relations demands that you have valuable technical skills like SEO, social media advertisement, and programming to effectively manage the perceptions of the public. In this article, we will take a look at the necessary skills that are required in PR practitioners that will help them carve a niche for themselves in the field. Read: Best Job Oriented Short Term Courses Top 5 Skills Required for PR Most multinational companies almost completely rely on PR to manage their public image. Since it’s a continued effort, businesses will have it no other way. If you plan on getting into Public Relations, you must be prepared for the challenging road ahead of you. Here are the top skills companies look for when hiring a Public Relations representative: 1. Ability to Conduct In-Depth Research A PR representative must be able to familiarize himself with a client’s background, motives, market, and key trends regarding the industry they are in. This will help serve them better in achieving their goals. Since they are required to work with people from diverse fields, they must remain up to date with the needs and desires of each client and their expectations. Pairing up with analysts and journalists to stay on top of market trends will help assist clients in meeting their needs. This also requires working on your logical and reasoning skills, and the effective use of technologies and tools to conduct research. Public Relations is a profession that relies heavily on your reputation. It requires you to be honest, bold, and principled. To build a positive reputation in your networks, you must remain true to your craft and values. Indulging in deceptive ways, manipulating the truth, or misleading the public with false facts can land you in a whole world of trouble. Thus, it’s best to steer clear of dishonest measures. 2. Communication Skills Communication is the bread and butter of PR. Whether it’s through words or writings, it is important to polish your communication skills. Publicists are required to have compelling writing skills to influence the opinions of the audience. You should be able to write articles or blog posts that can engage people and motivate them to share these within their circles. Press releases must be gripping enough to generate interest in existing or upcoming products of the company. Also, it is a good idea to work on your verbal communication and presentation skills since you’d be required to communicate a brand’s message to the audience now and then. One must be good at writing their speeches as well. Apart from this, public speaking abilities and how effectively you initiate and maintain relations with the media are huge indicators of a PR campaign’s success. Public Relations is of great significance if a company is in a major crisis or accident or has suffered a financial scam. At this junction, effective journalism is needed to accurately present the situation in front of the media. 3. Skills to Form and Maintain Relations PR people are actively involved with a ton of people who help companies send out the desired message to the audience. Maintaining productive relationships with shareholders, customers, investors, employees, media, etc., contributes to the success of a campaign. 4. Expertise in Handling Social Media  Since social media is a significant part of every business advertising campaign today, companies seek PR professionals who can effectively leverage multiple social media tools. Businesses have dedicated departments that work on creating a digital presence for themselves. Curating targeted content for the brand on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc., is the most reliable way to communicate a brand’s message. Having a knack at handling social media campaigns by conducting analysis, marketing, and managing content and releases will go a long way in determining your success in this field. Content marketing and digital marketing skills are a huge plus in this industry. Knowing these will maximize the potential of your campaigns and increase your reach. Social media platforms also come with tools to monitor the success of campaigns. Learning to study these reports and creating strategies based on the data will improve the effectiveness of client campaigns. 5. Ability to Create Cross-Border Campaigns A good PR practitioner is familiar with the customs and standards of various cultures. This helps them target people from different backgrounds and positively influence their mindset. A PR representative that can enhance a company’s objectives across the global population is highly sought after. Businesses rarely ever have budget constraints when it comes to expanding into international media. As a PR executive, being able to speak more than one language can work in your favor. Furthermore, you would be required to create unique strategies and content for different cultures. Researching skills are of vital significance here. You can take up a language course to diversify your portfolio and enjoy the benefit of working in a foreign country. Also Read: Best Free Online Courses Public Relations Courses If you are looking to get into Public Relations, we have just the right opportunity for you. upGrad offers a Master’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Mumbai through its 2-year online program. There is a 6-month inbuilt internship included in the curriculum that comprises 30 learning hours. The course is available both in English and Marathi. Conclusion  As we discussed above, working on your researching abilities, fostering productive relationships with all those involved, an international mindset, and social media savviness are among the most sought-after qualities in a PR representative. Strategic thinking, planning, and time management are some other soft skills in PR that have a significant impact on your success. Whether you are a fresher or an experienced professional,  it is a good idea to acquire a Master of Arts in Public Relations Imbibe these skills and values in your PR campaigns to improve their effectiveness!

Have you ever wondered what PR career options exist?  Confused about which PR career path you should choose as your own?  Are you having trouble narrowing down between two or more Public relations career options?  Well, if you’ve been looking for help decoding the many PR job descriptions and finding the right fit for yourself, this article will surely help you. However, before we get into answering the question of which PR career options fit your strengths, let’s understand what PR means.  source What Exactly Is PR (Public Relations)?   Public relations refer to the communication relationship between a brand, company or organization, and the public. PR managers and executives help companies project a positive brand image to the public in order to achieve their organizational goals.  Unlike advertisers who pay for ads or media coverage, PR executives aim at gaining organic or unpaid media attention for the clients. Within PR operations, the decision on whether a story or piece of news is worthy of coverage rests with the journalists. Additionally, PR executives represent the interests of (a) specific client(s), usually by liaising with the marketing or corporate communications departments. The core motivation behind public relations activities and strategies are that positive media coverage will convince more people to purchase their products or services. It can also include promoting the ideas or values of an individual or organizations.  When looking at PR career options that would suit you best, it’s essential to consider your strengths. To do that, you first need to understand what professionals with careers in PR do.  What Do Public Relations Professional Do?  Professionals with careers in Public Relations often work in a dynamic, constantly evolving and ever-changing environment that doesn’t leave much room for monotony. PR careers in India are considered among the best and are highly sought-after.  But what do these professionals do?  PR executives have a wide variety of tasks and responsibilities that fall under their job responsibilities. It could range from connecting with media contacts, writing press conferences, managing or arranging events, creating a newsletter, all the way up to setting up interviews. Needless to say, whatever PR career options you pick from, you need to be well-organized, a quick thinker, logical, detail-oriented, confident, assertive, and you should be willing to reach out to many people daily. Apart from that, you need to have excellent reading, comprehension and writing skills. Having an aptitude for social media, marketing, and sales also helps tremendously.  PR Career Paths and Public Relations Job Descriptions Now that we have understood what people with a career in PR do, let’s talk about your choices regarding PR career paths by examining the different PR job descriptions and their responsibilities.  Public Relations Director A Public Relations Director is the person who is responsible for directing, designing and creating the core strategy of PR initiatives for all the clients, brands or organizations that are a part of the agency. PR directors are the people at the helm of the whole operation, and anything that happens within the PR agency falls under the PR Director’s purview. These professionals are often lead spokespeople for the organization. They also manage their team and oversee the progress of various departments. While they don’t exactly sit down to execute day-to-day operations, they are responsible for it all. Needless to say, you can’t just start your career in PR as a Public Relations Director; it takes decades of hard work and consistent effort to develop the skills needed to excel in this role.  Publicist When you think about PR careers in India, you may be thinking about a publicist. Whether they work in a PR agency or whether they are a part of an in-house PR team, a publicist is someone who develops, curated and executes PR strategies. While the Public Relations Director may be the captain of the ship, a publicist is the one who rows the boat closer to its destination.  source If you’re considering a career path in PR as a publicist, remember that they are the ones responsible for crafting campaigns and coming up with creative solutions for the client’s needs. They need to identify the best channels and strategies to promote their client’s goals and execute them. Many publicists choose to work with individual sportspeople, celebrities, political leaders or other eminent personalities to promote their personal brand, projects or services. Public Relations Specialist While it may seem that way at first glance, publicists and PR specialists aren’t the same. PR specialists are tasked with being the single point of contact for journalists, writers and other media channels. These professionals are responsible for ideating, generating, and broadcasting positive press coverage for their many clients. They do this by developing a professional relationship with journalists, writers, editors etc., and pitching client stories to them based on their interest.  A good PR specialist knows how to identify if a particular story is newsworthy or valuable to their media networks. So, if you want to have a PR career as a specialist, it pays to learn how to represent your clients in a favourable light.  PR Assistant Public Relations Assistants are responsible for supporting other PR professionals with their day-to-day tasks. Usually, PR assistants work in close proximity to senior PR professionals like directors and specialists. These individuals are tasked with clerical responsibilities like conducting research, scheduling meetings, tracking PR coverage for clients, preparing press clips for media contacts, etc. They may also be the one who sends email blasts and updates contacts. If you’re considering the PR career path of an assistant, remember that you will have to be a pro at multi-tasking, organizing and managing day-to-day operations.  Copywriter While copywriters are usually thought to be employed by advertising agencies and brands, even PR firms need copywriters. A PR copywriter is tasted with crafting copy for publicity, marketing or event-related materials for clients. Press releases, blog posts, and emails are vital types of copywriting needed in the public relations sphere. However, it’s essential to maintain a consistent brand voice among the same brand or organization’s communication and collaterals.  source If you’re considering a copywriting career in PR, remember that you will be working with more practical and serious briefs instead of creative briefs usually found in ad agencies.  Social Media Manager Another exciting career in PR is that of a social media manager. PR social media managers usually work towards promoting client organizations or brands on popular social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Medium etc. These managers are responsible for interacting with their client’s social media communities, creating branded content, and measuring the success of various social media-led PR activities or initiatives.  Final Thoughts  While this article covers a wide variety of PR career options, your career in PR starts with the proper education and training.  If you wish to become an expert PR professional, check out MICA and upGrad’s Public Relations M.A. Program and kickstart your journey towards success. With this program, you can become an expert in PR strategy, communications, implementation tactics, and much more.

If you are a story writer and prefer using anecdotes for explaining everything that is happening around the world, then journalism is an apt choice of profession for you. Story writing is not merely weaving thoughts into words, it is presenting the truth in an acceptable format. When we say ‘acceptable format’, we touch on a very subjective note. This format is without any specificity and structure and that is where the creativity of a journalist comes into the picture. It is their job to construct or deconstruct a story. To ensure vital information is in safe hands, journalism demands utmost dedication and responsibility. And more often than not, the projects involved are time-sensitive. This means journalists must be able to work to tight deadlines.  In this article, we will explore the roles and responsibilities of journalists, the skills required to become a journalist, and the various careers you can pursue in the field.  What Does a Journalist Do? The word ‘passion’ best describes this profession. If you are fearless, candid, self-motivated, extremely zealous in finding the truth, and have the knack of using the anecdotal approach with or without the context, you have all the skills to pursue journalism as a career. What will make you distinct as a journalist is your sweeping confidence, aptitude, eloquence, and the way you use words to inform the audience. In simple words, a journalist captures the right story/news. This ranges from social issues to sports, entertainment, and politics. The reason why a journalist’s job involves responsibility is that the majority of people will refer to the news or the story you put out to form an opinion on a subject. The prudence of the story writer can be witnessed in public or viewer’s/readers opinions. Responsibilities of a journalist can be enumerated in the following points: Represent the media of work flawlessly; whether it is written or news, or television. Work with a cross-functional team on a diverse range of news stories. Have an unbiased opinion while penning a story. Keeping a record of interviews, dates, and notes. Collect, analyze and decode data correctly. Ensure meeting deadlines. Writing is important, but so is editing, so editing to improvise is one of the most important activities that a journalist does. Evaluate leads to get stories. Find captivating stories and pitch them well. Conduct trustworthy research before claiming a news story. Remain updated on the news front by attending events, and reading relevant papers and magazines.  All these activities that a journalist does goes hand in hand. From finding a story to investigating it and writing about it, everything is intertwined. The timeline of these may vary but the process remains the same for all forms of journalism. Newspaper writing also entails these duties and so do television and social media. However,  the company-specific protocols may vary with the above-mentioned points remaining the same. Journalists Salary in India Depending upon the company, experience and location, the salary of a journalist will vary. However, the average base salary in journalism according to Payscale is ₹370,608 /year. The average base salary is something that a journalist will earn, besides the additional income that may come as a bonus or profit. Like any other industry, journalists also enjoy bonuses. What journalists also enjoy is inadvertent fame. This is what keeps them encouraged; motivating them to investigate the next story. Not many professions are associated with this perk. Furthermore, journalists who work on a profit-sharing basis, stand to earn a decent percentage of profit from marketing their content on influential platforms. This is especially useful in the latter stage of their career where on-the-ground reporting is less feasible. The average annual profit of journalists reaches up to ₹49k per annum. Let us now take a look at the various levels of salaries for journalists: 1. Entry Level: For fresher’s right out of college, the entry-level salary ranges between ₹1.5 lac per annum to ₹2.5 lac per annum. 2. Early Career: A journalist with 1 to 4 years of experience can earn up to ₹351,309 per annum. 3. Mid Career: In this mid-career with up to 9 years of experience, journalists earn an average of ₹496,411 per annum.  4. Late Career: In their late-career with less than 20 years of experience, journalists can earn ₹479,616 per annum.  5. Experienced: In the final stage of their careers, journalists can earn ₹250,000 per annum.  Other than this, the perks of being recognized are extremely lucrative. Journalists tend to get a lot of invitations for social media events, so they can propagate a business using their social media platforms. However, this advantage of being invited to important media announcements is usually reserved for famous journalists who have a large follower base.  According to Glassdoor, Times of India is the highest paying company in India for the role of a journalist. Many other companies such as Network 18, Indian Express, are also well-paying, and a lot of freshers are seeking promising careers in these firms.  Educational Background and Skills Required for Journalists From the qualification point of view, journalists require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in journalism, mass communication, or a related field. There are both entry-level positions as well as experience-based levels to chart an existing career path in journalism.  In recent years, journalism has become a highly-sought career for those who seek fame and recognition as well as high-level, influential positions in the public forum. It is a job role for candidates who can spearhead activities and be in the vanguard of numerous social activities. Apart from these basic skills, one needs to acquire stellar public skills to augment the technical learning involved in the field.  Technical learning involves tangible and intangible traits. These are mentioned below: 1. Apt Perception of Journalism Good knowledge of the fundamentals of journalism is significant to success. Students who study and understand the core principles of journalism will ascertain their goals faster and reach high-end roles easily. 2. Digital Know-How Being a part of the digital epoch, every journalism student needs to have competent expertise in digital media. With a capacity to turn someone into a star overnight, or expose an ugly truth, digital media has often more often been a boon than bane in the field of journalism. Since multimedia is visual as well as audio-based, the scope of captivating storytelling via this medium is endless. However, the responsibility also elevates as the content has to be regulated and should be within the norms of the media. For those planning to enter journalism, it’s time you opt for courses in digital media platforms as digital expansion is only going to get bigger.  3. Curiosity to Learn On-the-job training is one of the most effective ways of upgrading journalism skills. Those who can leverage this platform of learning stand to move higher in the hierarchy at a much faster pace than their peers. This along with good interpersonal skills will increase your chances of success in the field. 4. Language Proficiency Language proficiency extends both to writing skills as well as verbal skills. Firstly, Writing scripts, editing, listening, and interpreting news matter correctly is an indispensable part of this profession. Secondly, communication is imperative for being an effective journalist. Communication is not just restricted to the English Language, but any language. Understandably, Communication is a two-way process and those who know to persuade others to provide information using their skills stand to be better investigators and produce quality content. 5. Problem-Solving Abilities Every field has its challenges and journalism is one of the most unpredictable fields. No stories are the same and each requires a unique approach. If you can overcome day-to-day challenges efficiently, journalism will take you far ahead in your career.  The confluence of these skills and in-depth academic knowledge gained from pursuing the education of the right course is necessary to succeed as a journalist.  Journalism Courses Today, you will find several courses that provide you with the academic know-how that is so paramount to laying the right foundation for a successful career in journalism.  Here are the top courses you can undertake to gain professional knowledge of this field. Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Mass Communication from Chandigarh University (3 years) Master of Arts in Journalism & Mass Communication from Chandigarh University Master of Arts in Communication & Journalism from University of Mumbai (2 years) Master of Arts in Public Relations from the University of Mumbai (2 years) You can also pursue one or more of the above courses in Hindi or Marathi through upGrad.  A few other courses that will help enhance your skill set are:   Diploma in Journalism (1 year) Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication (2 years) Bachelor of Arts in Scriptwriting (3 years) Bachelor of Media Science (3 years) Every Bachelor course has an extended corresponding MA course. So an integrated 5-year course promises to give lots of knowledge and information along with internship experience or a hands-on workshop. Many colleges have these courses in integrated as well bifurcated formats   Careers in Journalism  Here are the different careers you can pursue after obtaining a degree in journalism: 1. News Anchors Commonly seen on television, news anchors report political stories, entertainment, sports, and current affairs. If you have clear diction besides good journalism skills, this is a very lucrative career for you. Average Base Salary: ₹4,06,832 per year 2. Reporter As the name suggests, reporters provide information about a particular location to all the citizens of a country as well as outside the periphery of the country. The career demands a lot of hard work and passion to conduct investigations and interviews, overcome challenges using problem-solving skills and networking to increase your marketability. Average Base Salary: ₹2,27,193 per year  3. Editors The significance of content is adjudicated by an editor. Whatever is published has gone through an editor. So all the reporters and journalists report to an editor whose typical duties involve planning, reviewing, revising, and developing the content. A lot of onus of the work is vested into the hands of an editor and this position is needed in all forms of journalism such as magazines, news, website, and television.  Average Base Salary: ₹3,91,000 per year  4. Writers To communicate a story effectively is the responsibility of a  writer. This requires a knack for words, proficiency in a given language, and the ability to resonate with people. One can work for any medium as a writer, be it full-time, part-time or a freelancer.  Average Base Salary: ₹3,80,000 per year 5. Social Media Manager The onset of digital media has given rise to this very effective position. From handling social media accounts of individuals like celebrities to small-size to large-size organizations, social media managers take control of the content and the propagation. The how, what, and when of a story is decided by a social media manager. Average Base Salary: ₹3,08,000 per year 6. Public Relation Specialist An in-depth understanding of media and related news is where a public relation specialist specializes. From reaching media announcements and capturing everything into a captivating story, a PR specialist has a major hand in boosting the sales and popularity of an individual or a company. Average Base Salary: ₹6,00,000 per year Apart from these positions, other rewarding roles include Grant Writers, Technical Writer, Film and Video editors and Advertising Managers, to name a few. For aspiring journalism students, there are ample avenues and opportunities in this field. Final Thoughts  Journalism is an effective conveyance of awareness and information regarding country-wide and world-wide affairs. The future of journalism will be marked by personalization and intelligence as more remote writers and remote positions related to the field are emerging. Journalists proved their mettle during the unfortunate pandemic period as media professionals and reporters were among the frontliners conveying information from around the world. It was also during this time that the power of social media was brought to the fore, helping the field emerge even stronger than it was.  With that in mind, there will be a growing demand for journalists worldwide even in the years to come. And certification courses and programs will help journalists acquire important positions, and drive career growth.

Jobs in the field of Public Relations can be pretty lucrative. Even small businesses are now investing in new and innovative ways to reach their customers to keep up with the competitive industry. This is where the need for PR specialists arises. As professionals with an integral role in creating brand awareness, they help organisations connect better with clients. The demand for public relations specialists has witnessed a steep rise in the last two decades. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment growth of 7% is expected by 2029, with an estimated 19,700 new job opportunities to be created in the sector. The need for organisations to maintain their public image will continue to drive employment growth. With PR specialists earning $61,150 per year or $29.40 per hour on average, it is one of the more lucrative professions to pursue today. As organisations continue to invest in their public image, PR skills will command even higher salaries and drive employment growth.  In this article, we will discuss some of the highest paying PR jobs in India.  Advantages of PR jobs  Apart from being white collar and high profile, the highest paying PR jobs also have a wide range of advantages that make these jobs highly coveted. These include: 1. Perennial Demand As long as businesses are thriving, there will be a demand for PR professionals. While big business houses prefer people with experience, small and upcoming businesses would be happy to work with freshers too. It means everyone in the industry has an opportunity to make a mark for themselves. Due to the high demand, several independent PR agencies work on a project basis with multiple clients.  2. Opportunities in Multiple Domains and Industries The highest paying PR jobs are not related to any single field or industry. There are opportunities in all areas. Fashion, textile, IT, medical, banking, insurance, and the list goes on. Not many professions offer the kind of exposure PR does. There are plenty of interests to choose from to create a niche for yourself and face new challenges with every project you work on. 3. Inspires Creativity and Innovation There are no set standards or work profiles for a PR professional. The best and the highest paying PR jobs in India are always looking out for creative people who can think out of the box and put technology to the best use. You get to decide how you want your marketing campaign to be, what needs to be disclosed to the outside world, etc. What is more, you get to work with top officials and go places too.  4. Faster Career Growth If you have the calibre and zeal to work hard, you can make it big in a short time. Unlike other professions, the number of designations or positions in the PR hierarchy is limited. It means you get to grow and progress in your career at a much faster pace as compared to other sectors.  5. Stepping Stone to Entrepreneurship As a PR professional, you will have a better understanding of company policies, marketing plans, and a business’s underlying principles. Your work takes you places, and you get to mingle with all the important people as well. These insights and contacts can be beneficial if you plan to start something of your own, maybe even start your consulting/PR agency at a later stage.  Highest Paying PR jobs in India After completing your graduation or post-graduation in Public Relations, several fruitful and highly rewarding career options will be available to you. These include: 1. Public Relations and Fundraising Manager (Average Base Salary: ₹ 6,80,000/year) As a public relations manager, you will be required to promote the organisation’s brand or image. It is possible through paid media campaigns, press releases, promotional content, and more. A PR professional will also have additional tasks to present the company details to prospective clients or stakeholders and get the go-ahead for funding. It also involves connecting with prospective investors or tapping a new audience base to meet fundraising goals.  2. Advertising and Marketing Manager (Average Base Salary: ₹ 4,88,730 /year) Advertising and marketing managers are people who specialise in the area of promotional content. They decide on the number of ads and media campaigns a company will run and the nature of these ads. They are responsible for making marketing decisions, taking ownership of creating an image for the company or brand, and improving profit margins.  3. PR Executives (Average Base Salary: ₹ 2,70,421 /year) PR executives can take up a variety of roles in different industries. They are the people who help and support leaders and top officials at a company. Their role is similar to that of a personal assistant. They arrange and lead the meetings, discussions, and campaigns for leaders. They are responsible for internal and external communication, discussing contracts, implementing budgets, and other financial records.  4. Sales and Marketing Representatives (Average Base Salary: ₹ 2,41,458 /year) PR positions in sales and marketing mainly involve discussions around a particular product. They may be required to interact with the clients directly, explaining the benefits or USP of the products. They are also expected to answer all the queries or concerns the clients may have regarding the product. Negotiating the prices, giving product demos, preparing sales reports, and increasing sales are a few responsibilities included in this work profile.  5. Public Relation Specialist (Average Base Salary: ₹ 6,00,000 /year) A public relation specialist is someone specialising in public interactions for the company. It can include conducting press conferences, press releases, public launches, and more for the client. They also keep an eye on social media and other sources to understand the public interest in the company brand or product. 6. Event Planner (Average Base Salary: ₹ 3,95,264 /year) Just as the name suggests, an event planner is a person who takes end-to-end responsibility for conducting an event. This includes planning the scope, resources, performing the necessary research, gathering people, creating awareness about the event, and finally organising it. An event planner’s career progression would be to a public relation specialist or marketing managers as per your choice or interest.  7. Journalist (Average Base Salary: ₹ 3,86,014 /year) After completing a course in public relations or mass communication, you can also choose to go into journalism. As a journalist, you will be collecting the details about the latest happenings, events, and news in your area. This job can take you places and help you widen your professional network. As per your interest, you should be able to choose a travelling or stationary work profile.  8. Editor (Average Base Salary: ₹ 4,01,173 /year) Another job profile to pick up after your course in public relations would be that of an editor. If you have a passion for writing and editing, this is ideal for you. As an editor for a company or publication, you will be responsible for proofreading the content that goes out to the media, filter the content, and ensure only the best quality write-ups reach the public or prospective clients.  Read: Highest Paid Jobs in India  9. Social Media Manager (Average Base Salary: ₹ 3,24,828 /year) Social media are the hotspots for marketing today. This includes paid ad campaigns on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and more. Each ad is targeted at a particular user group. As a social media manager, you will be responsible for selecting these ads, how long they run, the budget for these ads and more. You will also be required to engage with the audience with frequent updates on the social media handles, answering queries, and responding to the questions as applicable.  10. Account Manager (Average Base Salary: ₹ 5,85,472 /year) PR jobs involve end-to-end business management, client relations, discussion with new clients, proposals, and more. These duties are similar to an account manager’s role, who handles the complete deliverables for an account. Account managers track the work being done internally within your organisation and work closely with the client, giving them regular updates and ensuring things are on track.  Final Thoughts Careers in media, publications, communication and public relations are all inter-related. There are several work profiles and career advancement opportunities in these sectors that offer lucrative perks for people who are creative, outgoing and have a passion for learning new things. A career in public relations would mean you need to constantly upgrade yourself and be abreast of the latest changes in your domain. You are also expected to be tech-savvy with the ability to leverage tools and technologies to enhance your performance.  Whether you are a fresher or an experienced professional,  it is a good idea to acquire a Master of Arts in Public Relations to have a shot at a much more comprehensive range of job opportunities in the market. You can pursue this 2-year online program from the University of Mumbai through upGrad, which includes a 6-month inbuilt internship. The course is available both in English and Marathi and has helped students earn a 57% hike in their salaries! 

Given the rise in the digital sector, more and more people need PR to represent them and manage their reputation. A PR job role revolves around maintaining and managing the public profile of clients. As a PR professional, you have to effectively monitor publicity and research market trends to match the expectations of clients and drive productive results. With the expertise and skills of a PR, a business can form meaningful connections, sort concerns faster and more efficiently. For these reasons and more, PR is one of the highest-paid professions in India.  In this article, we will explore the roles and responsibilities of PR executives, skills required, the career options one can pursue, and PR salary in India. What Does a PR Specialist Do? A Public Relations specialist job includes offering customized services to the client that helps them develop a positive reputation with the public. A PR assesses their client’s requirement and develops the most appropriate plan to help them promote and protect their brand. Public relation specialists in India generally are self-employed who work for individuals or are a part of a firm where they are responsible for formulating strategies for multiple clients at a time. The job of PR revolves around promoting and protecting a business or individual. As a promoter, they make use of unpaid communication channels like blogs, social media and others. While as a protector, they help their clients maintain a good public reputation and defend them during crises. Let’s look at the various roles and responsibilities of a public relations executive: They are responsible for responding to press conferences or information release requests from designated spokespersons or the media. They are required to develop and maintain healthy relationships with the community, consumer, employees and public interest groups. They are responsible for writing press releases or media communication that helps promote the client. They take up planning and directing a program’s development to maintain favourable stakeholder and public views that help an organisation fulfil its agenda. They are responsible for teaching their client representatives about effective communication with employees and the public. They carry out studying the objectives of the organisation, the requirement to build public relation strategies and promotional policies which influences public opinion and promotes ideas, products and services. They are responsible for updating and maintaining quality web content as and when required. They connect with the managers to identify appropriate group interests and firms to provide advice on various business decisions. Scope of PR in India PR emerged as an industry in India during the nineties. Since then it has come far and wide to become one of the most rewarding and competitive careers in India. Although there is a huge requirement for PR, there is also a lack of qualified and skilled professionals. Therefore, there are lucrative opportunities for newcomers who have basic experience and polished skills. There are various agencies coming up every day offering PR jobs. These companies help groom the public profile of individuals or businesses and showcase them in a positive manner. PR Salary in India & Top PR careers PR salary varies greatly depending upon the level of experience, location, client and skill set. However, on average, the PR salary in India is ₹521 k /year. As a fresher, one needs to gather knowledge and experience with which their salary will increase over time. Higher salaries in the range of ₹1,029,126 are achievable by professionals with more than 10 years of experience in the industry. When working with firms job benefits include dental, vision, medical, etc. The job roles of PR professionals revolve around promoting and protecting the public image of a client. Based on both aspects, here are the top PR careers along with their average salaries. 1. Public Relations Specialist  Average Base Salary: ₹600k /year As a public relations expert, a professional needs to convince the media to write and print positive stories about their clients through press releases, press conferences, and other media channels. A PR can also be responsible for managing investor relations, online and local community relations, and even acting as a spokesperson. 2. Content Creation Average Base Salary: ₹287k /year Content creators are responsible for crafting positive stories about their brand, which the media relation experts pitch to the journalist.  3. Media Relations Average Base Salary: ₹497 k /year A media relation expert is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with journalists so that they can pitch their brand stories to them and look for interview opportunities for their clientele. Furthermore, they are also responsible for keeping track of all their social, press, and blog placements and report their PR campaigns’ effectiveness. 4. Social Media Marketing  Average Base Salary: ₹393 k /year A social media expert is responsible for tracking and managing the image of a client on social media platforms. They use various social media listening tools to improve the public reputation of the company. They also interact with their social media followers, make various announcements on behalf of the company on social media, and find the right influencers to promote their brand. 5. Corporate Communications Average Base Salary: ₹676 k /year A financial communication expert is generally appointed in a public company where he is responsible for improving relationships with analysts and investors to improve their financial reputation. 6. Press Release/Spokesperson Average Base Salary: ₹429 k /year As a spokesperson, a PR professional is the face of the brand. Their job revolves around staying in public on behalf of the company during TV appearances, press conferences to respond to criticism. 7. Protective PR The protective aspect of a PR is smaller but is of great importance. There are two popular career paths you can pursue on this side of PR, which include: 1. Reputation Management Average Base Salary: ₹315 k /year A reputation manager is responsible for improving the client’s public image by monitoring brand sentiments on social media. With this information, the professionals identify the brand’s complaints and quickly solve them through social media and other online communication channels. 2. Crisis Management Average Base Salary: ₹274k /year The crisis manager is responsible for helping the client deal with major problems created due to human error or malicious intent. They reduce the company’s damage by releasing statements that take responsibility for the issue and spread awareness of the plan to solve the issue through owned and paid marketing channels. Also, they appoint an official spokesperson to respond to the criticism on behalf of the client. 8. Marketing Communications Manager Average Base Salary: ₹787 k /year The job of a marketing communications manager revolves around supervising brand marketing operations and implementing marketing campaigns that target brand awareness and customer retention. As the title suggests, they require good communication and interpersonal skills. They must also possess in-depth knowledge of business advertising and marketing concepts and must stay updated with the changing trends.  PR Skills Required A public relations specialist needs to have a superset of skills for deriving and managing the right strategies that help maintain the client’s public image. They must stay updated with the latest details and smart thinking ways because the client’s image entirely lies on their shoulder. With one wrong step, the client will get negative attention or worse lose the entire attention at all.  A PR works to efficiently deal with people inside and outside the company in an effective way to develop quality relationships. However, to be successful in the industry you must be a master in certain PR skills ranging from research to time management and international updates. Here are the top 7 essential public relation skills that one needs to master. 1. Research Skills A PR needs to have excellent research skills. As experts, they need to interact with different clients from various Industries. So, having adequate knowledge about their market and brand will help speed up the relation-building process. A good PR agent keeps up with the latest trends and updates of the marketing and advertising industry.  2. Communication Skills Good communication skills are the key to a successful career in PR. As a public relation expert, one must have strong communication and listening skills. Also, one needs to be a good public speaker. This is because as a professional, the PR needs to interact and deal with various people from different cultures speaking different languages across countries. 3. Creative Thinking A PR needs to think creatively as they come across images of opportunities that can help promote business and approach new clients.  The PR must-have new and creative ideas to succeed in their career. With a creative mind, they will grow and achieve the desired salary. 4. Writing skills Having great writing quality is essential for a PR to master their profession. A PR is expected to write contents like guest posts, press releases and other stuff for various clients across different industries. The candidates who have strong writing ability tend to be more successful in the industry. 5. Time management To be successful as a PR one needs to have excellent time management skills. Having this quality ensures the PR can efficiently deal with all their clients equally and complete the projects timely.  The industry requires them to master deadlines and prioritize tasks.  6. Social media skills To have a successful career as a PR one needs to have the ability to manage social media efficiently. A good PR not only knows which online portal to use during what situation but also has the ability to utilise those channels to their fullest potential. 7. International know-how A PR must have good knowledge of the international mind because they need to deal with different clients from a varying territory with different native languages. In some cases, they need to write content for the websites in different languages. A PR fluent in multiple languages is in great demand and has numerous job opportunities that bring him a high salary. The more language skills a PR will have the higher will be his success chances. Final Thoughts The world has become a competitive place, where every business enterprise and individual is striving to maintain a good public relation to achieve their goals. This is why the job outlook of PR in India will always increase. However, a PR job requires commitment towards upskilling and staying updated with the latest trends to excel in the industry. But the benefits and the perks one stands to gain overshadow the struggles endured. To land a good position as a PR in one of the best firms, you must pursue higher education to gain experience and knowledge. You can take up a certification course or pursue a postgraduate degree to achieve your career goals. If you wish to learn more about PR, check out the Master of Arts in Public Relations you can pursue through upGrad from the University of Mumbai. Offered in three languages, it is a 2-year UGC Recognised course with in-built internship programs to help you learn new-age digital media skills.

Journalism and mass communication are among the most creative and lucrative fields in the modern job market. We are living in a time when the media has become an integral part of our lives. Naturally, more and more young people are looking to pursue a career in journalism.  Journalism is a highly in-demand profession and is constantly evolving and growing. The market size for journalism is estimated to be $2232.62 billion in 2022 (Source). In today’s times, there is not only growth for traditional journalism, but digital journalism is seeing a rise as well. With the advent of technology and digital mediums, digital media houses are seeing growth, and that makes more employment opportunities for journalism graduates. Finding the correct information and guidance at this defining juncture is difficult, as is the decision of choosing the befitting career path for yourself. So, here is an overview of all that you need to know about a career in journalism!  Why Choose Journalism? Before we delve into the skills and job profiles, let us first examine why journalistic profiles are gaining ground among students and professionals. Upon looking closely, one comes across multiple reasons to enter this domain besides the attractive job titles and salary packages. The media is often referred to as the ‘fourth pillar of democracy.’ It focuses on gathering accurate and relevant information and communicating the same in an impartial manner. Media plays a significant role in shaping society by reflecting upon the past, reporting current events, and contributing to cultural influences. Therefore, a career in journalism and mass communication involves much more responsibility than merely minting money and gaining the spotlight.  Journalism is a path to open new gates to an existing issue; the journalists approach the deep-rooted issues and add a new perspective for the masses.  They are also highly responsible for creating an impact, and they educate the masses on various issues. The channel to reach the audience are many, from digital to non-digital. The journalists are able to create a sense of inquisitiveness among the users so that they are able to form an opinion of their own. Another very important reason to choose journalism as a career would be how it helps in finding stories and giving a voice to those who don’t have any. Journalism allows the subjects that have been set aside to come to light to the public. Many times, these efforts of journalists have resulted in getting the people their rights and justice. Finding the correct information and guidance at this defining juncture is difficult, as is the decision of choosing the befitting career path for yourself. So, here is an overview of all that you need to know about a career in journalism!  Here are some other highlights of this profession:  It is a well-paying occupation that gives you plenty of opportunities to connect with people while voicing your opinions. Journalists empower people with knowledge and make a difference in the world with their work. Explaining complex ideas to varied audiences in different formats is an art form in itself. It combines storytelling, collaboration, and managerial aspects, equipping practitioners with critical thinking and life skills. Media careers help you develop diverse skill sets, which are also transferable to other industries. Skills Journalists Need This line of work is an excellent choice for people who like interacting with people. Also, if you are interested in learning how different production techniques (radio, television, digital channels, etc.) work and how combining research with intuition can help in the search for truth, a career in journalism is for you.  For journalism roles, one requires a balance of both technical and soft skills, including: Writing and editing skills These are among the most sought-after competencies in journalists, especially in the digital and print industry. Writing a story that captures the intended audience’s attention and informing them about something relevant is not something that many can ace. Professional education and training can help in building and refining these skills. In a journalism career, the skills of writing and editing hold very great importance. A journalist should be able to communicate their research, and whatever they communicate has to be free of errors in order to avoid any plagiarism or ambiguity. Editing brings a balance to the journalistic writing process because journalists gather information and data through their research; now, this data needs to be presented in such a way that it does not tell a side of a story but instead is putting facts. In order to not look biased, journalists need to be proficient in editing skills. Attention to detail and research aptitude To ensure that your work is credible, you must conduct extensive research before producing a story/report. It is crucial to understand that you can never know everything about a topic. Prior preparation and grasping the nitty-gritty details of a given issue can help you figure out the right people to talk to, which brings us to the next core skill.  Objectivity is achieved through research, and errors can be avoided. The journalists must rely on the primary source of information in order to be accurate with the information that they are giving.  A career as a journalist requires investigative and research skills for another reason, and that is to stay transparent. The research methods can be various depending upon the subject matter for example, on the field, polls, surveys, etc. Interviewing skills After you have selected an interviewee to gather insights about the subject at hand, you must prepare a list of relevant questions. This might entail talking to a peer, brainstorming with industry experts, or referring to your research notes. It is also essential to work on your tone, non-verbal communication, and listening skills so that you can extract the necessary information without missing the essence of the topic of discussion.  Interviewing skills are important because to gather information from the interviewee, it is necessary to be at ease with them so that they can give information without feeling uneasy.  Getting information is a skill, and rapport building plays a significant role in it. The interviewee may give the information, facts, correlating information, quotes, or anything that could serve the purpose of the interview. Digital literacy Computer skills are a standard requirement for journalism roles. Plus, with the advent of digital marketing and social media, digital literacy has become indispensable in modern workplaces. From using multimedia for storytelling to creating visual content (graphics, slideshows, videos, etc.) and using social media to amplify reach, digital applications pervade almost every aspect of a journalist’s job. Journalism job opportunities are not confined to the traditional mode of journalism; rather, there are ample opportunities available in the digital medium. The digital media houses are far and quickly reachable to the larger audience creating larger impacts.  In addition to journalism skills, there is also a big requirement for digital skills that increases the chances of getting better opportunities and make one stand apart from the crowd. Production knowledge In the information age, news and facts are overflowing everywhere. However, not all news is credible or reliable. It is the masterful strategies and detailed research of journalists that transform a piece of information into a trustworthy report. All professionals in this field have a good grasp of written, visual, and audio media and their specific functionalities. Communication skills Effective communication lies at the heart of the job of any media professional. It includes proficiencies like clarity, brevity, choosing the suitable medium and soft skills like constructive feedback, empathy, respect, open-mindedness, etc.  The way you speak can make or break your reputation. The journalists should be eloquent, and they must know how to use their tonality while speaking. The content matters, but if not communicated properly could defeat the efforts. A journalist is constantly interacting with people coming from different walks of life. They should be comfortable speaking with anyone that crosses their path regardless of their background. Objectivity and logical reasoning Be it sports, politics, crime, or world events, the way a journalist presents the subject matter makes all the difference. This involves breaking down the content in an easy-to-understand format and backing it up with facts and statistics. So, it needs a good mix of problem-solving, analysis, and technical competence. Nowadays, journalism courses and training programs incorporate case studies to help students practice, polish, and master these skills.  Time management  Another hallmark of a responsible journalist is time management. Being late for an interview, rambling during a timed news report, and missing deadlines won’t take you very far in the game. So, you must learn how to multitask, priorities, and stick to the schedule.  Scope in Journalism As a journalist, you can find work opportunities in many different industries besides traditional media. You can work in public relations, law firms, consulting firms, corporate businesses, or digital marketing companies. Some may choose to apply their skills like sales and marketing professionals in multinational companies, while others may join startups to explore multiple parallels simultaneously.  In the modern-day, the transition to digital journalism is evident. Content is being produced in many ways, such as articles, reports, and even videos, podcasts, and tweets. These changes have also opened up new avenues for young graduates entering the workforce. Depending on your interest and chosen career path, you can diversify or specialize in a particular domain.  In India, the scope of journalism is incredibly vast, considering the country has the world’s second-largest population, and a growing economy replete with developmental challenges that need visibility, deliberation, and solutions.  “Is journalism a good career in India?” could be a fleeting thought for anyone entering this field. Ro answer, journalism has not one medium rather it has various mediums such as radio, print, television, digital, etc. India is a big country with numerous dialects. Journalism is considered to have a good scope in the country. There are various opportunities in the field of journalism, such as- Fashion journalism Political journalism  Education journalism Entertainment journalism Photojournalism Investigative Journalism Salaries in India The annual salary of a beginner journalist in India ranges from INR 1.5 lakh to 2.5 lakh. This figure goes up depending on the educational qualifications and work experience of the candidate. On average, a journalist with about 5-10 years of experience can earn between INR 4.5 to 5 lakh per year in India. According to Payscale, the total pay can go up to INR 10,00,000 per annum. Typically, those with a master’s degree are offered more remuneration than those with a bachelor’s degree. Then again, the job applicant’s skill profile is given due consideration during the hiring process. For instance, copywriting skills usually pay above the market average. Also, if you are proficient in data analysis, research analysis, and verbal communication, you can earn high pay packages. The salaries also vary depending on the industry, location, and job role.  Top Career Options in Journalism 1. Photojournalist Photojournalism is about interpreting and conveying events in a visual format, i.e. through photographs. A photojournalist’s job has elements of storytelling, technical photography, operating camera equipment, editing, and complying with legal requirements (for example, consent and privacy norms). Some understanding of print, digital publishing, and design also helps. Skills that are required from a photojournalist are- Photography Storytelling Creativity Keen eye Attention to detail Research skills Editing (Image and Video) Flexibility Networking Photojournalists bag a good compensation; on average, they earn ₹550,000lakhs per annum (Source). They need to keep polishing their skill sets, seek out more opportunities and build a vast portfolio in order to bag bigger opportunities. 2. Copywriter Copywriters can work for publications like newspapers, magazines, websites, and even online video production companies. As the name suggests, copywriting is about creating content, which may be in the form of news reports, articles, blogs, features, editorials, or video scripts.  Important skills required for a copywriter are mentioned below- Writing  Creativity Technical  Research  Communication  On average, a copywriter earns a salary of 4.2 LPA and the salary ranges from 2.0 LPA to 10.1 LPA (source). The salary could be higher contributed to various factors. 3. Editor  An editor makes sure that the content going out for public consumption is coherent, uniform, and in line with publication guidelines. They work with proofreaders to spot wrong spellings and grammatical errors, rewrite content for easy readability, and verify facts cited in the material.  The editor must be proficient with skills, such as- Grammar Proofreading Drafting Spelling Style of writing Vocabulary On average, an editor earns a salary of 4.0 LPA and the salary ranges from 1.5 LPA to 13.0 LPA (Source). The salary could be higher owed to various factors. 4. Media Researcher A Media Researcher’s work revolves around finding out background information and collecting factual data. They support the production departments of television, radio, and documentary films by filling out the details of show locations, contributors, etc. For some jobs, you may need specialized knowledge in a particular subject area. For instance, the researcher opening for an ‘emerging technologies’ program may list engineering or expertise in computer science as one of the required qualifications. Some of the skills required by the media researcher are- Research  Creative  Investigative Interviewing  Resourceful Idea generation IT  Visual thinking Written Communication  Interpersonal 5. PR Specialist As a public relations professional, you are concerned with maintaining and enhancing your client or company’s public persona. Your primary tasks would be to build a good brand image, handle crises, make press releases, organize press conferences, and so on.  Skills required by a PR specialist are- Communication Research Interpersonal  Social Media Organizational  Creativity Attention to detail 6. Social Media Manager In the current technology-led industry, a social media manager is an integral part of any marketing team. The role is about creating, executing, and managing brand promotions and campaigns across different online social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. As a social media manager, you also monitor, moderate, and reply to audience comments and develop strategies for partnerships with other brands. Analyzing data and campaign results is the analytical component of this job. Some of the skills required from a social media manager are- Understanding the vision of the organization/ individual Social media understanding Technical skills Networking Creative Honesty  Patient Problem- solving Critical thinking On average, a social media manager earns a salary of 4.1 LPA and the salary ranges from 1.2 LPA to 10.5 LPA (Source).  With more skill sets, a number of projects, and a vast network the opportunities grow. 7. Broadcast Journalist This career path is perfect for those who want to produce broadcast-worthy stories, anchor news segments or develop content for television and digital outlets. There are opportunities to work both behind and in front of the camera. Some journalism students come up with novel ways of utilizing their training, such as collaborating with artists or studying emerging trends in digital broadcasting.  Some of the skills that are required from a broadcast journalist are mentioned below- Storytelling Research Investigative Language proficiency Knowledge of media production Communication The average salary of a broadcast journalist is 5.0 LPA and the salary ranges from 2.4 LPA to 12.0 LPA (Source). The salary procured could be higher owed to various contributing factors. 8. News Producer It is the responsibility of news producers to tie all the newscast elements, such as videos, graphics, voice-overs, live shots, etc., into a cohesive show. They oversee the reporters, director, field crew, photographers, and editors to ensure that the news production unit delivers a successful show with a good ‘flow’.  Some of the skills required from a news producer are mentioned below- Information gathering Resourcefulness Creativity Investigative Collaboration 9. News Presenter A presenter’s job is to communicate in a manner that holds the attention of the audience. Apart from having a good command of the language, speech, and diction, it is vital for a presenter to be calm and composed under stressful situations and demonstrate intelligence, especially where live shows are concerned. Special reports need to have thorough knowledge about their domain (politics, sports, crime, etc.) Some of the skills that are required from a news presenter are mentioned below- Communication skills General Knowledge Presentation skills Problem- Solving Patient 10. Critic Critics are experts who dish out their assessments or opinions on particular subject matters in which they have comprehensive knowledge and experience. They may write for a newspaper or magazine, host a television or radio show, or even disseminate their analysis in the form of podcasts or YouTube videos. Usually, critics cover social issues,  government policies, or creative works, including cinema, literature, music, art, fashion, and food, to name a few.  11. Cartoonist This is a highly creative vocation that involves the application of wit, humor, and art to illustrate and comment on current happenings in a satirical manner. Indian cartoonist R.K. Lakshman’s daily newspaper comic scripts are an excellent example of this kind of work. In the digital era, this concentration has taken many forms. Today, you can work as an online content creator, making digital comics for Instagram, or take a job as a graphic designer or animator with a marketing or design agency.  Some of the skills required from a cartoonist are- Artistic Creative Innovative Organizational Time management Collaboration Ability to accept criticism  12. Data Journalist Job roles in data journalism bring credibility and a dynamic personality to news coverage and reportage. A survey by Google News Lab and PolicyViz indicates that 51% of news organizations employ dedicated data journalists. Students and professionals trained in data science can contribute to creating compelling, data-driven articles, eliminating fake news.  Leading Journalism Courses to Pursue The minimum eligibility to qualify for the roles mentioned above is a 10+2 school certificate followed by a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Some may enter the field after completing postgraduate programs in marketing and communications. The key here is not to focus on the academic credentials but emphasize how the training and skills match with your professional goals. Employers tend to prefer candidates who are well-versed in industry tools and exhibit leadership acumen.  Advanced certifications and courses offer a great way of showcasing this prowess. Here is a list of online programs offered by leading institutions that you can consider to upskill and advance your career in journalism:  Master of Arts in Communication & Journalism (University of Mumbai) MBA (Global) with Specialisation in Digital Marketing (MICA & Deakin Business School) Conclusion To be successful in journalism, you must not only remain curious and inquisitive about the new developments but also make efforts toward building a professional network. So, opt for study options that provide opportunities to implement projects, interact with industry experts, and gain mentorship. With this, we hope to have brought you up to speed on how to build a career in journalism and mass communication. If you have any further insights beyond what we’ve shared, do let us know in the comments below!