Media & Communication Studies – creating new career opportunities

The media industry in India is developing at a rapid rate, today, in line with the many new digital innovations taking place in the sector. Advancements like video streaming and online gaming are gaining popularity around the world, and the industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13%, to touch USD 40 billion by 2023. With the rapid scaling of mobile phones and low data costs, India’s consumption of media has grown nine times the US market’s media consumption rate, and twice that of China’s. As a result, most millennials can expect an exciting career in this industry, in the coming years, with a plethora of opportunities available at their disposal.

The range of career paths in this field is vast, given the fact that media and communication are an integral part of almost every industry. Some of the many available options include:

• News Media– Graduates can take up jobs as journalists, copywriters, or editors, to produce news content in newspapers, magazines, and online portals. These media channels need to be supported by advertising, which requires ad sales managers and client account, executives.
• The Film and Television Industry – Along with feature films, there is a growing trend of creating programmes for television and online web series, thereby creating a plethora of opportunities for professionals. In addition, there is also a burgeoning space for ad-supported short, online videos, today. Hence, graduates can find jobs in video production, video editing, sound engineering, scriptwriting, and direction, among others.
• Event and Sports Management – Hosting events in sports and entertainment is a lucrative option, with varied prospects. Even corporate product launches, parties, and weddings have become expensive propositions. Many of these are outsourced to professional event management firms, which require employees to coordinate with the client and manage event decorations and catering, along with event security, event publicity, and event ticket sales.
• Advertising and Public Relations – Almost every company today needs to advertise its products and services, via online and offline channels. They also need positive stories and traction in the news media, to garner customer interest. There are many agencies that handle advertising and public relations work for these companies. These agencies need people to coordinate with the client, create advertising and PR content, and deal with media channels, to promote the ads or stories.
• Corporate Communications–Larger companies have their own in-house corporate communications department, which interacts directly with news media and online channels, to promote the company and its products. These departments require employees who are creative and can communicate well.

The media and communications industry has a lot to offer, with multiple opportunities to avail. Students interested in any of the above careers can choose extensively from a variety of courses in the media and mass communications stream, right from three-year Bachelor of Mass Media degrees, to 6-12month Diplomas in Media Management. Most institutions also offer specialised courses in journalism, advertising, digital marketing and more, that can be taken up. A host of online courses, both free and paid, from Indian and foreign education providers, are also available.

Therefore, the key takeaway is that the media industry will keep growing rapidly, and students are today spoilt for choice, with a huge range of courses and career paths available in this exciting field.

by Dr. Akhil Shahani, Managing Director, The Shahani Group

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