All you need to know about BA Journalism Course

What is Journalism?

Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating and presenting news and information to the people. It is also the product of these activities. Journalism can be distinguished from other activities and products by certain identifiable characteristics and practices. These elements not only separate journalism from other forms of communication, they are what make it indispensable to democratic societies. History reveals that the more democratic is the society, the more news and information it tends to have.

The majority of the global population relies on journalism to remain informed. Journalists act as the eyes and ears of the average person and often act as their mouthpiece as well which is not always advantageous. Journalism is an ideal field of study for individuals who are extroverted and have the zeal to bet to the bottom of a story and are capable of analysing a story and craft it in powerful words.

Few lines about BA Journalism

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Journalism is a 3-years undergraduate course that is divided into 6- semesters. The journalism course covers the study of ways and methods to collect as well as distribute the news and create general awareness among the common public through the print as well as electronic media.

The course is generally divided into two media categories- the Print and Electronic Media. The print media journalism consists of newspapers, journals, magazines, digests and news agencies. Electronic media journalism consists of television, radio and the internet. The course generally involves teaching and training, regarding, reporting, writing, editing, photographing, etc. The main aim of the course is to teach students how to inform, enlighten and educate people.

Combinations available in Journalism

The journalism course is typically studied in combinations with other subjects that are relevant to journalism in Bangalore. Some of the combinations available in BA Journalism are:

• BA Journalism (Hons)
• BA Journalism, Psychology, English
• BA Journalism and Mass Communication
• BA Political Science, Economics, Journalism
• BA Psychology, English Literature, Journalism
• BA Journalism, Economics, Optional English
• BA Political Science, Optional English, Journalism
• BA Journalism, Communicative English, Psychology
• BA Journalism, International Relations & Peace Studies, Public Policy

Eligibility for BA journalism Course

The students who have completed their PUC or 10+2 in any stream with 55% aggregate from recognised board are eligible to apply for BA Journalism course.

Admission Procedures

The eligible students can take admission to BA Journalism course by two modes of admission. The first one is merit-based admission and second one is direct admission.

1. Merit-Based Admission

There are many reputed colleges and universities that conduct institution-based entrance exams for admission to BA Journalism course, such mode of admission is called merit-based admission. The colleges have limited number of merit-seats and entrance exams are conducted for these merit-seats to select the deserving students. The main idea for institution-based entrance exams is to select the serious candidates from the non-serious ones. The successfully qualified students are then allotted merit-seats. The fees are also nominal for merit-seats.

2. Direct Admission

The students can also take admission to BA Journalism by another mode called as direct admission. Under this mode of admission, the students are given direct admission to their desired colleges through direct admission under management quota. The main advantage of this mode is that the students are not required to appear for any institution-based entrance exams. Another advantage is that the students can get admission to their desired colleges by booking their seats in advance even before the colleges start. The students interested in direct admission can contact the educational advisory centres like Galaxy Educational Services to know more about direct admission procedures.

Syllabus for BA Journalism

The students of BA Journalism will be studying the following subjects in their course curriculum.

Career and Scope

The BA Journalism students can widely be placed in the arena of news, magazines and media industry. Their common roles are Reporters, Photojournalist, Editor, Journalist and Screenwriter. They can join newspapers, news channels and magazines. If interested they can join to master’s in journalism. If the students are interested in research then they can join a PhD programme after their masters. If they are interested in in-depth study about journalism then they can join the M.Phil programme. The students can join as lecturers in various colleges to take up teaching of journalism subjects after their masters.

Job roles for BA Journalism

Some of the important job roles available for BA Journalism students are:

• Reporter
• Journalist
• TV Anchor
• Newspaper Editor
• Columnist

Salary and Emoluments

The BA Journalism students will be earning around 3 lakhs to 5 lakhs per annum. The senior and experienced professionals will be earning around 5 lakhs to 7 lakhs per annum.

Top Organisations hiring BA Journalism students

Some of the top organisations hiring BA Journalism students are:

• The Times of India
• The Hindu Newspaper
• Indian Express
• DNA
• Dainik Bhasker
• Deccan Herald

In Conclusion

The journalism field is considered as the most challenging field that has been in our society for quite some time even from pre-independent times. The journalism students are largely preferred by many organisations that are related to journalism. BA journalism is one of the most popular courses that is gaining a lot of demand in the past decade. With advancement of technology and social media, journalism has changed its shape and is adopted towards the new society. The BA journalism students are also paid good salaries and are also given opportunities to grow in their careers.

The students who are extroverted and want to be the voice of the society can become journalists by joining BA journalism course.