Online Journalism Courses & Certifications

In India, the field of journalism has been around for centuries. With the emergence of radio and television in the 20th century and the internet in the 21st century, journalism now has become one of the sought-after career options among students after Class 12th. It is the crucial field of mass communication and a professional working in this field is called a journalist. 

There are various online journalism courses in India you can pursue to build a career in this field. You can do journalism courses online or offline at UG and PG levels as well as pursue a diploma and PG diploma in journalism. Online learning is also increasingly becoming popular. It is especially beneficial for those who are looking to skill up but might not be able to give the time that is needed for regular journalism online courses. 

This is one of the biggest advantages of online education. You can go for journalism courses after 12th and specialise in this field at graduation level. Some popular courses for journalism after 12th include Bachelor of Journalism, BA in Journalism and Mass Communication, BA in Film, Television and New Media Production, and more. 

Journalism courses after graduation include an MA in Journalism and Mass Communication, a Master of Journalism, PGDM in Communication and Journalism. One can read more about free journalism certification courses.

What is Journalism?

As a rapidly evolving field of communication, journalism deals with the production and distribution of facts and reports on current events. As a field of study, it requires a candidate to accumulate, generate, analyse, and present news or other information to the audience. 

Earlier, journalism was limited to print media only like newspapers, and magazines. But with the fast-paced development of technology and the digital revolution, the field has now reached new horizons, such as radio, television, and the web.

Who Can Pursue Journalism Courses?  

Anyone can pursue courses in journalism after the 12th. Pursuing journalism online courses, and offline courses will inculcate candidates with the skills essential to the industry. Based on their interests, candidates can choose areas to pursue like print, television, and online journalism while pursuing journalism courses in India. 

If the candidates are people who have a forte for learning new things and seeking new information every day then journalism is the ideal career option for them, and they may pursue the best journalism courses in India.

Eligibility Criteria to Pursue Journalism Courses

For UG courses, candidates must have passed Class 12 with a minimum aggregate of 50% marks in any discipline – Arts, Science, or Commerce – from a recognised board. Colleges take admissions to journalism courses at the UG level based on class 12th marks or scores obtained in institution-based entrance exams.

For PG courses, candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in any stream or journalism from a recognized college/university. They also have to appear for an entrance examination and a personal interview conducted by a respected college/university to get through the best journalism courses. The IIMC entrance exam is one such popular exam that offers entry to journalism courses at the postgraduate level.

Skills Required for Journalism Courses

The primary role of a journalist will be to communicate news, be it in a written or verbal way. The primary goal of journalists will be paying attention to different small or big details that are required for reporting news or other important stuff. Some of the other skills that are taken into consideration are the following when someone is thinking of taking online journalism degree courses:

• Qualitative and quantitative research
• Open-mindedness
• Persistence
• General Awareness
• Special interest in news

What You Will Learn in Journalism Courses?

Once you enroll yourself in journalism online courses or on-campus, you will get to know about journalism, its principles, and ethics. You will also learn about journalism's social, economic, and political impact. The journalism courses after 12th will teach you about different writing styles in journalism and essential skills to cover news and events in different scenarios. 

Sometimes journalists are required to gather news of uncertain situations like disasters – natural and manmade, conflicts. You will also learn about news editing, reporting, designing and layout, publishing, and strategic communication. 

Popular Journalism Courses by Top Providers

There are numerous journalism certification courses available online that you can choose from that best fit you. These online journalism courses are available at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and one can pursue them after class 12th. 

The journalism course duration depends on the course type. Diploma courses in journalism span 1-2 years, while UG courses take 3 years and 2 years for PG courses. Here are some top providers who offer journalism courses:

• Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics Media And Journalism Online Certification Courses
• Edx Media And Journalism Online Certification Courses
• Arena Animation Media And Journalism Online Certification Courses
• Swayam Media And Journalism Online Certification Courses
• Futurelearn Media And Journalism Online Certification Courses
• Vskills Media And Journalism Online Certification Courses

Career Opportunites After Journalism Courses

The scope of pursuing a career in journalism is tremendous and lucrative. Journalism is not limited only to reading news or reporting events. There is a lot more to it, including news reading, reporting, editing, copywriting, production, broadcasting, and photography. As this field is quite broad, it involves various job profiles that you can consider after the completion of your online journalism courses in India. 

Some of the popular career options after pursuing journalism online courses are as follows:

• Reporter
• News Reader
• Editor
• Photojournalist
• Producer
• TV Correspondent
• Radio Jockey

Journalism Salary Trends

There is a variety of careers that can be pursued by the candidates after they complete pursuing different journalism courses successfully. The salary trends depend on the different backgrounds of the candidates like public relations,  marketing, and digital media, Depending on academic qualifications and the career options selected by the students, there are many options and smart packages in journalism.

In India, the average salary of a journalist is Rs. 391,777 and it can range from Rs. 152,000 to Rs. 980,000.

Salary based on experience

*The salary trends are based on PayScale

Scope After Journalism Courses

As an important part of mass communication, journalism is aimed at amassing information on certain events and conveying it to the target audience. Journalism draws its inspiration from the present and interprets the situation as it develops. It plays a vital role in spreading awareness in society and providing information technology. 

As a career, the scope of journalism is much more vast and rewarding. After pursuing journalism courses online or offline, there are many lucrative options available to a candidate. He or she can get into print media, electronic media, or web media after they are done with any certificate course in journalism. 

They can work in TV channels, radio stations, media houses, PR and media management agencies, web content creation, and digital firms.

Top Recruiters

There are a lot of career options that anyone may look at for pursuing journalism courses after 12th. People who see themselves as editors of news agencies or anchoring media or news channels. The most lucrative thing about studying journalism is that after it there is a huge potential for earning high salaries. 

There are a few leading recruiting companies that in full force hire a journalist after they pursue a journalism course online and these can be located below:

• Hindustan Times
• Times Group
• The Hindu
• Malayal Manorama
• Zee Network
• India Today Group
• All India Radio (AIR)
• Zee Network
• Outlook

FAQs

Q: What are the subjects that you can learn in a Journalism course?

A: The subjects under journalism online courses or any mass communication course can include topics like fundamentals of journalism, history of journalism, techniques of editing, reporting methods, media laws, and more.

Q: What is the average fee for a Journalism course?

A:  On average, the fee that you have to pay for a journalism course or a mass communication course is somewhere in the range of Rs. 18,000 - Rs. 3,00,000.

Q: Do I need a prior qualification to pursue online journalism courses?

A: If you seek to land a career as a journalist, you don't need to have a prior qualification in journalism. You should opt for journalism courses after 12th and choose the UG program in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Q: Where can you learn journalism courses for free?

A: Journalism courses can be free of cost, and also provide free certificates. You can learn these online certificate courses from the University of Pennsylvania, UC Irvine, John Hopkins, and more.

Q: How long does it take to complete journalism courses?

A: The duration of journalism courses depends on the course type. For UG programmes, it takes about 1-3 years to complete while PG programmes take about 1-2 years. Pursuing online journalism courses or certificate programmes, usually takes a few months.

Q: Are journalism online courses worthy?

A: Pursuing the best journalism course opens up various career opportunities in different areas that provide diversity in career and job satisfaction. Moreover, journalist course fees are also affordable when it comes to learning them.

Q: What types of journalism courses are available in India?

A: There are three main types of journalism courses available in India – UG and PG degree programmes, diploma programmes, and journalism certificate programmes.