For the love of media & management

Usha Albuquerque

Choosing the right college and course is always a difficult task, especially if you are looking for a career in media or some form of communications. The confusion is particularly acute when choosing a post-graduate programme as colleges and institutes in India 

offer courses in mass communication, journalism, advertising, marketing, marketing communication,  media management, communication management and even some hybrid degrees and diplomas that cover bits of all. 

Media is a very broad term and media industry currently ranges from radio, television, film, music, multimedia, online/digital media and publishing to fine arts, advertising, public relations, journalism, e-commerce, etc and even the management portion is also included in it.  

With technological convergence the media and communications professionals have to face diverse challenges of the digital age. Therefore, it is necessary to understand some of the areas of work in this field in order to be able to identify which will be the most suitable course to select. 

Media Management

Media management is actually an area of business administration that deals with organising and supervising teams of media professionals, various mass communication channels and technologies, media and entertainment productions, and more. 

This also includes managing talent  for media professionals — many kinds of talent including actors, artists, writers and musicians.  

Media managers specialise in promoting talent to industry professionals, allowing the talent to focus on media work instead of spending time and energy promoting his/her own work.  

Media Managers handle the complete campaign planning, and marketing strategies to build businesses and brands. Media managers manage campaigns on all media platforms: digital, press, broadcast (TV and radio), cinema, direct marketing and ambient media; apply organisational theory and management principles to the handling of suppliers, competitors, employees, and consumers. 

This may involve market research and design, special events and sales promotion, public relations and publicity for media related products and services. Most courses in media management are MBA or PGDBM courses which include study in general management methods, the functioning of different types of media, communication and competitive strategies, marketing models, corporate responsibility, intellectual property law, and more.

Work profile

Media managers make use of organisation skills, marketing strategies, economic understanding of media, and the knowledge of different software tools utilised in media productions. They need to develop skills and expertise in several modes of media, like television, print media, advertising, photography, broadcasting, online/digital media and publishing etc. so as to be able to analyse the trends, needs, and opportunities in the varied fields of media, and develop a solid understanding of the structure of media, its regulation, its impact on the audience, and of the forces shaping the communications revolution.

Where to work

Media managers can work with television channels and radio stations, newspaper and publishing companies,  film and entertainment companies, and DTH firms as well as with advertising and media marketing and planning organisations. Public relations and corporate communications also take on media specialists. With the advent of media portals, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other  social media sites, there are jobs in new media as well. Positions can range anywhere from media planner, communication specialist, advertising manager, editor in chief, to digital media specialist, social media specialist, programme researcher, web content manager among others. 

With the growing importance of the media, and an urgent requirement for trained people there will always be a place for you in this exciting world.

Mass communication 

• Mass Communication is the umbrella term used to cover all forms of communication which uses persuasion through appropriate channels to targeted audience. You might publish a news feature, advertise a product, improve your image with public relations, engage users via social media and issue financial updates to analysts. Your work will essentially be that of gathering information for different purposes, and presenting this as required whether though print, television, advertising, film, and all digital communication. 
• Most courses in mass communication combine creation as well as dissemination of knowledge and the imparting of requisite skills in handling principles, practice and responsibility of communication and the convergence of print, broadcast and on-line journalism in the era of digital technology and new media. While most courses cover all aspects of communication, there are also courses in specific specialisations, such as journalism, advertising, film and television, public relations and so on.
• Journalism is concerned with the gathering, processing and presentation of news whether for newspapers, magazines, online media, or broadcast, while TV and film involves planning, commissioning, producing and airing of all kinds of programmes.  Communication for advertising mostly involves picturising and creating the ad, and designing them for the form they will appear in print, audio-visuals or display, or  as a copy-writer, working on the text and punch-lines of the advertisement. A PR person basically works towards establishing or improving mutual understanding and goodwill within an organization and its clients and consumers through different forms of communication. 

Institute watch

Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi

Courses offered: PG D in Journalism, PG D in Radio and TV, PG D in Advertising and Public Relations (This course includes a module on marketing communication )

Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad (MICA)

Courses offered: PG D  in Management Communications (PGDM-C) (Considered equivalent to an MBA in Strategic Marketing and Communication)

St Xavier's Institute of Communication, Mumbai 

Courses offered: PG diploma in Journalism and mass communication; PG D in Advertising & Marketing Communication; PG D in Public relations & Corporate communications; PG D in Film, television and video production 

Dr. A.J. Kidwai Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC), Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi

Courses offered: MA in Mass Communication which covers Screenwriting, Photography, Sound & Radio, Media & Cultural Studies, Television Production, New Media Storytelling and the Digital Media Arts

Symbiosis Institute of Journalism and Communication, Pune

Courses offered: MA in mass communication; MBA in communication management

Whistling Woods, Mumbai

Courses offered: PGD in Media Management (This course is accredited by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences)

Asian College of Journalism, Chennai

Courses offered: PG diploma in Journalism (Print, Broadcast, Radio and New Media) 

Welinkar Institute of Management Development

Courses offered: MBA in media management