One of the best colleges to study a post-grad in Journalism is London School of Economics. It is ranked first in the UK and third in the world for media and communication studies this year. Another great University is Cardiff University, UK. Located in the beautiful Welsh capital, the university offers another impressive selection of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in journalism.
You can check out other Universities offering Journalism courses too. Here are some:
- Danish School of Media & Journalism
- European Institute of Journalism
- University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
- University of Amsterdam
- Stanford University
- University of Singapore
- London School of Economics
- Yale University
- University of Melbourne
Journalism is a field where one needs a thick skin to survive. This is by far the most important lesson I learnt from my PPostgradin Journalism from the Times School Of Journalism in Delhi, India. This is one of the best colleges in Delhi to pursue Journalism. Other than that, Jamia Milia University and Indian Institute of Mass Communication has some great courses as well and is really reputed. You can also try Lady Shri Ram College For Women in Delhi University.
For students who are looking to pursue this line, first make sure that you are curious, are willing to risk anything and also have a flair for interpersonal skills. For me, it was really tough to make it in Journalism, as I don’t possess any of these qualities. However, here are the 5 things I learn in journalism:
1) Ask questions:
This is so so important. I can’t pinpoint how important being curious is in this particular industry. In order to write a great story or even sniff out a great story of a person, you must not feel shy about asking questions. Questions lead to a story, a clue or may even help you in writing the biggest story ever. In the media industry, if you’re not 200% sure of what story you’re digging into or which story you’re pursuing, you may lose your credibility. In your postgraduate degree, you will be asked to often go out and write stories on topics.
This will lead you to interviewing people. If you’re not great at asking the right questions, you might lose the plot of the entire story.
2) Make connections:
In the fast-paced media world, it’s all about connections. While it may be intimidating to talk to new people in your office or even your university, make that effort. They can be the link between an internship and a full-fledged career. Take time to introduce yourself to people, take the time to get to know them and learn how they work. Learn the ropes of the industry through the ones who are already established. Be good with your professors, they must know a lot of media people already. And if you’re on their good side, they may help you land a job! These people will help you in making a story and building your career later on. Networking not only will make your work and college more enjoyable. but it will also help you later by helping you land a job.
3) Pitch ideas:
A newspaper and a media agency is always looking for new and creative stories. They have to print the paper everyday and while you’re either interning or even in the classroom, take the initiative to think about story ideas. Not only will this be good practice for you once you start working, but it will give you confidence as well. Till date, I still remember a story idea I pitched about home-bakers. Everyone not only loved the idea, but it’s one of my best works till date! So, don’t be shy and get over yourself!
4) Keep on top of new tools and programs:
Even if you have studying Journalism from a professional institute, a couple of years later your skills could still be redundant. Learning tools like Adobe Premiere, Final Cut pro and other such tools which help editors and journalists are really important. It could be the difference between you getting a job and not! Most courses try to cover all aspects of journalism, from media, print and video to web as well. But it’s still not possible to teach every single thing in the course. So make sure you know tools like shorthand, HTML, InDesign, DreamWeaver, creating infographics and data journalism – or at least the basics of each.
5) Get and work on feedback:
When you’re starting out in this field, you need to make sure that you ask for feedback whenever possible. Even in a test paper, ask your professors where you can improve. In your practicals, watch and learn from other students as well. You can ask your friends for feedback too! Later even in a professional environment, have your supervisor go through your headlines or just sit with them and learn. It’s all about asking.
To Conclude
Hopefully, you were able to learn somethings from this article. Be curious, stay connected with your peers and ask for feedback, these are some of the key points of this article! Have any more questions? Let us know in comments below!
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