Booming Job Opportunities for Young People in Mass Media

The process of economic liberalization and reforms in India has led to the opening up of the media sector to private enterprise as well as foreign investors. There has been a major proliferation of television and radio networks and many of the print media organizations have created online media platforms as well. This scenario has resulted in new job opportunities for young and upcoming media professionals who have a formal training or background in this field.

A report brought out by PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that the  Rs. 35,000-crore media and entertainment industry in India will grow at an annual rate of 19 percent over the next few years. There have been massive investments in media infrastructure in recent years, including direct-to-home cable television, broadband Internet connectivity, digital cinema and multiplexes (1).

As per the government’s assessment, media and entertainment industry in India is one of the fastest growing sectors in the Indian economy. The exceptional growth of the electronic media industry in India, digital formats for film production and distribution, privatization and growth of radio channels, technological advancements, and the liberalizing policies of the government are the key factors responsible for this exponential growth (2).

Large industrial groups are making investments in mass media sector, leading to expanding job opportunities in media journalism and management. To name a few - Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) and VSNL belonging to the Tata group are two leading names amongst others that are investing in the sector. On the other hand several global media investors are weighing investment options in the Indian media. For example premier foreign investor company Henderson Global has invested in The Hindustan Times while Financial Times of London in Business Standard, India (3).

Young aspirants have job options in print and electronic media, press information bureau and media agencies, Central Information Service, and most importantly, in the fast-emerging field of Internet communication and journalism. There are thousands of new content writing, website development and designing options coming up with the explosive growth of broadband Internet in India (4).

Several institutions for mass communication and journalism training have come up in India in recent years in the private sector. There is a wide demand and supply gap between the requirement for trained journalists and the number of good candidates actually available. As a result professional media education institutes have stepped up their efforts and are encouraging students to make media as a career of choice. Specialized training is available for different aspects of media business. For a career as a reporter, correspondent or columnist, a degree in journalism is useful. Management degree is preferable to make a career on the commercial side of media business. Options are available from a 1 year diploma up to Ph.D. level in mass communications. (5)

There is rapid advancement taking place in the field information and communication technologies globally. The massive expansion of online multimedia systems and digitization of information is bound to create new career opportunities for young people in the years to come. If there is a natural inclination towards writing, journalism, reporting and media management, it is one of the most promising sectors in India with excellent career prospects in the print, electronic and online segments.

- Vikas Vij (views expressed in the article are that of the author)

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