Updated on May 20, 2025 05:58 IST

Journalism refers to the collection, preparation, and distribution of news worldwide using print and electronic media. The various kinds of media used for journalism are newspapers, magazines, books, blogs, social networking and social media sites. The word, journalism, was originally based on the print media form, but with the advancements in technologies, it encompassed television, radio, and the internet.

Journalism can be pursued as both a degree and certificate course. It can be studied both as a bachelor's degree and a master's degree course. A bachelor's degree, i.e. a BSc in Mass Communication and Journalism or a BA in Journalism or a Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication (BJMC),  is preferred by most candidates. These are 3-year courses with six semesters. A master's degree in Journalism is ideally a Master's degree in Journalism and mass communication (MJMC), either MSc or MA, which is a 2-years-long postgraduate programme.

List of Subjects in Journalism

The subjects included at different universities may vary, but the core subjects remain the same.

Typical Core Subjects for Journalism 
Topic title Topic details
Introduction to Journalism This provides an introduction to the basics of Journalism. It will help students understand various aspects of media practices, the organisational structure of a newspaper establishment, editorial department work, and news-gathering techniques. It also trains students to write news pieces, letters to editors for English newspapers, press notes for a corporate house, sub-editing and page designing.
Print Journalism The course aims to introduce students to the beginning of the newspaper era and familiarise them with the Phases of Indian Journalism. It also introduces students to the suitable language for newspaper reporting, sub-editing, other kinds of print media, and designing, acquainting them with ethical issues and media laws.
Communication Theory The course aims to dive into ideas around the development of media theories and link them to historically important social and political events/issues. It further aims to familiarise the students with communication processes so that they develop a critical understanding of the basic theories related to mass communication and apply them to practical life. 
Media Histories This course aims to introduce learners to Print, Radio, Television, and Online Media and the historical changes they have undergone. It also includes studying the impact of the internet on other media, focusing on newspapers, magazines, radio, books, movies, mobile telephony, and social media. 
Writing for Media This course aims to familiarise students with the nature and characteristics of journalistic writing and explain the difference between fiction and writing for media and writing for print, broadcast online and on social media. It also trains them in the readability formulae, i.e., to write in simple and easy to understand language for lay readers.
Newspaper Editing and Production This course aims to familiarise students with the functioning of a newspaper’s editorial department, train students in coordination between reporters, sub-editors, the art department, printing press, and advertising department, and train students in sub-editing reporters' news copies for accuracy, balance, and fairness.
Media Laws and Ethics This course introduces the students to the laws and ethics in any society, and it applies to the practice of journalism. The media has to follow the necessary rules and requirements to practise ethically in an environment.
Indian Politics and Governance This course tries to introduce students to the philosophy and the indispensability of the rule of law, enabling them to grasp the salient features of constitutionalism and explaining to them the structural design of India’s federal system and various political and civil society movements in the country.
Typical Elective Subjects for Journalism
Subject title Subject details
English In this course, students explore print and digital media. English is important for communication as a journalist. Authentic readings and video lectures, rich in vocabulary, are provided to students for increasing their ability to read, research, and develop local and global news stories. 
Political Science Political science is usually taken up by students wanting to pursue Political Journalism as a specialisation. It includes coverage of all aspects of politics and political science.
Sociology Sociology enables students to research and write about current events and controversies. Sociology helps in understanding the country's current problems. 

Detailed Syllabus for Journalism

The syllabus of an MA in Journalism may differ from university to university but the subjects are more or less the same. Here is a general guide of the core or elective subjects that are taught from the first to fourth semesters of a master's degree programme.

Semester Core/Elective Topic title Topic details
1. Core
  • Principles of communication
  • History of media
  • Media laws and ethics
  • Print Journalism

The students will study an introduction to Mass Communication and Journalism. The topics to be studied include:

  • Communication
  • Models: Aristotle, Shannon and Weaver, Lasswell, Osgood, etc.
  • Media effects theories
  • Media system theories
  • Audience concepts and research
2. Core
  • Advertising
  • Public relations
  • Communication research
  • International communication
The second semester introduces the students to intricacies related to a journalism career. Contents:
  • Definition and concepts
  • Brand building and brand positioning
  • Various tools and media of communication
  • International public relations scenario
  • Tools of data collection
  • International communication information
3.  Core
  • Broadcast Journalism
  • New media
  • Sports Journalism
  • Business Journalism
  • Media and human rights
  • Media society and culture

During the second year, students will be introduced to various topics related to media and broadcast. Contents:

  • Journey of electronic media
  • Radio programme production and techniques
  • Studio-based production and transmission
  • Introduction to new media 
  • Sports- its growing popularity
4. Core
  • Media management
  • Film and Documentary Studies
  • Writing for Media Dissertation
  • Science Journalism
  • Environment Journalism
  • PhotoJournalism
  • Development Communication

The fourth semester of the Journalism course introduces specialised Journalism fields and the practice of media in the industry. Contents:

  • Indian media consumer
  • Broadcast management
  • Visual and spatial attributes
  • Film business and industry
  • Science communication
5. Core
  • Legal Research Methodology
  • Ways of Seeing, Covering Legal Issues and Courts
  • Multimedia & TV
  • Writing to Deadlines
  • Understanding Numbers
  • Data Journalism

Students study legal and numerical aspects relating to the field of Journalism. Contents:

  • Research methods for reporting
  • Multimedia
  • Writing as a journalist
  • Data collection
6. Core
  • Editorial voice and editing
  • Multimedia storytelling
  • Neighbourhood reporting
  • Thesis
The students get practical hands-on experience in the last year. They are required to complete a thesis and assignments related to the field.

Contents:

  • Editorial aspects
  • Writing and editing
  • Reporting
  • Thesis writing

Specialisations Offered in Journalism

Journalism is seen mostly as related to politics, but it is a vast field. There are many specialisations in Journalism. Students can pursue specialised courses, according to their interest in various fields.  The following are popular specialisations in the field of Journalism.

Specialisation Subjects Details
Political Journalism
  • Journalism
  • Political Science 
The most popular and commonly pursued specialisation in the field of Journalism is Political Journalism. Political Journalism is useful in every form of media. All media print, digital, etc., require political Journalism as people have a keen interest in politics. 
Entertainment Journalism
  • Journalism
  • Electronic media studies
Entertainment Journalism highlights the updates related to the entertainment industry, such as Bollywood. The field includes detailed information about films, music, fashion, celebrities, etc. Entertainment journalists present the information in a manner that intrigues the audience interested in these domains.
Sports Journalism
  • Journalism
  • Data collection
  • Data structures
  • Statistics
Pursuing a career as a sports journalist will give a space to one's sports passion too. Sports journalists need to have detailed knowledge about the sport they are required to cover. They need to interview players and coaches and read the sport's statistics. 
Travel Journalism
  • Journalism
  • Sociology
  • Geographical studies
Travel journalists are entrusted with writing about different destinations, describing various cultures and their customs. But they also help in publishing travel information like itinerary guides, country guides, interviews with local people and presentation of local customs and traditions through their writing.

Books and Authors Related to Journalism

There are several popular books taught in Journalism. Some of the popular books and authors related to journalism are given below:

Subject Book title Author Description
Principles of communication Mass Communication in India Keval J. Kumar The book talks about how mass communication has played a key role in the emergence and advancement of each of the four industrial revolutions.
Media laws and ethics Laws of the Press in India M Neelamalar It’s a textbook specifically designed for undergraduates and postgraduates pursuing mass communication, Journalism, electronic media, visual communication and other related media courses. This compact text provides a detailed description of the rules, acts and ethics concerning print, electronic, film and advertising media prevalent in India.
Print media News Writing and Reporting for Today’s Media Bruce D. Itule and Douglas A. Anderson This takes students to the press box, council chambers, courthouse, and speech and press conferences. It introduces them to current issues such as cultural sensitivity and legal and ethical considerations and to reporters and editors who offer their down-to-earth advice.
Public relations Writing: The Essentials of Style and Format Bivnis Thomas This book equips students with the essential skills for developing and writing public relations materials, covering all areas of public relations writing, including news releases, backgrounders, newsletter and magazine articles, brochures, print advertising copy, and broadcast scripts.
International communication International Communication Daya Kishan Thussu International Communication examines the profound changes that have taken place and are continuing to take place at an astonishing speed in international media and communication since the beginning.
Table of contents
  • Popular Journalism Colleges in India
  • Popular Private Journalism Colleges in India
  • Popular Exams
  • Popular Journalism Specializations
  • Most Popular Courses
  • Popular Journalism UG Courses
  • Popular Journalism PG Courses
View More

Popular Journalism Colleges in India

Following are the most popular Journalism Colleges in India. Learn more about these Journalism colleges (Courses, Reviews, Answers & more) by downloading the Brochure.
1.08 L - 4.2 L
3.6

#12 India Today

4 Courses
47 K - 1.6 L
4.1

#1 India Today

1 Course
28 K
3 LPA

#2 India Today

5.56 L - 12.8 L
3.5

#8 Outlook

Journalism Applications open. Apply Now

1 Course
9.44 L
4.0

#4 Outlook

3.84 L
3.0

#2 Outlook

Popular Private Journalism Colleges in India

4.56 L
3.7
3.48 L - 7.84 L
3.4

#18 The Week

Journalism Applications open. Apply Now

1 Course
5.96 L
75 K - 2.25 L
3.5
1.68 L - 12.72 L
3.6 - 4 LPA

Journalism Applications open. Apply Now

Popular Exams

Following are the top exams for Journalism. Students interested in pursuing a career on Journalism, generally take these important exams.You can also download the exam guide to get more insights.

31 Oct ' 26

Last Date for submitting Qualifying Exam result (...

6 Jun ' 26 - 13 Jun ' 26

JMI Entrance Exam 2026 Counselling (Mass Comm)

3 Oct ' 26

SAT India Exam (October) Attempt

7 Nov ' 26

SAT India Exam (November) Attempt

1 Nov ' 25 - 29 Sep ' 26

CGCUET 2026 Registration

Sep '26

FTII JET 2026 Final Result

TENTATIVE

Sep '26

FTII JET 2026 Commencement of Classes

TENTATIVE

Popular Journalism Specializations

Following are the most popular Journalism Specializations . You can explore the top Colleges offering these Specializations by clicking the links below.

Popular Specializations

Popular Journalism UG Courses

Following are the most popular Journalism UG Courses . You can explore the top Colleges offering these UG Courses by clicking the links below.

UG Courses

Popular Journalism PG Courses

Following are the most popular Journalism PG Courses . You can explore the top Colleges offering these PG Courses by clicking the links below.

PG Courses

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Answered 2 weeks ago

Graduates of this program depending on their chosen specialization can pursue a variety of career paths. Those with a Digital Media focus may find opportunities in content creation digital journalism and social media management. Students specializing in Public Relations can look toward roles in PR a

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Priti Choudhary

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

A key differentiator here is the availability of focused specializations Digital Media and Public Relations within a single undergraduate program. This allows students to graduate with more targeted skills rather than only broad surface level media knowledge. The course is also priced reasonably at

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Anya Mehta

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

Under this program Rayat Bahra University provides students the option to specialize in either Digital Media or Public Relations. This means learners are not confined to a purely generalized syllabus and can shape their studies around a specific interest area. The core curriculum still includes the

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Anya Mehta

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

The university has a Career Development Center that supports students with internships, resume building and placement drives. However, based on available reviews, internship support seems to vary a lot by course and batch. Some students mention decent industry tie-ups for streams like Engineering an

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109773709
RITESH RAUSHAN

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

Yes, Rayat Bahra University does include the Mass Communication and Digital Journalism stream under its Scholarship Program. Students can get fee concessions ranging from 10% to 60% of the course fee based on their 10th, 12th or graduation marks. For example, scoring 90% and above can get a higher c

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109773709
Ritesh Kumar

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

Here's the thing, it's not a strict requirement, but it's not something you should completely ignore either. Your main ticket in is your 12th percentage, you'll need at least 50% aggregate, and boards like CBSE, PSEB, or ISC are accepted without any issue. From what I found, CUET seems to matter mor

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Anya Mehta

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

Total fees for this 3-year course come to roughly ₹1.8 Lakhs, though a few sources list it slightly higher, around ₹2.4 Lakhs, so there's some variation depending on the year you check. Year one alone is usually around ₹60,000, and since the course runs across 6 semesters, you can expect the per-sem

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Priti Choudhary

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

It's a simple 3-year course, broken into 6 semesters, nothing complicated there. And if later you feel like continuing further, they do offer a 2-year Master's in the same field. So if you plan for both, you're looking at roughly 5 years of study altogether, which honestly gives you a solid, complet

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109773421
Rishita Sharma

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

It's a genuine, well-structured program, not just a random course on the list. The batch size stays around 30 students, so you won't get lost in a massive crowd, and teachers usually get to know their students. There's also scholarship support if your marks are good, which can really ease the financ

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109773421
Rishita Sharma

Beginner-Level 5

Answered 2 weeks ago

PGDM students get exposure to preparing business reports, presentations, project documentation, and analysing organisational information. This helps them develop structured writing, data interpretation, and documentation skills required in professional roles.

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Deep Banerjee

Beginner-Level 4

Answered 3 weeks ago

Candidates allotted seats in Bihar NEET round 1 counselling could report to the institutes and could verify theiur documents from August 27 to September 1, 2026.

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Piyush Bhandari

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a month ago

Yes, with a CUET score of 236, you can get admission for Journalism course at Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Computer Applications and Management.

A

Akanksha Yadav

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

Students can complete MDX University BA Honours Creative Writing and Journalism course in 3 years. The tuition fee for each year for this course of MDX Dubai is AED 64,557 (Around INR 17 L). The students of this course are eligible for a minimum of 10% Academic Scholarship.

For admission to this cour

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Nishtha Shukla

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

Candidates enrolling for AIIMS Rishikesh admission can pay the fee in online mode. The institute may accept fee via UPI/ Credit Card/ Debit Card/ Net Banking. AIIMS Rishikesh MBBS tuition fee is INR 51,525 for the total duration as per official sources. It is still subject to change.

R

Raushan Piplani

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The M.A. (Journalism and Communication) programme includes practical learning along with classroom study. Students usually get hands on experience in news reporting, digital content creation, broadcast journalism, video production, newsroom activities, and media writing. The curriculum also includes

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Sampreet Kaur

Beginner-Level 1

Answered a month ago

Placement opportunities after completing M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication from LPU are good for students who build strong practical skills during the course. The programme includes media projects, newsroom practice, digital content creation and industry interaction, which help in developing

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Sampreet Kaur

Beginner-Level 1

Answered a month ago

The scope of an M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication depends on the skills gained during the course. At LPU, the curriculum focuses on practical learning through media projects, digital journalism, content writing, broadcasting and communication skills. This helps students prepare for careers i

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S

Sampreet Kaur

Beginner-Level 1

Answered a month ago

The M.A. (Journalism and Mass Communication) programme at LPU covers subjects that build both media knowledge and practical skills. The curriculum usually includes news reporting, editing, digital journalism, advertising, public relations, media ethics, communication theories, radio and television p

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S

Sampreet Kaur

Beginner-Level 1

Answered a month ago

 M.A. Journalism and Mass Communication programme at LPU includes practical learning along with classroom study. The curriculum offers opportunities to work on live media projects, use newsroom style facilities, and gain industry exposure through internships. This helps in improving reporting, writi

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S

Sampreet Kaur

Beginner-Level 1

Answered a month ago

Students in the M.A. (Journalism and Mass Communication) programme at LPU get exposure to digital journalism, content creation, podcasting, and video production as part of practical learning. The curriculum combines classroom concepts with hands on assignments, media labs, and project work. This app

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Sampreet Kaur

Beginner-Level 1

Answered 2 months ago

ICFAI Hyderabad requires all selected applicants to report physically for BTech enrollment. The official campus reporting window is open from July 28 to July 30, . Candidates must complete their document verification during these specific days. Missing this timeline can cause serious administrative

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Rashmi Karan

Contributor-Level 9

Answered 2 months ago

I'd say don't rely only on classroom lectures. Attend industry visits, workshops, and media events, build a portfolio of your writing or content, and complete internships whenever you can. The more practical experience you gain during college, the better prepared you'll be for careers in journalism,

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Dhruv Sharma

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 months ago

Yes, candidate can pursue BA (Hons) Journalism and Mass Communication from BESC, even if they have not studied the same in class 12. In this case, candidate aggregate will be calculated using top 4 subject marks + average of top 4 subjects. “Environmental Science” can only be considered, if it has b

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Riya Gupta

Contributor-Level 10

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