10 Reasons Why you Should Study Mass Communication and its Courses
Mass communication involves many disciplines and incorporates vital elements of related fields like strategic communications, health communications, political communications, marketing, and journalism. This diversity of mass communication allows for creativity and flexibility in selecting one’s career.
With a mass communication background, one can pursue employment in related fields like marketing, journalism, entertainment, healthcare, communications consulting, broadcasting, advertising, foreign entities, government, and non-profit organizations. Before we delve into the importance of mass communication, let us first define what mass communication is.
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Mass communication is the process of creating, sending, receiving, and analyzing messages to a large audience, using verbal and written media. Its main focus is not just the why and how a message is passed, but the medium through which it passes. These media are various and include the internet, social media, digital media, print, radio, and television.
Also read: 10+ International Scholarships to Study Mass Communication
Are you still contemplating studying for a mass communication degree? Here are some benefits of mass communication:
Armed with your certificate in mass communication, you can choose to work in a number of fields as mentioned above. With the world relying so much on the media, you have tremendous opportunities to make a good career in this field. A degree in mass communication acquired from a solid institution can open so many doors because it can be applied in almost every mass media opportunity.
The skills you acquired in mass communications can be applied in any work setting. Skills like problem-solving, communication, writing, and speaking can help you to scale through any related field in mass communication.
Students from any academic background like science or art have great opportunities to excel in this course. If you are scared of not doing well as a result of your high school background, fear no more, you have what it takes to do well in mass communication.
Media and mass communication prepare you to understand the most complex issues of the world in areas like political, cultural, and business fields. You will also have the ability to affect millions, either by standing in front of a large crowd speaking or sitting behind a machine writing. Mass communication will help you achieve that.
Such fields as journalism, advertising, public relations, or even broader fields like finance, healthcare, information technology, and government parastatals are fields where you can pitch your tent as a mass communication graduate.
Using effective communication tools like video conferencing, cell phones, emails, and so on will help you promote messages, products, and programs. With good strategies like content creation, social networking, and advertisement, among others, targeted at the right audience, you will be able to reach a larger audience quickly and position yourself for a more competitive advantage.
There are abounding opportunities in ad agencies, print media, broadcasting media, visual media, and of late, the internet. You can work as an independent filmmaker, copywriter, broadcaster, comedian, and in other fields. As long as you are hardworking, there are numerous options open to you. The industry is a bright one.
There are different techniques for delivering messages to the masses. For example, in print media, newspapers, magazines, journals, and others are different ways to pass messages across. You will learn the nitty-gritty of these techniques and can work as an editor, reporter, or even a proofreader. You can also choose to pitch your career online and work as a social media manager, content creator, copywriter, and so on.
It does not mean that learning the basics of algebra is bad, but then, if you have a thing with math, going for mass communication won’t be a wrong choice. Similarly, if you are someone who loves talking and wants to be heard, mass communication can avail you of the opportunity to reach out to anyone in the world…and doing it professionally too.
Your emotions would be put into action. You are already living with people and should have a good knowledge and understanding of what is happening around so as to employ your emotions effectively to affect your audience. You should be able to communicate well whether in an organized setting or with people on the street. If you employ positive emotions, you are likely to lead people without bias and bring them to one platform, irrespective of class, race, sex, and so on.
Media and Entertainment are growing at a faster rate all over the World. In the United States which has the world’s largest media and entertainment industry at over $717 billion, it represents a third of the global media and communication industry. According to statistics in India, the compound annual growth rate(CAGR) of the Indian Media and entertainment industry is from 10.90 percent to 13.10 percent and It’s expected to double by 2023.
In Africa, after more than a decade of digital upset, African entertainment and media have enjoyed a major rise. According to a report from PwC, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya have seen a major rise in their Media and entertainment industry. The compound annual growth rate(CAGR) of these countries has improved and has contributed immensely to their economic growth.
All over the World, the media and communication industry constitutes of various segments such as film, television, advertising, print media, music, and digital is the fastest-growing sector in recent decades. The media industry is seeing phenomenal growth and this should give you reasons why you should study Mass Communication.
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Here are lists of Mass Communication course outlines curated from top Universities in the World, which you will study before you can become a Mass Communication graduate.
There are awards organized by the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) which invites media worldwide to submit entries for its annual UNCA Awards for the best print, broadcast (TV & Radio), online, web-based media coverage of the United Nations, U.N. agencies, and field operations
In order to be a good mass communicator, you need the following:
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Mass communication is complex and involves a variety of branches. Basically, it takes 2 to 4 years to acquire a degree in mass communication. However, for a broader option, it is better to major in a particular field like advertising, journalism, film production, public relations, and so on. This might take a longer period of time. But then, you will become a professional in that niche.
Creativity is compulsory for you in any field you choose. With creative skills, you can present your work in a more unique way, taking advantage of the competitive market to sell your skills. With time, you’d become one of the pillars of the industry.
Communication skills are also necessary, as they will help you pass your messages effortlessly. Areas of interest like entertainment, broadcasting, public speaking, and consulting, all need strong communication skills. You might also be involved in interviewing the audience via telephone, news interview, personality interview, prepared question, a man in the street, casual interview, and so on. The interview is one of the principal aspects of news and must be carried out in impeccable English.
Speaking skills are also very necessary as a mass media professional. Most media jobs involve speaking or interacting with an audience. Outspokenness and eloquence will help to hone your speaking skills. If you are an introvert, you can also work on your public image, so as to make proper use of your communication and speaking skills. You can take on some challenges that involve speaking to a crowd. This will help you become more courageous and prepared for your career. Don’t be shy while talking to people. One thing you need to understand is that making mistakes is part of the learning process. Make mistakes, learn from them, and fly.
You should develop writing and editing skills, as they would help you reach out to a wider audience. As a writer, you can research topics of interest and present information for print media, websites, social media, and other platforms. You should have good eyes for pointing out errors, so as to present error-free written work. This is what editing is all about.
You should be good at motivating people because most of your activities are going to be in front of an audience. Let people learn from your experience. Motivate them to take up challenging tasks and increase their horizon. Your behavior matters a lot if you want to gather huge followership.
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With knowledge of the audience’s behavior and content creation, mass communication professionals are the best in delivering messages effectively targeted to the right audience.
Here’s a list of potential careers in media and mass communication open to graduates in the field.
Because mass communication is a multidisciplinary subject, there are different fields you can get into. Try to keep yourself updated with the happenings in the field. Hone your skills in order to take advantage of the abounding opportunities in the industry.
This post was last modified on June 12, 2024 7:18 pm