Master Diploma in Journalism & Mass Communication

Overview

The Master Diploma in Journalism & Mass Communication* programme at QIAMS is spread over two-semester and aims at preparing students for a career in journalism. The course provides a wide exposure to the students into the general aspects of the field newsroom. The digital platform and the Internet offer new avenues for dissemination of information as well as huge opportunities to those who are creatively inclined. The course at QIAMS is flexible, contemporary, and taught by active media professionals with the help of state-of-the-art technology labs.

QIAMS Alumni have proved to be in high demand and are already at work in all areas of journalism. Their success is a tribute both to their talent and to the institution that educated and trained them.

*Accredited and Affiliated to NCVTE, Govt of India

Eligibility

Any Bachelor’s Degree (Candidates who are awaiting the results of their undergraduate examination are eligible to apply).
Enrolled students should provide their mark sheet or degree certificate to the Dean ideally by the end of February 2021.

Hostel Facilities

There are many hostels for men and women in and around Nungambakkam, where the institute is located. Hostels with food are available starting from Rs 5,500/- per person. QIAMS will help students in identifying hostels.

Course curriculum in brief

SEMESTER – I

• Paper – 1: Fundamentals of Journalism and Mass Communication
  History of Journalism, theories of communication, journalism practices, trends in mass media, technological development in mass media, news room hierarchy, duties and responsibilities of various newspersons, importance of deadlines


• Paper – 2: Reporting
  News gathering, developing a nose for news, functions of a reporter, do’s and don’ts for reporters, developing sources, protection of sources, checking and cross checking of news, social and other responsibilities of reporters, honesty and integrity in reporting, quest for truth, investigative reporting


• Paper – 3: Editing
  Functions of the editorial desk, fundamentals of editing copy, improving the quality of copy, rewriting, checking fact and figures, adding value to copy, gleaning information for graphics and check boxes, headline writing, importance of grammar and syntax


• Paper – 4: Urban and Rural studies
  Understanding rural and urban social dynamics, lifestyles of different classes of people, social problems of people at various levels of society, understanding caste dynamics, social discriminations, rural economics, elite lifestyle that include fashion and haute couture, culinary cultures


• Paper – 5: Photo Journalism
  A wide angle view of modern photography, news photography, writing captions, drone photography, covering celebrities, following politics with the camera, recording history, capturing rare vignettes in everyday life, covering disasters, being there at the right place and the right moment


• Paper- 6: Elective – New Reading for electronic media and Feature writing for print media
  News Reading will have practical training in news reading in real studio settings, familiarizing students on facing the camera and microphone, etiquette in speech, presentation and appearance, speech delivery, importance of pronunciation, voice modulation Feature writing will primarily aim at developing the writing skills of the student, either in English or in Tamil, through exercises and assignments evaluated by professionals. Stress will be on improving the language skills and grammar

SEMESTER – II

• Paper – 1: Media Laws and Ethics
  A brief introduction of Indian Constitution, criminal and civil laws relating to media, defamation, contempt of court, contempt of legislature, privacy laws, perjury, copyright, Press Council of India regulations, Official Secrets Act


• Paper- 2: Specializations in Journalism
  An overview of the wide range of specializations in journalism like political, business, international, education, health, environment, science, sports, crime, technology, fitness and so on and an introduction to the reporting of war, disaster and pandemics


• Paper -3: Gender issues
  Use of politically right terms, sensitivity to issues relating to children, women and LGBTQ+ communities, understanding of Vishakha Committee guidelines on sexual harassment of women at workplace, reports of women’s commissions and children’s commissions, rules relating to reporting rape and sexual harassment


• Paper-4: Film and art appreciation
  An overview of world and Indian cinema and other arts forms like theatre, music, painting, sculpture with a historic perspective. Gaining a sense of appreciation for all the arts by understanding the basic of art criticismand applying those skills in contemporary times


• Paper- 5: Social Media
  Distinguishing social media from mainstream mass media without underestimating the power and importance of the former, learning the technical aspects of social media and understanding the means to use it for disseminating information and for monetary gain


• Paper 6: Elective – Making of Special Features for electronic media and Page Design for print media
  Producing special programmes on television and radio making good use of footage from the archives and also stringing together various clippings is specialty that only a few excel even in the field of electronic media. This elective subject will prepare students for that art that need special skill. The newspaper as a final product is admired mostly for its design. It is the layout that makes a reader stay with the paper and flip the pages till the end. It is an evolving art that gets updated with the advance in technology. This elective subject aims at making good designers among journalists, too.

Towards the end of the course students will be sent for Internship to news organizations and it will be followed by an Examination