Where, according to you, does the ascent to the top journalist post starts? Is it your first promotion? The brand you land a job with? Or is it during your internship where you make valuable contacts and start out in the field? In reality, all of these are merely the steps of the long ladder that you are to climb in order to reach the top spot and the true ascent starts right from your college. The best colleges for journalism act as your foundation, the solid ground that you can always trust to fall back upon. Whatever knowledge and skills you pick up during your journalism course will act as catalysts in increasing your pace of the climb and the quality of the job that you perform. Thus, it is crucial to select only the best college to study your journalism and you can pick one by looking into the following parameters.
- The faculty
Your professors can provide you with the necessary field exposure without ever having to leave the classroom. You can learn all the nitty-gritties of journalism, the work culture, the corporate expectations and much more while still in college only if your teachers are experienced enough to give you such insights. Thus, select a college with the best faculty in the journalism department who will not only be your instructors but also your mentors. And the right team of professors can really help you to find your passion in journalism, form enriching networks, and work on skills that the field requires.
- The library
One of the biggest assets of any top journalist is his/her research skills and you can only build yours if you have access to the greatest of libraries. Your selected journalism college must have this infrastructure up to a top-notch level. How efficient you become in fishing out information and presenting perspectives will depend on the level of materials you have access to. Apart from paperbacks and eBooks, the college library must also have the facility of group study, give access to research papers, conduct events and workshops and so on. Do not underestimate the influence of the library on your journalism skills.
- The exposure
The top IP university colleges for journalism will allow you to run a college publication or magazine on their premises. They will also provide you information about local events and job fares. You will also have internship and placement opportunities right from the campus and the institutions will have you covered right till the very end. Thus, exposure is the crucial element that you should evaluate before filling the forms. And exposure must include both journalism-oriented work experience and interview skills which will eventually come in handy. The best colleges do not hold back in providing exposures. You are always kept busy during your course.
- The curriculum
Journalism of the modern era is not like what it used to be. Your skills in research and writing will never be enough. As an entrant into the journalism workforce, you must possess a few technical skills, extra abilities, premier soft skills, and much more. Previously, the jobs which were segregated among multiple posts have been combined to become one today and as a journalist, you are expected to know how to edit, market, collect data, and post online along with researching and writing the piece. Naturally, the curriculum of your selected college must have the provision to teach these extra subjects. And you must pick the one that covers the most.
- The management
Many students overlook checking the profiles of the college managers but they are ultimately the decision-makers who string all other aspects together. So, while searching for the best university for journalism in Delhi and its affiliated colleges, do look into the experience and exposure of the college management and the visions they have regarding the institution. Are they forward-thinking? Do their messages radiate a growth approach? What are their backgrounds and how much diversity do they bring to the college? These parameters will affect the depth you reach in your journalism course and of course, the quality of the other attributes mentioned here.
Lingaya’s Lalita Devi Institute of Management & Sciences, affiliated to IP university and based in South Delhi, is an institution that ticks all the right boxes as a journalism college. LLDIMS prepares you right, houses the best of faculties, provides placement opportunities and sports a premier infrastructure in the region. Such colleges can truly serve as your stepping stone towards greater heights in your professional career. Whether you want to become the editor of a top magazine or the anchor of the best news channel, your college will help you to plant and nurture that ambition. So, look for the right features in your journalism college and only join the best.