Mass Communication Vs. Journalism: Are they the Same or Different?

Imagine a scenario where you don’t get any updates from any news source; where radio, TV, magazines and blogs stop existing. Sounds mind-boggling, doesn’t it?

Visualising this somewhat scary picture would give you an idea about how important mass communication and journalism are as an industry. If professionals in these fields were not spontaneous, responsive and enthusiastic enough, it’s hard to imagine how people would have gotten entertained, gathered knowledge or merely survived, for that matter.

Having said that, most of us still don’t have a deep understanding of both these areas. A lot of people talk about Mass Communication and Journalism in the same breath, failing to understand that the two, while closely related, are not the same.

If you too have wondered about the difference between Mass Communication and Journalism, then this article is for you.

Here I shall talk about the major differences between mass communication and journalism on the basic tenets of course structure, colleges, degrees and career opportunities.

Let’s dive right in!

What are Mass Communication and Journalism all about?

Mass Communication, just as the name implies, impacts masses. How? Starting from radio, TV, news, magazines to the Internet, social media, films; any platform that is used to spread messages, opinions, news and entertainment to the masses (a large group of people) comes under the purview of Mass Communication.

It is a broad field, and includes a fusion of photography, filmmaking, journalism, advertisement, public relations, content writing, etc.

Journalism, on the other hand, revolves mainly around communicating news to people, be it any strata – politics, economics, business, science, sports or entertainment news.

Journalism works in three simple steps: Gathering data or news; Editing it and validating it with facts and pictures; Broadcasting it to the masses through both print and electronic media. Print media includes newspapers and magazines, and electronic media includes TV, Radio, and these days, even the Internet.

What is the Difference between Mass Communication and Journalism?

Mass Communication and Journalism are two different aspects of the same thing, to quite an extent. Let’s take an analogy to understand better: If Mass Communication is Italian cuisine, Journalism can be thought of as pasta (one of the dishes in Italian cuisine).

Or simply put, Mass Communication is an umbrella term that includes many fields such as Advertising, Event Management, Public Relations, etc., one of which is Journalism.

The rest of the differences between them lie in primarily two categories:

Differences in courses and curriculum
Differences in career opportunities

Let’s address them one by one.

Where it all Starts: Courses and Colleges

There are ample number of courses that give you the knowledge and the platform to get into Mass Communication and Journalism.

Many of these degrees are common to both Mass Communication and Journalism, and will allow you to branch out into any field you choose. There are many other degrees that focus on one or the other, i.e. pure Mass Communication or pure Journalism.

Here are a few most common courses for Mass Communication and Journalism:

BJMC- Bachelor of Journalism & Mass Communication
BMMMC- Bachelor of Multimedia & Mass Communication
BMC- Bachelor in Mass Communication
B.A (Mass Communication)- Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication
BJ- Bachelor in Journalism
B.A (Journalism)- Bachelor of Arts in Journalism
BSMC- Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication

The names of the degrees vary depending upon the college/university in question.

Besides these, there is also an upcoming concept of Liberal Arts Education, where one can pursue mass communication and/or Journalism with a mix of electives like Psychology, Sociology, English, Legal Studies, International Relations, History, etc.

Some Top Colleges in India for Journalism are:

Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Multiple Locations
Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi
Symbiosis Centre for Media and Communication, Pune
Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Bangalore
Christ University, Bangalore
Lady Sri Ram College, Delhi University
Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University
Kamala Nehru College, Delhi University
Madras Christian College, Chennai
Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi
Mithibai College, Mumbai University
Times School of Journalism, New Delhi
K.J Somaiya College, Mumbai University

Some Top Colleges in India for Mass Communication are:

Manipal Institute of Communication, Manipal
Whistling Woods International
P College for Women, Delhi University
Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune
Wilson College, Mumbai University
Hinduja College, Mumbai University
Jai Hind College, Mumbai University
Symbiosis Centre for Media and Communication, Pune
Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad
Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Multiple Locations
Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi
Xavier’s College, Mumbai
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi
K.J Somaiya College, Mumbai University

Note – These lists of institutions are not exhaustive, and do not indicate rankings.

Differences in Course Structure and Career Opportunities

A crucial point of difference between Mass Communication and Journalism lies in the structure of their courses, as well as the respective career opportunities that lead to them.

Even though the course structure would vary from college to college, yet I will discuss the most prevalent and common aspects of these courses here.

Courses in Journalism typically cover topics like introduction to journalism, history of journalism, various mediums of communicating news (like newspapers, magazine, radio, internet etc.), news collection, news reporting, writing and editing, circulation of news keeping in mind the day-to-day updates and trends.

Career Opportunities in Journalism

Various types of job opportunities and kind of profiles that one can get into after pursuing a degree in Journalism include:

TV News Reporter
Newspaper Reporter News Editor
Proofreader
Content Developer
Digital Media Journalist
News Presenter
Photojournalist
Translator
News Presenter
Camera Manager
Creative Designer
Researcher
Producer
Set Manager

Some Top Recruiters in the Market for Journalism are:

News channels like NDTV, Aaj Tak, CNN, BBC, etc.
Newspapers like The Hindustan Times, Times of India, Indian Express, The Hindu, etc.
Magazines like India Today, Outlook, Frontline magazine, etc.
Journals like The Wall Street Journal, The Free Press Journals, etc.
Media Houses like PVR Cinemas, Zee Entertainment, Big Cinemas, Balaji Entertainment, etc.
Radio Stations like Radio Mirchi, Red FM, Big FM, etc.
Broadcast Companies like News Broadcasting House, Lehman Brothers collection, Viacom, etc.

Courses in Mass Communication, on the other hand, cover a broader list of domains, such as advertising, public relations, journalism, content writing, research methodology, filmmaking, photography, media history, medium of communication, event management, basics of TV and Radio; history, politics and socio-economic status of the country, etc.

Career Opportunities in Mass Communication

Mass communication is followed by a plethora of career opportunities in areas and profiles like:

Advertisement and Branding
Film Making
Video Editing
Photography
Public Relations
Radio Jockey, Video Jockey
Journalism
Content Writing and Development
Event Management
Wedding Planning
Creative Direction
Sound Mixing and Recording

Some Top Recruiters in the Market for Mass Communication are:

PR Agencies like Adfactor, Edelman India, Text100India, Value 360, etc.
Digital Marketing Agencies like iProspect India, WAT Consultant, Pin Storm
Advertisement Agencies like Ogilvy and Mather, JWT India, Madison Communications, etc.
Media houses, Newspapers, TV and Radio (Same as Journalism)
Event Management Companies like Team Orange, 70EMG, Wizcraft, etc.

For more information on both fields, you can read up in detail on their respective career library pages: Career in Mass Communication | Career in Journalism

Conclusion

There! The difference between Mass Communication and Journalism should be much clearer to you now. Now, which of the two you go for depends on what you wish to do in life and where you want to end up.

A degree in Mass Communication would be great if you want a broader set of skills in your bag, while a degree in Journalism can help if you are clear about your goal of building a career in Journalism.

Do you see journalism as your future? This will be the perfect time to try out our Virtual internship Program that lets you explore journalism as a career on your own.

So, Mass Communication or Journalism, Italian cuisine or creamy Pasta – which one will you go for? Tell us in the comments!

Bon appétit.