Jagran Institute of Management and Mass Communication, NOIDA

PG DIPLOMA IN PRINT JOURNALISM 1 Year (English & Hindi)

Print Journalism Course: An overview

Today’s print journalists have to be versatile, flexible and adaptable—and no print journalism institution instills these qualities quite like JIMMC. Apart from teaching the theories of Reporting and Editing, our Print Journalism students produce Lab Journals that is newspaper making (JIMMC News) as practical work and learn cutting-edge technologies, presentation formats and professional skills. Students work in a newsroom environment with the pace, pressure and camaraderie that real-world print journalists experience. They dig for stories and are rewarded for taking initiative, while mastering industry-standard software and hardware. When they work on JIMMC NEWS, they get hands-on training and experience in Reporting, Writing, Editing, Layout and Photography.

Career opportunities

The course enables the student to compete successfully in the job market and to step directly into a career as a print journalist or a content writer/developer/editor. You can work for Magazines, Journals, Newspapers and Websites. As a content writer you can work for all type of companies for their business/product/services brochures, promotional write-ups, press releases, content coordination for media and content for web.

Course Outline
SEMESTER 1 (Two Months Theory)
Paper-1: Media Communication, History and Press Laws
UNIT 1: Communication
  • Communication: Concept and Definition, Nature and Scope
  • Human Needs of Communication: Functions of Communication
  • Types of Communication : Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, Group & Mass Communication
  • Indian Approach to Communication
  • Elements and the Process of Communication
  • Barriers of Communication
  • Communication Theories
UNIT 2: Important Models of Communication
  • Lasswell’s Model
  • Shannon-Weaver’s Model
  • Osgood’s Model
  • Schramm’s Model
UNIT 3: Theories of Communication
  • Mass Media and Society
    • Functions
    • Interactive Perspective
  • Hypodermic or Bullet Theory
  • Psychological or Individual Difference Theory
    • Selective Exposure
    • Selective Perception
  • Personal Influence Theory
    • Two-step Flow
    • Multi-step Flow
  • Sociological Theories of Mass Communication
    • Cultivation Theory
    • Agenda Setting Theory
    • The Uses and Gratification Theory
    • Dependency Theory
  • Normative Theories of Mass Media
    • Authoritarian Theory
    • Free Press Theory
    • Social Responsibility Theory
    • Communist Media Theory
    • Development Communication Theory
    • Democratic-Participant Media Theory
  • Some Other Theories of Mass Media
    • Mass Society Theory
    • Political Economic Media Theory
    • Hegemony Theory
    • Culture and Semiotic Theory
Media History
UNIT 1:
  • Printing Press as Mass Communication Tool
  • Newspapers in 16th century
  • Newspapers in British Rule
  • William Bolt, Hicky’s Gazette and other Newspapers
  • Growth of Hindi, English and other Newspapers
  • Journalism : Pre-Independence and Post-Independence
UNIT 2:
  • Traditional Visual Media: Forms and Relevance
  • Aakashwani and Doordarshan
  • Emergence of Satellite Channels
Media Laws
UNIT 1:
  • Concept , Nature, Scope, and Need
  • Freedom of Speech and Expression : Constitutional Provisions
  • Laws of Libel and Defamation
  • Contempt of Courts Act, 1971
  • Privileges of Parliament / State Legislatures
  • Major Provisions of IPC (1860), Cr PC (1973) Affecting the Media
UNIT 2:
  • Official Secrets Acts, 1923
  • Right to Information Act, 2005
  • Consumer Protection Act
  • Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights
  • Press Council of India
  • Broadcast Guidelines
  • Cyber Laws (IT Act 2000)
  • Convergence Bill
UNIT 3: (Journalistic Ethics:)
  • Social Responsibility and Norms
  • Self-regulation and Media Ethics
  • Confidentiality and Sources
  • Internet Ethics and Issues
  • Censorship: Government and Organizations/Interest Groups
  • Right to Privacy, Invasion in Privacy by Media
  • Laws Related to Vulgarity, Obscenity in Media
Paper II: Information Technology, New Media & Digital Photography
UNIT 1: Computer Basics
  • Hardware and Software, Input-output device
  • What is Information Technology (IT)?
  • Definition, Generations and Basic Components of Computer
  • Input / output Devices, Memory and Other Peripherals
  • Introduction to Operating System
  • Functions and Features of Operating System
UNIT 2: MS Office
  • Introduction to MS Office Suit
  • Introduction to Word Processing
  • MS Word Interface, Tools and Menus
  • Document Editing and Formatting, Mail Merge and Other Tools
  • MS Excel Interface, Tools, and Menus
  • Creating Spreadsheet, Use of Functions, Charts and Graphs
  • MS PowerPoint Interface, Tools and Menus
  • Creating Slides, Inserting Multimedia Objects, Transition and Custom Animation, Delivering Presentations
UNIT 3: Internet and Networking
  • What is networking?
  • Intranet, LAN, WAN and Internet
  • News on the Web
  • Brief History and Services of Internet (E-mail, Blogs)
  • Internet Protocols (FTP, HTTP, TCP / IP)
  • Websites, Portals and Search Engines; Online Newspapers / Channels / Magazines
  • Advantages and Threats in Internet Communication
UNIT 4:
  • What is Online Journalism?
  • Introduction to the Online World
  • Impact of New Media on Journalism
  • Trends in Web/Online Journalism
  • Terms: Internet, www, Online, E-Mail, Blog, Social Media (Facebook, Twitter)
  • Writing and Editing for the Web (Online News Story/ How to Write for Online Journalism)
  • HTML Basics
  • Search Engines and SEO
  • Cyber Crimes and Laws
  • Career Opportunities in Online Journalism
UNIT 5:
  • Digital Photography basics
  • Essential technical knowledge for production, editing and uploading photographs
  • Framing, composition and the rule of thirds
  • Thinking visually; telling stories with pictures
Paper III: Magazine, Feature and Opinion Writing
UNIT 1: Magazine Journalism Basics
  • Why Magazine Journalism? Magazine and their target audiences; Ideas and information: Turning ideas into stories; Advertorial Current trends and future: Researching for magazine stories.
  • Writing: General Skills and Individual Style ;Interview chasing the "quotes" and the 'stars'
  • General Interest and Special Interest Magazines: Week-end Pull-out and Supplements: Online Magazine: Consumer Magazine
  • Freelancing for Magazines and Newspaper Supplements
UNIT 2: Magazine Production
  • Copy-editing, house style, accuracy, copy preparation, copy presentation, headlines, stand-first, captions, cross-head, pull-quotes, symbols, covers
  • Production process: assembling the flat plan (dummy), advertising space and editorial content, production schedule
UNIT 2: Magazine Production
  • Copy-editing, house style, accuracy, copy preparation, copy presentation, headlines, stand-first, captions, cross-head, pull-quotes, symbols, covers
  • Production process: assembling the flat plan (dummy), advertising space and editorial content, production schedule
UNIT 3: Feature
  • Concept and Definition: Elements and Structure
  • Types of Features; Factorization of News : Non-News Feature
  • Story Ideas. Gossip Write-ups
  • Syndicated Features, Feature Agencies: Current Trends and the Future
UNIT 4: Opinion Writing
  • Significance of Opinions
  • Significance of Views and Opinions in Newspapers and Magazines
  • Concept and Format of Edit Page of Newspapers and Magazines
  • Opinion in Correspondent’s Newsletters, Features, Columns, News Reports, City Notes
  • Syndicated Opinion Columns
  • Innovations on the Edit Page; a Package of Opinions, Views, Analysis, Perspectives, Comments and Information, Balancing Opinions and Comments, Debates
UNIT: 5 News- Management Policy & Opinion Writing
  • Researching for opinion write-ups; Comments on news stories;news analysis: Backgrounders
  • Edit meeting and editorial writing: Review: Middles and special articles: Column writing: syndicated Columns
Paper IV: Editing
UNIT 1: Introduction
  • Introduction to Editing; its meaning, concept and importance
  • Organization and functions of the editorial department of a newspaper
  • Preparation, use, and importance of Style Book
  • Editing Symbols and how the computer has revolutionized editing
UNIT 2: Editing- principles
  • Editing- principles, tools and techniques.
  • News room organization.
  • Role and function of copy desk.
  • Art of copy editing, steps and precautions in editing
  • Difference between editing of newspapers, magazines, web editing
UNIT 3: Editing of Copies (10 hrs)
  • Copy writing, Abstracting, Synoptic writing, Excerpting, Slanting, Slanting, Streamlining, Rewriting, Integration, Translation, Transcription, Transliteration etc.
  • Writing the various types of Intro’s & Leads
  • Editing of Feature Pages: Sunday Magazines, Special sections, Special Supplements and City Pullouts
  • Editing of Articles, Features and other stories
UNIT 4: Headlines
  • Effective headline writing – characteristics and techniques
  • Photo editing—selection of photograph, techniques and procedure of cropping, reducing, enlarging of Photographs, Caption and Sub caption writing, Editing of Photo-features, Action and attractive Photographs.
  • Preparation of charts, diagrams, graphs, illustrations and cartoons.
Paper V: REPORTING
UNIT 1: Concept and Definition
  • What is news?
  • Definition and types of news
  • Elements of news / News Values
  • News Sources
  • Concept of reporting
  • Types of reporting
  • News writing skills, News structure, 5W’s and One H and some C’s. Intro and Body
  • Reporting techniques
UNIT 2: Reporters
  • Reporters & Correspondents
  • Meaning & characteristics of a reporter / correspondent- functions
  • Qualities/ ethics of a reporter
  • Coordination between reporting units and the desk
UNIT 3: Types of Reporting
  • Investigative reporting
  • Interpretative reporting
  • Development reporting
  • Special reporting
  • Planned reporting
  • Spot / field reporting
  • Story development & follow-up
UNIT 4: Press Conference
  • Press Conference : comments and reactions after the press conference; Press releases / handouts
  • Interviewing : preparing for the interview, phrasing questions, establishing a rapport; ensuring accuracy; handling sources
UNIT 5: Beat Reporting
  • City, metro, local, regional, bureau and special reporting; principles of covering a beat
  • District administration: local administration; civic bodies; local courts
  • Reporting beats : politics, personal finance, crime, environment, health, science & technology, art & culture, page three, film, consumer affairs, accidents, fire, disasters, obituaries, festivals, ceremonies etc.
Paper VI: Development Communication
UNIT 1: Concept & process of Development
  • Definition and meaning
  • Concept of Development and Sustainable Development: Nature and Scope
  • Indicators of Development and Social Changes
  • Development and Social Changes
  • Development and Five Year Plans of India
UNIT 2: Development Journalism
  • Concept of Development Journalism
  • Development Communication: Its Concept and Process
  • Development Support Communication
  • Models of Development
  • Participatory Model of Development Communication.
  • New Information and Communication Technology and Development.
UNIT 3: Communication and Development
  • Communication & Development
  • Communication gaps in development
  • Appropriate kind of communication for different types of development
UNIT 4: Media and Development
  • Role of Print ,Radio & TV in Development( in Indian context)
  • Mass Media and Development: Various Programmes
  • Traditional and Other Alternative Media of Development
  • Health and Family Planning Programmes and Mass Media
  • Universalization of Education and Education for all
UNIT 5: Media & NGOs (5 hrs)
  • Role of Media & NGO in Development
  • How to Cover NGOs?
  • Comparative Study of Media Covering of NGOs
  • Role of NGOs is Development of Society
UNIT 6: Development Communication in Indian Context
  • Communication Scenario
  • Development Paradoxes
  • Skewed Disparities
  • Social & Economic Development
  • Rural & Urban Development
  • Role Of Development Communication In India
Paper VII: Media Language: Structure, Style & Translation
UNIT 1:
  • Basics of Grammar in Hindi and English
  • Sentence Structures in Active & Passive Voice and in Direct & Indirect Narrations
  • Use of Idioms & Phrases, Words & Terms
UNIT 2:
  • Hard News Translation
  • News Feature Translation
  • Analytical Pieces
  • Non-news Feature Translation; Life Style, etc.
UNIT 3:
  • Translating minimum 5 different news items from English to Hindi and vice versa
  • Translating minimum one creative writing piece of about 500 words
  • Preparing a list of at least 50 words used for the same expression in Hindi and English
UNIT 4:
  • Translating minimum 5 different news items related to national / international events
  • Translating minimum 20 different headlines related to national / international events
  • Translating at least one article on a political event
  • Preparing a glossary of 100 words of Hindi & English, generally used for the same expression for political news stories
SEMESTER - II (Eight Months Practical)
PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENT
  • Comparative Analysis of Different Newspapers (Local, National, International, Sports, Features, Editorials & Opinions)
  • Press Conference, Seminar, Speech Coverage
  • Interview of Personalities
  • Field Reporting
  • Writing Practice (news stories, editorials, opinionated articles, travelogues, obituaries, sports events, art & culture, business, book s, films/theatre reviews, press releases)
  • Lab Journal - JIMMC News
SEMESTER – III (Internship)
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