An Evaluation of Journalism Training: Social and Professional Utility
The report of the First Press Commission has recommended that minimum wage for journalists should be based on minimum eligibility criteria for entering the profession. Though the Commission was of the view that preference should be given to those holding a degree or diploma in journalism, it should not restrict others from entering the profession.1
The Second Press Commission (1982), too, stressed the need for special training as criteria for entering the profession as in the case of a lawyer or a medical practitioner. “Training in journalism should be encouraged but it should not be made mandatory to require license”.2 What the first and second Press Commissions had suggested, albeit cautiously, has now turned into the minimum eligibility to be a journalist or work with any media organization. With the availability of a good number of degree or diploma holders in journalism, it is important to know if the profession has really gained something worthwhile and if the journalists trained at various institutions are really enjoying the profession.
Survey Methodology: A survey on the above mentioned hypothesis was conducted by Media Studies Group. Devashish Prasoon/Vijay Pratap were leading this survey. Students of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) were interviewed online for the purpose. Established in 1970s with the help from UNESCO and Ford Foundation, the IIMC is undoubtedly one of the best institutes of training in media and journalism.3
Main objective of the IIMC was to do research and training on the use of mediums of mass communication with reference to socio-economic necessities of the country.4 After the IIMC took up its dedicated task of training in media and journalism, many institutions including those of media organizations started their own training networks. The IIMC is still among the best comparing its faculty and resources. It runs several different courses such as Hindi journalism, English journalism, Radio and Television journalism, advertisement and public relations and Odia journalism at its Odisa centre. Media organizations prefer to hire the IIMC educated students for their organization.5 This survey is based on the information furnished by the IIMC students from 1984-85 to 2009-10 batches.
Publication of survey: Media Studies Group is also publishing this survey like previous surveys in his Monthly Journal ; Jan Media ( Hindi) and Mass Media ( English) . Anil Chamadia, chairman of the group is editor of both journals.
Nature of the Respondents
Those who were interviewed 57.75% respondents belong to Hindi journalism, 23.94% from English journalism, 12.68% from Radio and TV journalism and 5.63% from Advertisement and Public Relations.
Batch-wise respondents
Year Percentage
|
2009-10
|
25.35%
|
|
2008-09
|
21.13%
|
|
2007-08
|
9.86%
|
|
2005-06
|
7.75%
|
|
2004-05
|
6.34%
|
|
2006-07
|
4.93%
|
|
2002-03
|
4.23%
|
|
Other
|
20.41%
|
State-wise distribution of responders
|
Bihar
|
26.62%
|
|
Utter Pradesh
|
23.74%
|
|
Jharkhand
|
7.91%
|
|
Delhi
|
5.04%
|
|
Orissa
|
3.60%
|
|
Rajasthan
|
5.04%
|
|
Madhya Pradesh
|
4.32%
|
|
Assam
|
2.88%
|
|
Uttrakhand
|
3.60%
|
|
West Bengal
|
3.60%
|
|
Other
|
13.65 %
|
As many as 70.15% respondents were from upper castes, 17.91% from other backward castes, 6.72% from scheduled castes and 6.22% from scheduled tribes. Among them 73.19% were male respondents and 26.81% female respondents.
Religion-wise Distribution of the respondents
|
Hindu
|
89.21%
|
|
Muslim
|
1.44%
|
|
Christian
|
2.88%
|
|
Buddhist
|
0.72%
|
|
Sikh
|
0.72%
|
|
Other
|
5.4%
|
Replying to the query where they lived during their childhood 29.93% respondents said that they were brought up in the city area, 29.93% claimed to be coming from towns , only 19.71% hailed from rural areas and 12.41% came from the middle class families living in the metropolis. A small fraction of 5.11% respondents came from hill areas.
Responding to other pointed question about what was the economic condition of their families particularly while they were in schools, overwhelmingly 59.70 percent of them said that they belonged to lower middle class, 29.85% were from upper middle class, 8.96% were from lower class and 1.49% were from upper class. Pertinent to note that 64.83 percent respondents did their schooling in Hindi medium, 28.28% in English medium, 3.45% in Odia medium and 0.69% in Telugu medium. But, currently 54.48% respondents are working in Hindi and 40.30% do their official work in English.
From 106 alumni from Indian Institutes of Mass Communication, 64.04% work in the National Capital Region of Delhi, 18.87% work in the state capitals and 11.32% in district headquarters. Information about reaming is not available.
Analysis
- More professionals choosing not to be in media
As per the survey, only 73.24% professionals are associated with one or another type of communication media. More than a quarter have left media and working with other organizations. Those who are in media, 85.98% are associated with mainstream journalism organizations, 5.77% with public relations, 2.88% with ad industry, 0.96% with technical services and 4.81% with related services.
Those in the mainstream journalism, 32.28% are working with newspapers, 25.98% with television, 13.39% with cyber medium, 8.66% with radio and 7.09% with magazines. 12.60% students are working at other places.
2. 70.80% engaged by private companies
There is a section of journalists who think that they are regular in the profession. As many as 57.55% of journalists claimed that they are in the regular category. A regular journalist means one who is employed under the Working Journalist Act. It is well known that private companies neither follow it nor do they provide employment according to the Act. So, most of the journalists are under the impression that since they are continuously working with an organization, they are regular in the profession. As many as 42.45% journalists admitted that there job is contractual. Moreover, 14.16% of the respondents are working with government organizations. A small portion, 3.54% are engaged in their own business while 7.96% are doing other things.
- Minimum wages and new journalists
The survey reveals a stunning fact that one third journalists (33.63%) got their first salary as low as Rs. 5000. And 36.28% journalists obtained between Rs. 5000 to Rs. 10,000 as their first salary. It means that 69.91% of new journalists received below Rs. 10,000 as their initial salary.
Some of the respondents said that they got only Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 3,000 as their first salary – less than the minimum prescribed wage. Neither they get any identity card nor were they provided with any salary slip.
A total of 27.43% said their first payment was between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000. When asked about the current salary status, 36.79% confessed that they are getting between Rs. 10,000 to 20,000. Only 25.47% are salaried at a higher wage category of Rs. 20,000 to Rs 35,000 and 10.38% journalists are among the highest salary level i.e. Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 60,000.
- Facilities to media persons: Of a total of 142 respondents, 21 answered that they are being provided free ‘pick and drop’ service by their employer, while 7 were provided with a car on permanent basis. Among the respondents 19 said they owned motorcycle, 8 owned scooters, and 26 owned a car. But majority of the respondents said that they do not have any vehicle. Those without a vehicle counted 64 or 54.70% of the total.
- Economic status: Economic status of the journalists can be judged from the fact that 56.64% of the journalists do not own any home and they live in rented houses. And 30.97% of them do have their home but they have inherited it from their parents. Only 6.19% of the journalists could manage for themselves an MIG flat while 5.31% owned HIG flat. When talking about insurance, 37.50% of journalists have bought life insurance while 62.50% do not have any life insurance policy.
- Job satisfaction: As many as 53.21% respondents said that they are somewhat satisfied with their work while 24.77% said that they are fully happy with their work. And 16.51% of the journalists answered that they are not happy with their nature of the work. Also, 5.50% made such remarks which could be concluded that they are not satisfied at their work. As far as the search for some better opportunity concerned that of the 111 media persons, 14 media persons changed 3 jobs, 19 changed 2 jobs, 23 changed one job, 6 changed 4 jobs, 3 changed 5 jobs and two each changed 6, 7 and 8 jobs. Three media persons claimed to have changed more than 10 jobs while 37 media persons were stagnant at their previous organizations.
- Female journalists after marriage: There was a separate question to the female journalists whether they continued their job or left it after their marriage? As many as 15 female journalists responded to the question saying they continued their job after marriage.
Conclusion
Condition of the media persons passing out from country’s topmost institute cannot be assumed as good. Many of them even do not get minimum wage as per their qualification. Also, they are not encouraged for their better work. Most of the trained journalists cannot afford the minimum requirements of their life. Most of them live in rented houses and travel by public transport. This is a major reason for the shifting of media persons from the profession to other areas for livelihood.
Suggestion
Anil Chamadia , the chairman of the group has suggested that the institutions offering training in journalism, are required to have a critical evaluation of training in journalism and social training in journalism. Difference between social training and institutional training of journalism and their impact and concern could be the base to this evaluation.
Survey Findings
What was your first salary?
|
Salary
|
Number of respondents
|
Average (%)
|
|
Less than 5000/-
|
38
|
33.63
|
|
5000-10,000
|
41
|
36.28
|
|
10,001-20,000
|
31
|
27.43
|
|
20,001-35,000
|
1
|
0.88
|
|
Other
|
2
|
1.77
|
What is your current salary status?
|
Payment
|
Number of respondents
|
Average (%)
|
|
Less than 5000/-
|
1
|
0.94
|
|
5000-10,000
|
21
|
19.18
|
|
10,001 – 20,000
|
39
|
36.79
|
|
20,001 – 35,000
|
27
|
25.47
|
|
35,001 – 60,000
|
11
|
10.38
|
|
60,001 – 85,000
|
2
|
1.89
|
|
More than 1,20,000
|
3
|
2.83
|
|
Other
|
2
|
1.89
|
In which type of organization do you work?
|
Organization
|
Number of respondents
|
Average (%)
|
|
Private Company
|
80
|
70.80
|
|
Government Job
|
16
|
14.16
|
|
Firm
|
4
|
3.54
|
|
NGO
|
2
|
1.77
|
|
Cooperation
|
2
|
1.77
|
What was the economic situation of your family at your schooling?
|
Status
|
Number of respondents
|
Average (%)
|
|
Upper class
|
2
|
1.49
|
|
Upper middle class
|
40
|
29.85
|
|
Lower Middle Class
|
80
|
59.70
|
|
Lower class
|
12
|
8.96
|
To which social group you belong to?
|
Social Group
|
Number of respondents
|
Average (%)
|
|
Upper Casts
|
94
|
70.15
|
|
Other Backward Casts
|
24
|
17.91
|
|
Scheduled Casts
|
9
|
6.72
|
|
Scheduled Tribes
|
7
|
5.22
|
Which vehicle do you own?
|
Vehicle
|
Number of respondents
|
Average (%)
|
|
Car
|
26
|
22.22
|
|
Motor cycle
|
19
|
16.24
|
|
Scooter
|
8
|
6.84
|
|
None
|
64
|
54.70
|
Do you own any house?
|
Ownership
|
Number of respondents
|
Average (%)
|
|
Yes, Hereditary
|
35
|
30.97
|
|
Yes, HIG
|
6
|
5.31
|
|
Yes, MIG
|
7
|
6.19
|
|
Yes, Janta flat
|
1
|
0.88
|
|
None
|
64
|
54.64
|
In which region are you posted?
|
Region
|
Number of respondents
|
Average (%)
|
|
Delhi & NCR
|
70
|
66.04
|
|
State Capitals
|
20
|
18.87
|
|
District headquarter
|
12
|
11.32
|
|
Foreign
|
4
|
3.77
|
Reference:
1. Report of the first press commission, page 196
2. Report of the second press commission, page 179
3. A survey by Outlook magazine – 2012
5. Based on the conversation among students and teachers of the IIMC
Read more
सवाल आईआईएमसी के कर्णधारों से भी करना चाहिए। वो कैसे प्रोफेशनल तैयार कर रहे हैं। सिर्फ विचार का ज्ञान ओर यूटोपिया से भरी बात और मौका मिले तो खुद सब पाने को सब करने को तैयार… लड़के जब उस कैम्पस से बाहर निकल कर विचार को अमलीजामा पहनाने के लिए जब एक दूसरे कैम्पस पहुंचते हैं तो वहां उन्हें एकदम उलट दुनिया मिलती है। मैं यह बात आईआईएमसी के ताजा बैच के 18 बच्चों के साथ कई दिनों के लगातार विमर्श के बाद कह रहा हूं।
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