Seldom can one find a job where people can work in different aspects as it has been in the field of journalism. Mass communication and journalism is about reporting of news and making it reach, to as many people as possible. Print media is one of such resources in journalism, which mainly depends on the printed materials for expressing news and views and people who are involved in such a work are commonly known as journalists.
With the huge diversification in the sources of disbursement of news, many other media have come into focus such as the television and internet. But the testimony of the fame of printed news materials is got from the fact that about 4000 small, medium and large newspapers, magazines and journals are registered with the Registrar of Newspapers and found in the country and read by people.
For the beginner and novice in the field of journalism, it might seem that print media is about writing down news in form of columns in the long sheets of paper. But it is logical only to realise that there is much to do beyond the realms of the newspapers. Whenever an event has occurred or happened in some part of the country or the world, the information is to be first gathered. Then, the details of the incidence and the truth associated with it are to be deciphered.
It is after all, the responsibility of the journalist to make sure that people who are reading their printed articles are entitled to get the correct information. Hence, the seriousness of the work is never questionable. Apart from the journalists who gather and report the news, the print media will also require photographers, artists, editors, librarians, computer professionals, digital experts, cartoonists. A reporter should also have the ability to understand the news, analyse it and present it in a way that enthuses a sense of interest in the reader. Students who are having a knack for writing lucidly, have the curiosity and skill to analyse an event, and are trained in the particular field, can go for the career in print media. Some of the possibly important profiles of work in the print media are:
Editing –
Editing is one of the key responsibilities in a newspaper or a magazine. It is the work of the editor to take care of the contents in any printed material on the whole. To take up the responsibility of different sections, there are sub-editors who give a shape to the story provided by the journalist. Such people should have an innovative mindset and should be aware of the various newspaper laws. They should know how to put the contents in the pages so as to attract the readers. Market trends and study of the newspaper performance is also a requisite. Efforts are required to be made on a constant basis to improve the newspaper so that it is read by maximum number of people.
The other work profiles are inclusive of reporting, freelancing, column writing, cartoonists, artists and sketching, photojournalism, etc. These are subsets of the complete picture where people interested in print media are able to work in the group to give a product that appeal to the masses. Along with being a responsible job, a career in print media could be the opportunity to showcase one’s creativity with words, pictures and finally spaces.