Paper-I — EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS–I

Marks: 100 (Theory:60, Internals: 40)

Objectives:

The paper shall focus on functional and operational use of language in media. With the specific aim of use in media, it will equip students with competence in language structure, abilities in reading and writing skills of:

• ¾ Close, critical reading of informative and discursive texts in Marathi, Hindi and English
• ¾ Effective presentation in writing (concise statement, use of appropriate organizational and rhetorical patterns and style) Marathi, Hindi and English
• ¾ Efficient oral communication in Marathi, Hindi and English
• ¾ To equip students with structured and analytical thinking skills
• ¾ To teach presentation skills and effective use of presentation aids in Marathi, Hindi and English

Topic of lectures

• Reading
• Writing
• Editing & Summarizing
• Oral Communication
• Thinking.

Paper-II — FUNDAMENTALS OF MASS COMMUNICATION

Marks: 100 (Theory:60, Internals: 40)

Objectives:

• ¾ To introduce the students to communication models and expose them to the various aspects of Mass Communication
• To develop a critical understanding of Mass Media, its potentialities and Impact

Topic of lectures

• Definitions of communication
• Functions of Communication
• Barriers of Communication
• Types of Communication
• Basic Communication models
• An overview of media evolution from Gutenberg to Internet
• Role of Leading Mass Communicators
• The contribution of Bengali and Marathi press towards the Struggle for Independence
• Impact of Mass Media in Indian mass movements.

Paper-III — INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS

Marks: 100 (Theory:60, Internals: 40)

Objectives:

• ¾ To equip the students with a general understanding of computer basics for  everyday use.
• ¾ To train them to use this understanding to supplement their presentation skills.

Topic of lectures

• Computer Basics
• Networking Basics
• Introduction to internet
• Text and Documents Editing and Presentation, Microsoft Word
• MS Excel
• Powerpoint
• Introduction to designing
• Page Layouts (Pagemaker indesign and Quarkxpress)
• Photoshop
• Introduction to Corel Draw.

Paper-IV — LANDMARK EVENTS IN 20TH CENTURY HISTORY OF WORLD, INDIA & MAHARASHTRA

Marks: 100 (Theory:60, Internals: 40)

Objectives:

• ¾ To acquaint the students with important ideas & events that shaped 20^th Century world with emphasis on India & Maharashtra

Topic of lectures

• Introduction
• Ideas & Ideologies That Shaped The World
• Causes and Consequences of the First and Second World Wars
• Era Of Cold  War and emergence of the New World Order
• Brief introduction to SAARC
• Events In India
• India After Independence
• Emergence Of Maharashtra

Paper-V — INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY, THE SOCIOLOGY OF NEWS AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN INDIA

Marks: 100 (Theory:60, Internals: 40)

Objectives:

• ¾ Provide a sociological understanding of the basic concepts and perspectives relevant to mass-media.
• ¾ To make the students aware of Indian Society’s socio- cultural diversity  and their responsibility as media personnel.
• ¾ To sensitize them to pressing social issues of the contemporary Indian society.
• ¾ To know and to understand origins & spread of the
• ¾ various social movements in India

Topic  of Lectures

• Introduction to Sociology
• Role of Media in Society
• Dalit And OBC Movement
• Dravidian Movement
• Class Movements
• Hindutva Movement
• Linguistic Movements
• Feminist Movements
• Islamic Movements in India
• Shaping Of Consumer Consciousness In the Era Of Globalization.

Paper- IV — INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMICS

Marks: 100 (Theory:60, Internals: 40)

Preamble:

In the day to day functioning of an economy, a large number of economic terminologies are used frequently in the media. The main objective of this paper is to familiarize the students of mass media with the fundamental concepts of economics so that their analytical ability can be strengthened. To achieve this, the paper is to be taught with practical relevance. Wherever applicable, reference is to be made in the context of Indian economy.

Topic of Lectures

Section-I

• Basic Concepts of Microeconomics:
• Nature and scope of Micro Economics
• Market forces of demand and supply
• Production function: short run and long run
• Cost of Production: Meaning
• Introduction to the competitive markets

Section-II

• I. Fundamentals of Macroeconomics
• Basic Concepts of income aggregates
• Introduction to Money, Banking and Public Finance
• Introduction to External Sector

II. India in a globalised world.

Cinema! The mere sound of this word excites and mesmerises many people. Cinema is one of the most powerful means of mass media. The impact of cinema on the minds of the people, irrespective of their age, is profound.

The history of cinema dates backs 1895, when the Lumiere brothers first invented the motion pictures. The invention of moving pictures left people spellbound. This development paved way for the birth of Indian Cinema in 1913.  Dhundiraj Govind Phalke produced the first Indian silent movie titled ‘Raja Harishchandra.’  Since then, Indian cinema has only grown and prospered.

Being such a popular medium, the impact that cinema has on the people is obvious and notable. The most important function of cinema is entertainment. But besides that, there are a number of functions that cinema performs.

For one it lets people believe that good triumphs over evil. Certain movies are made to make people aware of the evils that are prevalent in human customs and traditions. They also show how the culture and traditions followed by us have transformed from what they were in the ancient societies to what they currently are.

Watching movies of an era gone by makes us feel proud of our rich national heritage. The fact that we share a common history develops a feeling of belonging-ness and this helps in national integration.

There is an increase in the number of movies that deal with social issues and personal disabilities. Examples of these would be movies like ‘Black’, ‘Taare Zameen Par’, ‘Paa’, ‘Guzaarish’ and so on. It is movies like these that open our minds to situations and people that we otherwise overlook. This goes to show that cinema is a rather powerful tool of social influence. The government can use it to propagate its welfare programmes such as adult literacy, child education, hygiene etc.

But then every coin has two sides. In spite of the fact that cinema has many positives and that it is a boon to society in many ways, its negative aspects cannot be overlooked.

Today, cinema is too violent. Violence, atrocities on women/children and society, and sexually explicit content are shown under the pretext of ‘artistic expression’. This sends wrong signals to the young generation. The kind of language used in the movies is also not decent anymore. Swear words are becoming part and parcel of daily conversation in almost all movies. As a result of this, children and youngsters think it is cool to use swear words freely as and when they please.

Children and the young generation have impressionable minds. Especially in an age when cinema celebrities are considered next to God and are Hero worshiped, the fact that people readily following their favourite celebrity is not surprising. Anything done by the actors on screen is taken to be real and is in turn followed. This trend can take a hazardous turn when the actors (under the guise of a character) do or promote something which is either illegal or immoral.

Nonetheless, it largely falls on us to interpret cinema correctly. It is our choice to either see their positives or embrace the negatives. And hopefully, we will make a smart choice.

This article is for all those who want to be writers as it aims to help you understand how you can edit an article and make it crisp and worth reading.
Here are some editing rules that you need to keep in mind:
Rule #1:
Collect all the information you need to write about the topic and jot it all down on paper.
Also, make sure you are in a silent environment. Ideally, it should be you, your paper, your pen and your head bursting with ideas.

Rule #2:

After you’re done brainstorming and writing down your initial ideas, align them in a particular order; the order being: Head, Body and Conclusion.
Every great article has a catchy beginning, a comprehensive middle and a satisfying conclusion. Your reader mustn’t feel that there was ‘something missing’ in the article.

Rule #3:
Now you must edit your article. Cut out all that you think is unimportant. Stay within the prescribed word limit. Make sure the content is crisp, to the point and relevant. Do not stray from the topic.

Rule #4:
Do not use short forms unless necessary. If you do use them, make sure you specify what the abbreviation stands for.
Example, IPL (Indian Premier League), APMC Market, Vashi (Agricultural Produce Market Committee)

Rule #5:
Don’t use short messaging service (SMS) language. Writing stuff like ‘Lyk, IDK!, LOL, FYI, DYN’ is unacceptable. Use of the words ‘like’, ‘I mean’, ‘etc’, ‘whatever’, ‘as if’ should be kept to a minimum.

Rule #6:
Learn the usage of Terminal Marks [ ! ? . ] and Secondary Bound Marks [ : ; , – ]

1. An exclamation question like, ‘Harry! Are you alright?!’ will always have the use of ‘?’ followed by ‘!’ and not vice-versa. However, such usage is considered informal.
2. ‘:’ is used to introduce a list of extract or quotation that follows an introductory sentence, or to denote hours and minutes, etc.
3. ‘;’ is used to separate two independent thoughts in a sentence lessening the use of conjunctions.

Rule #7:
You can always fill make use of quotes and examples that will make your article interesting and keep your reader hooked.

Rule #8:
Re-read your article multiple times to ensure that you haven’t made any mistakes.

Rule #9:
For honing your writing skills, read newspapers, magazines and internet articles.
In fact, don’t just read but learn from them – the words they use, the flow of the story, the separation between paragraphs etc.

Rule #10:
Enjoy the process!

Of all the ads that you are exposed to daily, majority of them showcase women. The products (be it a deodorant for men, an apartment, a car or a home loan) in these ads do not necessarily cater to women, but then a woman is used to sell them. These ads create a specific image of women in order to market their product. However, the audience fails to understand that such ads try to manipulate the masses.  Usually, a mediocre company tries to sell its mediocre products by using a female model with a slim and sexy body, whose purpose is to attract attention. This way people remember the girl in the ad, the product she is endorsing and will purchase that product keeping the girl in mind, not the use and features of the product. In the case of products targeted at men, the use of females as sex objects is all the more because the presence of a woman is more than enough to catch the attention of men.  For example, all the axe body spray ads feature a string of good looking female models that pout and drool over the man using that particular deodorant. From a women’s perspective, this ad may not make sense but from a man’s point of view, the ad is simply awesome because it makes him believe that using this product will make him desirable to the ladies.

Consumer advertising projects an unrealistic image of women whose main features/qualities are being thin, having a fair unblemished complexion, and looking good. This significantly affects the way women think about themselves. Such ads suggest to women and girls that the only important thing about them is the way they look, causing many women to believe that their self-worth is dependent on the attention they receive from men which in turn depends on their looks. Like, the woman in the fairness cream ad who cannot get a job because she is dark skinned. Or the woman in the Clean and Dry Intimate Wash ad who feels her husband is not attracted to her because she isn’t fair ‘down under’. We know this to be highly exaggerated and downright false. But then these ads talk the language of the society and hence they work. This reinforcements of stereotypes works against the breaking of specific moulds in which women are carved.

A lot of ads portray women as sex objects. This is highly demeaning and degrading. An example of this is the GoDaddy.com ads. In most cases, the product has got nothing to do with sex or women, but still the tone of the ads is such so as to attract maximum attention.

Commoditisation of women as sex objects has a very detrimental effect on girls and women. The constant abuse of women’s sexuality to sell products in the beer, sports, film and music industries, for example, has completely distorted our understanding of sexuality and gender roles. “Sex sells” is one of the mantras of advertising.  Whether you want it or not, women are a huge part of today’s advertising business and the masses are totally besotted with ads that do have a female model in it.

As you see, a certain style of portrayal is what shapes perceptions of the society and the women who live in this society. One begets the other, and thus a vicious circle is set into motion. If we want to stop projecting women as sexual objects and commodities then we need to ensure they are not portrayed as such in advertisements. It follows, that ads which show women in a bad light must be banned so that society is not influenced by them.

Before I begin to tell you what TV Journalism is all about, let me tell you why should you take up Journalism in the first place.

“Journalism can never be silent; it must speak and speak immediately while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumphs and signs of horror are still in the air.”

Journalism today can easily be equated with power: the power of gaining and spreading knowledge, the power to shape public opinion, the power to stir people into action, the power to experience the wonderful sights and sounds of the world and sometimes to witness scenes of utter devastation. With such power comes responsibility; the responsibility to ensure that the Truth Always Triumphs. And this is what journalism asks of all journalists: responsible use of the power they have.

TV journalism is a highly adventurous field which is as full of thrills as it is full of thorns. Just imagine this: You are covering an India-Pak match. You get the best possible view, you get to live the jubilation of the winning team, you get to feel the pulse of the maddening crowd and you get to interview first-hand all the famous cricketers whom you have seen on TV up until now.

While every journalist would love to cover such happy events, there are times when he is compelled to cover incidents like 26/11. It is these events which test a journalist as he is required to keep his angst aside and calmly present an unbiased report.

That’s how unpredictable, demanding and challenging the world of Television Journalism is and it is this volatility which makes it so exciting.

Being a TV journalist requires you to think objectively with clinical precision and not let your emotions get the better of you. It expects you to be a quick thinker and be on your feet 24×7, because who knows when and where the next breaking news will crop up?! TV journalism is a field that allows you to see the world through a microscope, to get to the depth of things and unearth all the details. It also gives one the opportunity to travel and interview dignitaries. One day you will be in a remote village in Assam to interview the local do-good panchayat and the other day you will be probably flown into Miami to cover a major happening/event.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Remember that you will start small and will be expected to do ‘boring’ routines in your first year at work. Your hunger to move ahead and learn is what will help you climb the ladder and grow as a TV journalist. The money will come and so will the recognition, but all of this won’t be possible without sheer hard work, dedication, and continued focus. You must know that you will lead a fast-paced life; you will have to report on-the-spot with no script in hand, report without giving personal opinion and sound interesting too.

T.V. journalism is a world of glamour and of cut throat competition, a world where one report can make you a star and the other a loser. So those who are always looking for an adrenaline rush and who want to be in the thick of things, I must tell you that TV journalism is the right choice for you.

Newspapers are a tool used to gain insight and information into the happenings around the world. Be it in any language, newspapers are a tried and tested source of information that have survived the test of time. In the day and age of social media and live-time news, one may argue that newspapers are losing relevance. But let’s be honest, one’s day is not complete till the morning papers have been read!

A newspaper contains several beats. Crime, City, Politics, Science and Technology, Business, Entertainment, Sports, Travel, Education etc. are examples of such beats.  Politics, Crime and City are beats that are fill up majority of the space in a daily. Now, let’s take a look at each section and get to know what it covers.

Politics: There can never be a day when there is nothing substantial to report on politics. Therefore, it only follows that a newspaper dedicates substantial space and columns to this topic. Right from party politics, to complete election coverage, to political under-currents in the country, a newspaper covers them all.

City: The city section of any newspaper is of utmost relevance to the people who reside in that particular city. This section covers *everything* that is happening in the city: from local travel problems, to crime, to infrastructure issues, lifestyle concerns and so on.

Crime: This particular beat showcases the victims and perpetrators of all kinds of crimes. Be it city crimes, or ones that capture the imagination of the nation (like the Aarushi Talwar murder case), the crime beat reports them all. It also focuses on what the police/community are doing to combat crime and to rid the city of it.

Science and Technology: This beat includes research work and contribution of scientists to the field of science and technology. This beat covers less space as it does not excite the layman much. However, there are regular columns on technological and scientific developments that have the potential to change the world.

Business:  An extremely important beat, the business section provides us with news on the stock markets, world economies, and the general on-goings in the world of business. It also publishes interviews with business leaders and their expert take on all that is happening in the business world. While there are business newspapers which everyone in the business community subscribes to, the dailies give substantial space and importance to this beat.

Entertainment: Given India’s obsession with entertainment and sensationalism, most newspapers are succumbing to the demands of the customer and feeding them exaggerated news. Newspapers that offer ‘spiced up’ news are quite in demand. Since, not all news can be packaged as gossip, newspapers give ‘free’ supplements along with the main copy that are filled with ad-hoc gossip, rumours and popcorn information. Bombay Times is the best example of such a supplement.

Sports: This beat covers the last pages of any newspaper and will mostly be filled with cricket news (that is if India is playing). However, with the increased interest in different sports, more space is being dedicated to football, tennis, F1 and so on. Newspapers are now making sure there is something for every sports lover!

Editorial: This is the page in a newspaper that is read by almost everyone. The editorial contains opinions by various experts, the editor and people of knowledge on a variety of current issues. These steer away from merely reporting and go on to give opinions and advice on a particular topic of concern.

While a newspaper may choose to cover some beats and ignore a couple of others, the above mentioned ones are sure to find a place in all dailies.

Research has revealed that the media is responsible for influencing a major part of our daily life. Media has the power to call for a change in the attitudes and beliefs of the common man. The persuasive nature of the content presented in the media influences the thoughts and behavioural pattern of the general public. Therefore, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that media has a direct impact on the lifestyle and nature of society.

While most countries have gifted their citizens the freedom of speech and expression, some countries try to counter the abuse of this right by a select few by restricting the way in which this speech and expression are received. Basically, while you’re allowed to say anything you want and do whatever your heart desires (as long as it is within the legal framework), you may not be free to listen or to appreciate someone else’s speech or action (one that is deemed to be volatile or anti-social by a government body or the society). This is the whole crux of censorship; censoring or banning content (and its reception) that is deemed volatile, harmful to society and counter-productive.

But who decides what is volatile, counter-productive or harmful to national security/society? How is content to be classified as worthy of censoring or not?

It is governmental bodies and unwritten-yet-widely-followed-societal-norms that decide what needs to be censored or not. For example, most countries call for complete censorship of pornographic material. If aired on TV, or available on other easily accessible forms of media, this form of content can corrupt children and create havoc in the society. Similarly, violence and violent content, content that can hurt religious sentiments too demand complete censorship.

Also, the amount of censorship or the cut-off level which defines what to show and what not to show differs from country to country. One of the most common ways of media censorship is by enforcing age-limits. This means that people below a certain pre-determined age cannot view or be exposed to a certain form on content.

However, it is not so simple and easy to define what can be censored and when and how. Many burning questions demand immediate answers. How much freedom is good? What needs to censored and why? What’s the point of your right to speak if there is no one to listen to what you are saying? Doesn’t the very concept of censorship clash with the idea of democracy? If we allow censorhip, then what is the difference between democracy and dictatorship?

We all know and agree that media has brought about a major transformation in the way the masses think. Media has given them an excellent platform to present themselves before the world and to contribute in their own way to the changing world scenario. It is responsible for shrinking the world further.I think, media censorship is all about degree; about how much to show and how much to hide. I’d like to end by saying that if used properly, censorship serves as a valuable tool; if not then our right to creative freedom is at stake.

The immense progress in the fields on technology and communications has affected the way consumers’ process information, favouring rapid and efficient information exchange and interactivity. People are now favouring internet advertising which draws them into the feel and vibe of the brand them, rather than the ‘one-way’ advertising done via television, newspapers, magazines that simply informs and doesn’t give the consumer a chance to participate or engage with the brand. Keeping this trend in mind, one has seen the emergence and increasing importance of Viral Advertising.

What is viral advertising?

Technically speaking, viral marketing and / or advertising refers to marketing techniques that make use of social networks to bring about an increase in brand awareness, via a self-replicating viral process (something similar to the self-replication of a bacterial virus).

Many times, viral advertising refers to an offline process where the brand message spreads by word-of-mouth (from one consumer to the next). Such W-O-M (word-of-mouth) campaigns run on the principle of basic human nature i.e. a person will tell Three people about a service of product he likes and about Eleven people about a service or product he does not.  Therefore, if a consumer takes to a brand he will talk good about it and this positive spread of message (viral) will immensely help the brand in the long run. As opposed to, if he critics the brand, then his negative outburst will deter future customers from engaging with the brand, thus harming the brand.

Viral advertising types and examples

There is a common misconception that viral advertising is can be executed only on internet. But the truth is that many companies prefer offline viral advertising because of its high reach and low operating costs. So, viral advertising includes the online and offline activities performed by marketers in order to make the message viral and generate sufficient ‘buzz’ or ‘W-O-M’ for the brand.

Flash games, images, text messages, funny video clips, songs and advergames are the various tools that comprise of a viral campaign.

Examples of successful viral campaigns are:

• The “whassup?” viral ad from Budweiser
• Trojan condoms’ 2004 ‘Sex Olympics’ campaign
• Kolaveri Di – 3

Popularity and Cost Effectiveness

Viral advertising is personal and even though it is from an identified sponsor, it does not mean the companies pay for its distribution. Most of the classical viral ads circulating online start off as ads paid for by the sponsor brand, launched either on their own platform (company webpage or social media profile) or on social media websites such as YouTube. Consumers get the page link from there or copy the entire ad and forward it through e-mail or by posting it on a blog, webpage, and social media profile. In this ‘no cost’ manner, the word spreads and the brand emerges the ultimate winner. Thanks to social media platforms, it is becoming very easy for brands to simply get the word out and gather a large following.

Future of Viral advertising

In the Internet era, viral advertising presents itself as a huge opportunity, especially for companies who want low cost advertising solution. Moreover, viral ads can also be used for products that do not have the benefit of the “wow” factor. Create a funny video, a great song or a super game around the brand and it is sure to generate buzz. The biggest advantage of viral advertising is that it’s under the control of the consumers. And since, consumer is the king, and he likes viral advertising, it is here to stay.