So you want to pursue Media Studies...

With the current media boom in Pakistan, Media Sciences is fast becoming one of the most popular career options.

David Ogilvy, the Father of Advertising, once wrote, “In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create”. When it is about creativity, a surge of novel ideas and concepts are being remarkably updated with the current happenings, Media Sciences might prove to be one of the appropriate fields catering to your interests. It is all about the power of effectively articulating one’s thoughts in written, verbal or graphic genres.

Media Sciences is alternatively referred to as Media Studies, Mass Communication or Communication Studies in different universities offering the subject. The courses might also vary from one to the other. However, a general list of disciplines incorporated under this subject is as follows:

Broadcast Media, Print Media, Electronic Media, Photography, Production, Journalism, Theatre, Film and Drama, Graphics and Animation, Advertising, Public Relations, Media Management.

Career options

There is a wide variety of options available to a Media Scientist as per the courses mentioned. A Media Scientist can work under either of the following broad domains, the choices being interchangeable.

Television Channels

In the electronic media, it depends on the type of work that one opts for. In a news room setup, it ranges from news reporting, writing and editing to news production and news anchoring. In a much lighter setup, one could aspire for film/drama/program production, script writing or acting. It also incorporates a separate graphic designing and animation section.

Newspaper Organisations

In a print media setup, one could again choose from being a news reporter, writer or a sub editor. Graphic designing also makes a part of print media.

Radio Broadcasting

It includes avenues from producing daily programmes and news to content writing and hosting programs.

Advertising Agencies

The potentials of a graphic designer, an animator and a copywriter can be truly unleashed in ad agencies. A photographer can work in all the three realms vis-à-vis TV channels, newspaper organisations and for ad agencies.

Public Relations Firms or Media Consultants

A PR firm awaits you if you know the right words to influence people. It refers to a particular department of any organization which is in continuous contact with media organisations to help maintain a public image.

What is required?

• Ability to be critical

• Up-to-date with existing trends

• Creativity

• Good orating skills

• A rational and systematic thinker

• An excellent reader, listener and writer

Where to go?

There are a number of public and private universities that offer the subject under the title of Media Sciences, Mass Communication, Media Studies and Communication Studies/Sciences. These are:

Media Sciences:

SZABIST — Karachi, Larkana and Islamabad

IMS Institute of Media Sciences — Islamabad

IQRA University — Karachi

Mass Communication:

University of Karachi

Federal Urdu University, Karachi

University of Sindh, Jamshoro

University of Punjab

Lahore College for Women University

University of Balochistan
National University of Modern Languages — Islamabad (Mastersand PhD)

NUST Business School, Islamabad (Bachelors)

Allama Iqbal Open University (Masters)

University of Peshawar (Masters and PhD)

Gomal University, D I Khan (Masters and PhD)

Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan (Masters and PhD)

Media Studies:

Kinnaird College for Women Lahore

The Islamia University of Bahawalpur

Communication Studies/Sciences:

Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi

Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi

University of Sargodha

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2010.