Mass Communication involves using the many forms of mass media to communicate with the public. This can be in form of verbal communication, Non- verbal communication, intrapersonal and interpersonal communication group and public communication across cultural or international communication. The media communication also includes the following.
- Print Media: Books, Magazines, Newspapers
- Broadcasting Media: Television, Radio
- Narrowcast Media: Film and Cinema, Cable television
- Online Media: Online newspaper and magazines, blogs, internets radio.
Mass communications professionals are therefore those who are practising newspaper journalism, broadcast production and media management magazines, public relation, advertising, business, online journalism, videography and photo communications.
Mass communication has three major branches which include Journalism, Public Relation and Advertainment. These three branches are closely related in a way that professionals in each field often interact with each other in other to work. let me give an example an online journalist cannot do without a marketer(advertiser) for his work to go beyond his domain.
Journalism career gives you an opportunity to for big organization or companies like television and radio broadcasting stations or online publications. Journalist includes reporters, editors and photographers at print or online outlets such as newspaper, magazines, or news website or blogs.
Broadcasting and some online publications also hire reporters, anchors, producers and videographers. These jobs involve typically researching, analyzing assign topics. Public relations managers and specialist promote the organization to the public in a variety of ways. Public relation professionals can work within an organization or they are part of a firm or agency that works with multiple client organizations.
Careers in public relations take many forms. Some professionals focus on seeking out positive media attention for a client while some specialize in crisis communications and managing public images during difficult times. In addition, some public relation targets communications efforts for an internal audience within an organization.
Careers in advertising include positions on both the creative side and business side. Professionals on the creative side mostly focus on the development and productions of advertising campaigns for online, prints, and broadcast distributions. For the business side, career opportunities exist with agencies and media outlets. At agencies, advertising professionals manage both agency clients and the creative professional develop campaigns and they also create media buying plans. Advertising professionals at media organization manage the sales of advertising time or space to organization or individuals. In each of the branches of mass communications, social platform such as Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Whatsapp, and YouTube are now essential tools used in advertising. This development has opened up new career opportunities within each of these branches creating jobs opportunities for the advantages of using social media channels to make a living.
The curriculum of mass communication is designed to enable to students to gain expertise in various areas of the mass media and to understand the principle of mass communication with an opportunity to develop techniques in written and audio-visual communications. It focuses on cross-media journalistic and technology skills, research and communication skills, broadcasting programming and production, media management and sales, digital communication and knowledge of concepts, ethics, laws, and history of mass communication.
Among these are the courses offered in Mass Communications
- Introductions of Mass Communications
- Mass Media History
- Communication and Society
- Principles of Public Relations
- Principles of Advertising.
It also required that the student have essential background knowledge in liberal education through exposure to related courses for effective communication in modern society such as Economics, English, History, Home Economics, Political Science, Sociology and Theatre Arts.
Many Mass communication departments have a departmental newspaper that provides practical newspaper reporting, editing and publishing. While some have the department magazine through which student is trained in magazine publishing. Every student is made to participate, as may be required in the production of this publication. Some university also has radio and television studio for training in the electronic media. Students also have opportunities for further practical training through exposure of facilities in regular, commercial studio program. On successfully completing this program, a mass communication graduate is equipped to work in newspaper, magazine, radio and television, news agencies, public relations, advertising and in book publishing houses as well as in public services. Mass communication has become globalize through the internet and through satellite technologies.
University That Offer Mass Communication
- University of Lagos
- University of Ilorin
- Ahmadu Bello University
- Nnamdi Azikiwe University
- Lagos State University
- Benue State University
- Kwara State University
- Delta State University
- Bayero University
Five credit passes in English Language, Mathematics, Literature in English, Government with any other subject in Arts or Social Science are required for admission.
For details on Direct Entry and UTME requirement for individual institutions are available in the JAMB brochure.