AS PART OF OUR ADMISSIONS CAMPAIGN, A CRITICAL LOOK AT VARIOUS UNDERGRADUATE PROFESSIONAL COURSES TOO MUCH MASS, NOT ENOUGH MEDIA

Students and teachers say that the Bachelor of Mass Media course tries to fit in too many things, and is not rigorous enough either in the way it admits students or in the coursework

introduction to advertising and journalism should be extended over two semesters, since they are important to help students choose a specialisation in their final year,” says Ranadive.
Pankti Mehta Sahil Shah, TYBMM student at Jai Hind College Pranav Tonsekar, TYBMM student at KC College Ashok Koparday, parent of a BMM student “Another issue is that the syllabus is really easy,” says Ananth. “At the degree level, students come to enhance knowledge they already have. We need to expect much more from our students, have them read beforehand so classes can be used to analyse, debate and mould actual media critics.” Currently, the programme only offers advertising and journalism majors, while other mass media streams like public relations, filmmaking, photography and others only feature briefly, and aren’t detailed enough.

“If you expect a course that helps you increase your academic knowledge, this isn’t it. But it will help you grow as a person, and teach you about the ways of the industry, not necessarily from what’s taught in class, but from interactions with professors and professionals, internships, projects and college fests. It’s all about what you learn outside the classroom, and how much initiative you’re willing to take.” “Doing six papers every semester does lead to superficial knowledge, but it also allows you to explore your interests. For instance, I now know that I could make a career out of photography, too. However, I do think the subjects should be more media-centric right from the beginning, and the major options should have more than just advertising and journalism.” “The course needs to be geared to mould you into something specific within the media, instead of a general overview. We also need more industry involvement, and projects that translate to real-world products.”