THE FEBRUARY 2020
UC TI
MAGAZINE
Enlightening The Educational Landscape
10 Institutes of 2020 THE
Striving To Create Lifelong Learners www.theeducationmagazine.com
Emerging Opportunities For All The Aspirants The media industry plays a vital role in shaping society. Today, there are tons and tons of information available on various platforms. This creates a huge opportunity for the media industry to provide its consumers with the right amount of information. Furthermore, it also indicates
new emerging opportunities for all the aspirants who want to pursue their careers in the media industry. There are many media institutes which are providing quality programs as well as meeting the industry needs. Students tend to get confused when there are so many better education options available. To avoid confusion and bring more clarity amongst the students, the team of The Education Magazine has featured some of the best media institutes in the world in our latest magazine issues, “The 10 Best Media & Communication Institutes of 2020.” We have featured Sacred Heart University on the cover of the magazine. The SCMA was founded in 2015 to create a strong foundation in the
People Behind This Issue
Publisher: Archana Ghule
Art Director: Vinod Alhat
Editor–in–Chief: Vikram Suryawanshi
Marketing Head: Robert Smith
Associate Editor: Shubham Biradar
Research Team: Daisy, Rahul,
Content Contributors: Deepali Sarwade Vidya Joshi Rakesh Mahto
Maranda, Rocky
From The Editor’s Desk ‘‘Always keep
your eyes and ears open and consume the right information!
‘‘
history of media and theories of communication. The students having SCMA as their first choice of preference must understand that the school is interested in the students who understand that technical skills are only useful when they are used by thoughtful and creative communicators, artists, and media professionals.
Sales & Marketing Project Head: Abhishek Patil Sales Co-ordinators: Peter Gomes Kevin Gonsalves Je Smith
Don't forget to check out our latest articles Convergence Journalism Media Trends and Connectivism and Evolution of The Unpredictable Media Industry published in the section Media Trends And Connectivism and Unpredictable Media Industry of the magazine. The article on Evolution of The Unpredictable Media Industry is an eye-opener for students who want to understand the media industry in depth.
Shubham Biradar Associate Editor
The Education Magazine is published by Pericles Ventures Pvt Ltd. This magazine contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. You may not publish, display, disclose, rent, lease, modify, loan, distribute, or create derivative works based on the magazine contents or any part thereof, whether by yourself or as a consultant, employee, partner or in any other role unless authorised in writing by the creator/publisher of the article/, video, audio or any content contained herein. We, the team of The Education Magazine put all the efforts to keep up with the content accuracy. The publisher assumes no responsibility of any part of the content of any advertisement in this publication, including any errors or omissions therein. All rights reserved by Pericles Ventures Pvt Ltd.
CONTENTS COVER STORY
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Sacred Heart University
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Manipal University of Communication
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Universiti Putra Malaysia
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ARTICLES
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EVOLUTION OF THE
JOURNALISM MEDIA TRENDS AND CONNECTIVISM
UNPREDICTABLE MEDIA INDUSTRY
Bryant University
Fordham University
www.bryant.edu
www.fordham.edu
Langara College
Manipal University of Communication
Muhlenberg College
Royal Roads University
www.langara.ca
www.hmanipal.edu
www.muhlenberg.edu
www.royalroads.ca
Sacred Heart University
SUNY Oneonta
www.scma.sacredheart.edu
www.oneonta.edu
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Vancouver Island University
www.upm.edu.my
www.viu.ca
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Striving To Create Lifelong Learners Sacred Heart University
O
ver the years, there has been a drastic change in the consumption of information. With the availability of a new medium of consumption such as mobile phones and other internet platforms, careers in media and communications have been impacted. Students who are looking to start their careers in media and communication must understand the present and future of this sector. Though it is next to impossible to predict the exact changes that will occur, we can certainly predict that the role and importance of media and communication will continue to increase. Consequently, the demand for media and communication professionals will also increase in the foreseeable future.
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Founded in 2015, The School of Communication, Media & the Arts (SCMA) started with a goal to create a strong foundation in the history of media and theories of communication. It prepares students for upcoming challenges regardless of the speci ic medium, communication technology or the associated jobs and careers. The school is contributing to the development of immersive media through the founding of an augmented and virtual reality lab. The utilization of these immersive technologies into its courses is helping students to enhance their skills. For years, SCMA has been oering courses that integrate with the developing technologies of social media, mobile technologies, the Internet, digital media, etc.
Media Arts is an innovative program that combines the study of communications theory and media production with the educational tradition of the liberal arts.
Photo by Anthon Grassl for Sasaki
Hands-on Applied Learning Opportunities SCMA is housed in the College of Arts & Sciences and combines the best qualities of a liberal arts education with hands-on applied learning opportunities through real-world projects and professional productions. SCMA was founded after decades of consistent growth within the Department of Communication & Media dating back to the 1960s. SCMA is af iliated with one of the country's most prestigious universities. Sacred Heart University Founded in 1963, Sacred Heart University is the second-
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largest independent Catholic university in New England, offering more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certi icate programs on its main campus in Fair ield, Conn., and satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland. Over 9,000 students attend the University's six colleges: Arts & Sciences; Health Professions; Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing; the AACSB-accredited Jack Welch College of Business & Technology; St. Vincent's College and the Isabelle Farrington College of Education. Enhancing Necessary Creative Skills The University is distinguished by the personal attention it provides to its students. Sacred Heart is recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, award-winning advisement program, cutting-edge technology, championship Division I athletic teams and nationally recognized community service programs. The undergraduate and graduate degree programs at SCMA strive to create lifelong learners, critical thinkers and responsible citizens who also have the creative skills necessary to compete for the best jobs after graduation. Degree programs include public relations, strategic communication, journalism, broadcasting, ilm, television, sports media, advertising, digital media, studio art, graphic design, immersive media (VR/AR/XR) and theatre arts. SCMA also offers accelerated graduate programs in these areas, including the only master of ine arts degree in ilm and television offered in the state of Connecticut. A Distinctive Learning Approach Striking the Future As students, it is a must that you understand the program, its future impact and the availability of different pathways. All aspiring media students must understand the three most important key points; First, jobs in the future will be strikingly different from the ones that exist now. Second, communication technologies and media will change, but the principles of effective communication, creative storytelling and quality content creation will not. Last, employers want
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to hire ethical communicators and creative content producers and are less concerned about the speci ic technical skills that can often be learned on the job. Keeping these points in mind, SCMA provides a distinctive learning approach. A student of SCMA will be part of a successful model of applied learning that will be followed by a liberal arts tradition with a simultaneous focus on ethical values. SCMA also offers the chance to study on international campuses with a blend of scholarly and professional faculty along with robust internship programs. The courses are integrated with the industry connection and partnerships that allow students to easily be placed in various industries. A Passionate Learner and Teacher Among the talented and experienced SCMA faculty is Dr. Andrew Miller, associate professor for SCMA, who has a degree in media. After graduation, he worked for several years as an assistant director in Hollywood on big-budget ilms like “The Doors” and popular
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NOTE TO THE STUDENTS
The benefits of an SCMA education are lifechanging. Graduates discover innovative ways to realize their potential. See why this one-of-akind school is the best choice to prepare for life after graduation.
television shows like “Beverly Hills 90210.” Eventually, he came to the realization that his true passion was learning and teaching, so, he pursued a Ph.D. in ilm and media studies with the goal of becoming a university professor. The combination of industry background in media production and scholarly training was a perfect it for SCMA's model of applied learning. Students are encouraged to apply the concepts they learn in the classroom to real-world examples and in various professional contexts. The SCMA faculty's varied backgrounds as accomplished scholars and successful industry professionals provide students with the skills necessary to thrive in the 21st-century global media environment. “I’m tempted to say that if I could do it all over again, I would start my Ph.D. sooner, but I think my training in both the industry and the academy has served me well for the day-to-day realities of communication and media programs in the global digital age,” Miller says.
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Factors to Keep In Mind A student who is searching for an appropriate college or university, must understand the requirements irst. SCMA is interested in students who understand that technical skills are only useful when they are used by thoughtful and creative communicators, artists and media professionals. Furthermore, it is important to have a well-rounded understanding not only of communication, media, art history and theory but of the broader history of ideas and global cultures. At the same time, students bene it from state-of-the-art facilities and coursework in content creation. Knowledge and Skills to Compete For the Best Jobs Many of the students at SCMA are involved in extracurricular initiatives and projects. It allows students to explore their areas of interest. Some that have a particular appeal to SCMA students are the student public relations club (Public Relations Society of America Student Chapter), student sports media club, student ilm club, student-run campus newspaper,
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The School of Communication, Media & the Arts is dedicated to developing lifelong learners who are creative and ethical communicators, artists and media professionals. student-produced magazine; student-run news magazine show, sports show and TV station and a student-run radio station. As a result of these extracurricular initiatives and projects, students are prepared for life after college with the knowledge and skills to compete for the best jobs after graduation. The result is that most SCMA students are employed full-time at media and communication companies after graduation. In addition, a signi icant percentage of the undergraduate alumni enroll in one of the University's graduate programs to continue to build their portfolios before starting their professional careers.
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Creating The Modern Media Professionals of The Industry Manipal University of Communication
T
he media and entertainment industry has started to immensely grow in recent times, however, companies across the industry are struggling to ind individuals with accurate skillet and creativity. Recently in India,the number of Media and Communication Schools isgrowing yet there remains a dearth of professional media and communication schools that produce quality media professionals. Although India holds de inite socio-economic advantages among the developing nations, the nonavailability of skilled labor is a reality that needs to be addressed. Manipal Institute of Communication works towards illing up that gap in the education sector. Since its establishment in 1997, the Manipal Institute of Communication (MIC) has been producing industryready media professionals and has emerged as one of the premier communication media, communication, and journalism institutes in the country. Unique Curriculum for the Professionals of Tomorrow Manipal Institute of communication is one of the very few institutes in India that oers a full- ledged graduate and postgraduate programs. The students at MIC are bene ited with advanced infrastructure, unique holistic curriculum, modern library, knowledgeable and experienced faculty, international exchange programs,
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co-curricular activities and a learning environment that encourages them to scale new heights in their areas of interest. Media Industry tools are constantly upgraded may it be digital advancements or media equipment. To ensure that the students are trained to be ready professionals, MIC is equipped with state of the art audio, video and computer labs which are up to date with the industry standards. As for the curriculum, all the students receive theoretical and practical training in writing and reporting skills. Students are also introduced to the ethical and legal issues involved in media and communication work to develop the understanding of responsibilities as a professional. Students also get the chance to work on the ield at an in-house publication and are constantly involved in AV projects. This is where each one gains hands-on training in reporting, writing, editing and page designing skills and receives training in various kinds of computer and software tools. Thus, preparing students to no just be a professional but a modern professional. Programs Meeting the Media Requirements The courses oered by the Manipal Institute of Communication are perfectly designed to meet the requirements of the rapidly changing media industry.
These programs cover education in print, radio, television, new media, ilm studies, public relations, advertising, corporate communication, along with other related subjects. At present the institute offers, Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
BA (Media and Communication) The 3-year degree program aims to offer a universal understanding of Media and Entertainment industry's activities and equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills required to become an expert media professional ready to take on the challenges of the industry. MA (Media and communication) The two-year postgraduate degree program exposes students to theoretical, aesthetic, critical and technological processes involved in various stages of media production. MA (Film Art and Film Making) [in collaboration with EICAR, France] It is aimed at individuals who possess a deep interest in ilms and are keen on learning the iner nuances of the profession. As a specialized course, this program will train students in the complete ilm making process including screenwriting, cinematography, directing, editing as well as help them develop an understanding of the social, cultural, economic perspectives of the medium.
Ÿ
Postgraduate Diploma in Corporate Communication (PGDCC) A one-year specialized, intensive program that empowers students with the right tools and understanding of professional communication practices in the corporate world.
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B.Sc. Animation The three year Degree in Animation has been designed as a comprehensive training Programme where components of traditional skills, digital applications, Hands-on Workshop Learning, Holistic Personality Enhancement, and support skills, run on harmonized learning paths leading to a 'Parallel Track Advancement'.
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Certi icate Course in Animation (CCA) This course is pointed at beginners, to give a surfacelevel working knowledge— Learn by DOING. It's a fusion of less theory and more practice, as they are valuable in improving outcomes.
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Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Communication A one year course divided into two semesters, which is designed to train the students in the area of study that seeks to understand the relationship between communication processes and sport contexts.
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A Researcher and Educator with Extensive Teaching and Research Experience In December 2017, Dr. Padma Rani became the Director of Manipal University of Communication. She has been a part of the MIC faculty for years. She joined MIC in 2010 as a reader and has held various positions at MIC since then. Despite starting her professional journey late, she has been involved in teaching and been a mentor for the young minds. “I have always loved to be involved in teaching and motivating young people,” quotes Dr. Padma. Dr. Padma is a sociologist, media researcher and educator with extensive teaching and research experience. Due to this experience, Dr. Padma advises the upcoming millennial professionals to develop a good attitude and interpersonal skills. Also, she adds that the industry always has a vacancy for smart and creative thinkers. Currently, serving as the Director of Manipal Institute of Communication, Dr. Padma is ful illing the goal of the institute i.e. to provide holistic education with professionalism and social sensitivity. Plethora of Opportunities Media and Communication have witnessed to be one of the fastest-growing industries with explosive growth in the last two decades. Doubting a career in the media industry is now a thing of the past. The ield is so diverse that the students can choose from a variety of career options in the Media and Communication Industry. The media industry is a creative ield with a plethora of opportunities. With creativity and expertise, one can land a well-paid job and quick recognition in the industry. These experts are carved through various courses offered by the Media and Communication institutes. At MIC are both the theoretical and practical experience of these courses is unmatched owing to its breadth of expertise across the industry.
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Opportunity from national to international media organizations Being part of the MIC prepares the students to work for national and international media organizations. The students get to work on live projects from the industry and also get paid under the 'Earn while you learn' program. Besides, the alumni of MIC have also established their presence globally due to various partner international universities. These international collaborations coordinate student exchanges with partner universities on a credit transfer basis. There are also faculty exchange programs and research collaboration activities. Apart from this, the institute also has a well-organized placement team, comprising of faculty and student coordinators from each department. The team is relentlessly striving to reach a step closer to the ultimate goal of 100 percent placements for its students.As for the last year, the institute was visited by some prominent recruiters in the industry— Thomas Reuters, Viacom 18, Zee TV, Ad factors, Vedanta, CNBC TV 18, Uber, MSL, Trescon, Radio Mirchi, TAFE, Genesis Burson- Marsteller, iPac, Social panga, Social Beat, TAFE among the others. “This year we are looking
NOTE TO THE STUDENTS
forward to a substantial increase in the number of recruiters visiting the campus,” said Dr. Padma. Perfect Blend of Academic and Industry Exposure
Manipal Institute of Communication is committed to excellence in the field of media education. The students are trained in all aspects of media, with a high emphasis on gaining a holistic understanding of the ethical, cultural and political atmosphere with an international outlook.
Over the years, MIC has been successful in producing award-winning directors and actors, national creative directors, head of corporate communications and more. The biggest strength that the institute has is the faculty members who are very approachable and the millennial students can connect with them effortlessly. The teaching method is the perfect blend of academic and industry exposure. The alumni at Manipal Institute of Communication feel that they acquire a universal understanding of Media and Entertainment industry's activities and the course at MIC equips them with the necessary theoretical/ practical knowledge and skills required to become an expert media professional ready to take on the challenges of the industry.Witnessing excellent feedback from both our regular and new recruiters is a testimony to the quality of media and communication professionals created each year at MIC and their commendable achievements.
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Media Trends And Connectivism
JOURNALISM MEDIA TRENDS AND CONNECTIVISM
G
rowing up in this digital era, people have four square meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and media. It is part of almost every family's ritual. Every morning, the newspaper is delivered to homes, still smelling of fresh newsprint, and in the evening without fail old folks turn on the TV to watch the news. Obeying curiosity, they always look for the most important news of the day. Now the behavior towards consuming information has been changed that termed as 'trend.' Convergence journalism has changed the patterns of social interaction including news consumption, ecommerce spectrum, and use of technology, embedded in media channels especially in social networks known as mediatization. Media convergence, a meta trend Convergence journalism is deďŹ ned as combining all the platforms of the media industry, i.e., print, television, social media platforms, and radio. Journalism has gone
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through an evolution of media platforms. Television is not only television anymore, now it incorporates mediums such as print journalism and social media that need to be updated on those platforms all the time. The course of the day requires taking new information that comes and
landscape has happened in the last decade. Today convergence is seen in a broader way that involves a series of ongoing discontinuities in technology, infrastructure, consumer behavior, and competitive dynamics. These are creating new competitors and business models and are redeďŹ ning
returning it around and making suitable for each one of those platforms. Reporters and the outlets they work for has represented the gold standard in news: fast, accurate, and reliable.
a vast number of industries besides media, telecommunications, and technology.
The fundamental change described as convergence in the media
As discussed above, mediatization has empowered journalists to
Convergence in news writing and reporting
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Media Trends And Connectivism
project his/her narrative skills to a cross-media environment including a synopsis for mobile phones and tabs. Today, an independent journalist is required to shoot, crop, edit, and put captions in pictures; record, edit and publish audio reports and podcasts; shoot and edit video, create packages and stream live reports, interact with user-generated content; sub-edit, proofread and headlining, including search engine optimization; interview and do online research; geo-tagging, geocoding, and geo-broadcasting. Through these, stories that have been historically ignored by the media are now getting attention. Cross-media news writing is different from producing for broadcast media and print news. Comparing both, today's web journalism is based on demand, offers immediacy and impact (sound, visuals, and emotions) while traditional print journalism offers depth, detail, and permanence. For cross-media news writing, a story must be interactive and innovative which often follows a non-linear approach. It means that instead of developing a rigidly structured single narrative, a journalist chooses to navigate through the elements of story combining text, still photographs, video clips, audio, graphics, and interactivity such as online/offline polls or blogs in such a fashion that each medium is complimentary. Media discontinuities It has become harder to predict developments in media markets, evolutionary trends in technology and consumer behavior have been
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replaced by disruptive changes. One easily visible example can be seen in the redefinition of business models in the music industry through legal (and illegal) downloads. The changed definition brought strategic planning into the light of media companies. The traditional long term perspective is no longer suitable and needs to be replaced by new ways to observe trends in established companies' environment and to react on it with appropriate solutions for the customer's needs. Fewer interruptions and fewer news access come to ever change in technology. The longer an individual in media business the harder it is to stay out with technology because of continuous change in consumer behavior and media usage. Digitalization has diminished the costs of storage capacities, broadband networks, and open interfaces and standards that benefited applications like search engines, auction platforms, online social networks, local wikis, online designer shops, and blogs. Additionally, devices like smartphones and tablets, cloud computing, and software as a service shifts the main technological demands to mobility and connectivity. Convergence for the academic programs The academic syllabus of teaching journalism becomes more and more complex. It is often argued that “the market pressures transforming the journalistic field have changed academic fields.” The changes in the convergence journalism curriculum and the
syllabus can be observed from the general perspective of the discipline of communication. The digitization has influenced the map of integrated communication curricula in all areas confining Communication Studies, Journalism, Mass Communication, Advertising, Public Relations, and Digital Media. Many discussions have concluded that especially journalism education is the one academic area within the discipline of communication which is mostly affected by convergence. The need to change the curricula is due to the fact that the journalism field changes very dynamically. Professional standards and disciplines for cross-media publishing are less distinctive than in traditional media channels. Therefore, a more heterogeneous professional knowledge and experience of the learners becomes a must. It is obvious that in the age of convergence, practical skills training cannot be separated from the ability of students to utilize multi-media technology. Enriching the departmental curricula with new courses, as well as restructuring and updating the old ones in line with these new needs. Conclusion The convergence on the transformation of journalism curricula is not only limited to the introduction of practical skill courses, but it also requires course syllabi to be updated. Convergence journalism should also be seen as having cultural logic of its own, blurring the lines of biasedness between channels, forms and formats, and between creating media and using media culture.
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Delivering Uncompromising Quality in Education Universiti Putra Malaysia
N
elson Mandela has quoted, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” This statement highlights the value of education as an integral part of the development equation of the citizens. However, in the past decade, new paradigms in education have been witnessed all over the world, changing the way students engage with courses and content. This has put a great responsibility on universities and institutes around the world to deliver high-quality education and develop the process of learning more student-centric. Today, students need a more holistic experience with more practical exposures to prepare themselves for real-life experiences.
world making it a well-respected global entity. With a distinguished 89-year history, the university is globallyrecognized for its excellent educational and academic disciplines and programs that have contributed immensely to knowledge and skilled human capital development since its inception. Currently, it offers a wide portfolio of academic disciplines for its more than 28,000 students who are enrolled in its 84 bachelors, 7 diplomas and 62 coursework programmes and another 5 research programmes at the Master and Ph.D. levels, comprising 289 ields of studies. The History of UPM: A Center Of Higher Education
To ful ill this, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has equipped its students with practical knowledge which includes internships to gain experiences with practitioners in various local & international companies. With its impressive modern facilities and a dynamic approach to teaching and research accompanied by its proud heritage of quality services and achievements, UPM has attracted students and staff from all around the
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In July 1973, the irst academic session of UPM started with three founding faculties: the Faculty of Agriculture, the Faculty of Forestry, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science along with a Basic Sciences Division. Then in the early eighties, the university expanded its area of studies to the ield of Science and Technology (S&T). In 1994, by leveraging
the rapid development in information technology (IT), UPM embarked on its ambitious plan to evolve as a futuristic university that would provide science and technology education with better and up-to-date skills and systems. Subsequently, the premier university has transformed into a borderless campus, its name and reputation stretching far beyond the national boundaries. Because of this, the name of the university changed from Universiti Pertanian Malaysia to Universiti Putra Malaysia (of icially announced on 3 April 1997 by Dato' Seri Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, who was the Prime Minister at that time). From this day onwards, the status of UPM was recognized as a center of higher education capable of providing various ields of studies, especially in information technology, which facilitates national development in the new millennium. As a result of this, the university has now inherently possessed all the qualities and resources to compete head-on with other renowned local and international institutions of higher learning.
Specialized Media And Communication Courses Since its inception, UPM emphasizes that the quality of programs oered is in line with the requirements of the current job market so that it can ful ill its vision of becoming a reputable international university. Its media and communication courses are distinct as it embraces all areas of knowledge and expertise the students need to know in order for them to work with practitioners in the industries. These courses include four ields which are Corporate Communication, Journalism, Human Communication and Broadcasting majors. Furthermore, for its undergraduates, the university enhances their learning experience curves with internship training in large and well-established companies championing in the communication industries. On the other hand, its Masters of Corporate Communication programme is opted by working individuals who want to enhance their communication skills.
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Furthermore, UPM has collaborated with some of the best institutions of higher learning to deliver a diverse range of academic programmes. More importantly, it is the irst Malaysian higher education institution and sixth in South-East Asia to receive the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business Accreditation. A Seasoned Educator The recipient of the 'Certi icate of Excellent Service Award', Assoc. Prof Dr. Nor Azura Adzharuddin is the Head of the Department of Communication in the Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication at Universiti Putra Malaysia. She has spent more than 20 years in the education business; for her, things have changed quite signi icantly in the last few years. She believes that the current focus of education is more on giving holistic, all-inclusive, rounded experience for both the staff and students. She further comments, “The environment has become more challenging, tough and
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competitive in order to stay relevant in the industry. Previous past experiences nevertheless have contributed to my persistent attitude, ready to adapt to changes and be relevant to the current situation in my career.” As part of UPM, the seasoned educator knows that the students of UPM are quite happy with the courses and programs offered by it. They are exposed to wider digital experiences with new schemes of courses offered suitable with the latest development. As a result, students who have graduated are now working in the communication industry with leading organizations. This is because of the commitment made by UPM to help its students achieve their dreams and nurture their minds and intellect. Extra-Curricular Activities For Students UPM has taken a signi icant step to carry out a courtesy agenda by strengthening a culture of tolerance,
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NOTE TO THE STUDENTS
Students must realize that opportunities are not always there for them, they have to create opportunities for themselves, they have to equip themselves with the new and latest knowledge and skills.
tolerance, and compassion for the development of human capital through PUTRAŽ Bakti. It is voluntarily co-curriculum activities for the students as part of their enrollments here in the university. Moreover, Students can also select a wide variety of additional courses that are oered outside their own disciplines in other faculties. They have to attend internship training for a few months before graduating in their inal semester, and in many cases, students are given a position in their internship companies right after graduation.
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Unpredictable Media Industry
EVOLUTION OF THE
UNPREDICTABLE MEDIA INDUSTRY H
umans have always had the need to communicate. This is evident through the paintings and scripts on the walls of the caves. And also, through various sculptures Ancient men had no access to technology hence they used the walls as one of the modes of communication. From cave paintings to stereoscopic ďŹ lmography, technology has innovated the mode of communication and mass media is one of the best modes to (communicate)express emotions. Over the years, the media industry has transformed remarkably covering every possible genre. Media keeps us informed about the current issues which makes it even more important and useful in terms of the development of society. Moreover,, the media and entertainment (M&E) industry have proved beneďŹ cial for the business sector too.
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Looking at the HISTORY OF MEDIA, it can categorise into four stages, distinguishing each into a specific time period,
Pre-Industrial age (Before the 1700s)
Industrial age (Between the 1700s-1930s)
Electronic age (1930-1980)
Digital age (1900- Current)
Moving forward from the cave paintings, manuscripts, and engraved stones, in 1440 when Gutenberg disrupted the scribing industry, he could not have imagined the way mass media would concrete the path for the Age of Enlightenment, the Renaissance, and the scientific evolution. The path to the modern media landscape that we now inhabit was unimaginable.
From Papyrus to E-Books Print media is one of the oldest and most reliable forms of media. The contribution of print media for providing information and transferring the knowledge has been remarkable. However, the history of paper is traced back to Chinese individual Ts'ai Lun, in A.D. 105, it was two hundred years later that Johannes Gutenburg refined a method to efficiently print books and pamphlets on his Gutenburg press. He then led to the revolution of mass media. Printing was later industrialized by Nicolas Jenson who invented a new typeface for publications around 1470, one that was far easier to read than the blackletter typefaces Gutenburg had used, which had copied the handwritten books of the time.
The newspaper included sensational tabloids and cartoons for entertainment. Further the beginning of the 20th century, technology started to disrupt the publishing industry. There was more focus on mass production and design, and manpower was reduced. Most of the work is done by machines now. The mode of media changed from papyrus to digital content. Presently, computer software has made print media more accessible even for small and medium business owners. Granting the beginning of the world-wide-web and online blogs and news sites, the printed word has not lost its power. Print media has evolved continuously over its long history and hasn't stopped yet.
The industrial revolution introduced a new era for type and publications, introducing yellow journalism.
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Unpredictable Media Industry
The Springboard of Imagina on With the print media expanding rapidly it lacked speed, thus the masses did turn to radio for immediate information about the happenings. However, TV was the best combination of both worlds—audio and visuals, changing the media forever. The public did not right away invest in televisions but the coverage of World War II changed their outlook. News channels started reporting war events and included pictures and maps that enhanced the news for the viewers. Till the 1950s, television became affordable, leading to more channels and advertising opportunities. M&E industry started flourishing with TV journalism, games, movies, and sports dominated television airwaves.
Visuals have improved with time leading to diverse outcomes. Presently, the visual effects have become a big part of the media industry, especially film & television. Due to VFX, imagination is the only limit for artists. Filmography started with analog images, but in the latest Avenger movie, artists were successful in convincing the audience that multiverse exists. We still cannot predict what the film industry holds for the viewers in the future but the M&E industry has proven to be the springboard of imagination for the creatives of the world.
Era of Filter Bubble With the expansion of cable and the internet, the options for media consumers became more diverse than ever. People could now watch on-demand shows, bypass commercials, and record programs of interest. It's also unusual how a 16-page newspaper can cover everything happening around the globe. Digitization has made access to mass media is a click away, thus leading to curation and prioritization. With so much
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content being available the M&E industry changed its focus from content-driven to consumer-driven. Now, people will find tailored content depending on online behavior. Users have surrounded themselves with like-minded outlook. The news was never supposed to be enjoyed but provide information. Although, now the news are tailored for the better
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consumer response. It is true that the more we elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate. The filter bubble of media has now created echo chambers for viewers and there are many people with opposing views. The content now depends on the mass public interest and current trends. Thus,
this is creating a personalized environment that protects them from certain realities. Issues have always been opportunities to change, so the M&E industry might use this filter bubble to their benefit and diversify the media content further.
Opportunity in Disguise From listening to music on an iPod to a customized Spotify playlist, from pager to smartphones and from daily newspapers to digital subscriptions, the way people grasp media, share and pay for it has changed. The way we engage with media has constantly evolved. This makes it affirmative that the media industry can never be out of business. The media and entertainment industry is currently under major digital transformation. A report suggests that by 2023 the media industry is expected to reach about 2.6 trillion revenue globally. Digital media acquires half the share of the industry's total revenue. Smartphone data consumption plays a major role in this, as year by year the viewership is growing.
This also creates a diverse career opening for media enthusiasts. Taking up a career in the M&E industry is like an opportunity in disguise. With the digital advancements and increasing viewership, the demand for media professionals will rise too. Not just artists, but tech professionals too have a major role to play. With IT and Media Science growing and advancing every day, the M&E industry is a wonderful career option to take up.
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Unpredictable Media Industry
The Ques on of the Hour The businesses are foreseen to face the wrath of COVID-19. The COVID-19 crisis is anticipated to affect the economy adversely, which is going to affect the industries too. The question arises, 'How it will affect the media industry and the artists?' When it comes to the media industry the pandemic is anticipated to create a creative renaissance. Often adversity results in the most powerful creativity, thus, this pandemic will create the best artistic output. Artists like the scriptwriters, songwriters or the special effects designers may create some of the most impactful and poignant work in these times. The pandemic has benefitted people with ample of time to rediscover themselves. They can utilize this time to make the most of their talent by combining their professional
skills and the raw emotions they felt at this time. We can hope that the media industry as a whole may deliver some of the best content after this crisis. But as every coin has two sides, there is a possibility that the economic hardship would affect adversely the struggling artists. Facing the hardships and the stress of the pandemic across the globe can also force out the creativity all together from the individual. It is the outlook and the mental health of the artist that might help him survive this pandemic. However, let us have an optimistic view and hope that the media industry is on the verge of the golden era with lots of interesting content waiting at the end of the tunnel!
Re-Establishing and Rediscovering Media Industry To summarize, we cannot imagine a world without media. If we look around, the world is surrounded and dependent on media today. In the business sector, media industry is the most influential business sector that sells time and space on various media platforms. Media has somehow managed to reconstruct the relationships, which we have witnessed at different levels, from content to devices, including meaning systems and the production or consumption practices. Since evolution, media somehow has been constant and the modes to consume it has changed overtimes. As soon as a new medium emerges, other media are in the hegemonic phase and this leads the old media to adapt to the changes and survive. The media industry keeps re-establishing themselves by coexist with novel media mediums in the same ecology. All this makes media the most important entity on earth. Mass media somehow controls the mind of masses thus it has the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent. Now it is our responsibility to use this power conscientiously.
Speech marks
“What the mass media offers is not popular art, but entertainment which is intended to be consumed like food, forgotten, and replaced by a new dish.”
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“The more we elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.”
“We perhaps take for granted the hundreds of years of development that led to our perfectly leaded and kerned newspaper headlines and the bright color photos blazoned underneath.”
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FEW TAKEAWAYS OF THE ARTICLE Ÿ Today Mass Media is multifaceted and fulfills various roles in the
society like - Entertaining and providing a passage for imagination, - Educating and informing, - Serving as a public forum for the discussion of important issues, and - Acting as a watchdog for government, business, and other institutions Ÿ Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press enabled the
bulk production of media that was then industrial due to Friedrich Koenig within the early 1800s. These innovations led to the daily newspaper that united the urbanized, industrial populations of the nineteenth century. Ÿ In the twentieth century, radio allowed advertisers to succeed in a
mass audience and helped spur the consumerism of the 1920s—and the Great Depression of the1930s. Later World War II, TV boomed within not just the US but globally. The spread of cable and resultant release within the 80s and 90s led to additional channels, however, but not necessarily to more diverse ownership. Ÿ Transitions from one technology to a different have greatly
affected the media trade, though it's tough to mention whether or not technology caused a cultural shift or resulted from it. The power to create technology tiny and cheap enough to suit into the house is a crucial aspect of the popularization of recent technologies. THE EDUCATION MAGAZINE
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