The Print Media Industry includes a vast variety of publications including Newspapers, Magazines, Periodicals, and Newsletters etc. Even though one medium differs from the other in terms of writing style and content, there are certain common aspects that apply to each individual working in this industry. Find out what they are below.
What are the jobs really about?
Communication
Most jobs in the Print Media Industry revolve around communicating with the public through your writing either to inform or to entertain. Your content and writing style might focus on one aspect more than the other, depending upon the publication you’re working for. For example, Newspapers generally tend to focus on informing the public whereas Magazines tend to focus on engaging and entertaining readers (subject to exceptions).
Find out about the different Careers in the Publishing Industry.
The most common job in the Print Media Industry is to work as a Journalist (Reporter) who is responsible for following leads, investigating and writing stories based on his/her findings. However, you can also find jobs as a Photographer, Feature Writer, Cartoonist, Advertising Manager, and Trade Analyst etc. As you gain experience, you can end up working in editing roles like Sub – Editor and Editor.
Find out about the different Careers in Journalism.
Why do people work in the Print Media Industry?
Desire to Communicate
One of the biggest reasons behind people deciding to work in the Print Media Industry is that it allows them to fulfill one of the fundamental human needs, i.e. to communicate. As a professional working in this industry, you will get various opportunities to express your opinions on important matters, to communicate with the larger public and to feed your passion of writing. People who work in the Print Media Industry should ideally be driven by their desire to write and express their opinions as this is the essence of all work in this industry.
Find out about the Top 7 Creative Careers.
Benefit Society
Working in the Print Media Industry provides you with an opportunity to work for the greater good of society by informing people about things that are of their concern and motivating them to act in a correct manner. Newspapers, Informative Magazines, Newsletters etc. are all ways through which society can be improved. People who are driven by the desire to do good for the society often join the Print Media Industry to work in the interest of the general public.
Social Respect and Fame
One of the biggest motivating factors behind people wanting to work in the Print Media Industry is that there is a certain amount of social respect that comes along with being a Journalist or a Reporter for a Newspaper or a Magazine. Society generally tends to look up to Journalists who work in the Print Media as it is perceived that they work for the benefit of the public and are honest, knowledgeable and credible individuals. Not only that, but working in the Print Media also involves a decent amount of fame and you can end up becoming a household name. However, keep in mind that this is rare and happens only to a select few professionals.
Find out about the Top 7 Respected Careers.
Networking
Professionals who work in the Print Media interact with a large number of people on a daily basis. A decent amount of these people are famous personalities like Actors, Sportspersons, Politicians, Social Workers, Judges, and Police Officers etc. The opportunity to interact with famous and powerful people, to ask them questions and share your opinions with them is often a motivating factor behind people choosing to work in this industry.
What is it like to work in the Print Media Industry?
Long Hours, Odd Schedules, Constant Deadlines
Working in the Print Media Industry often requires professionals to work for long hours and deal with odd timings. For example, in the case of Daily Newspapers, most professionals start working after noon and work till late into the night. As there are constant deadlines to deal with, you might often have to work for extra hours which might include reporting early to work and staying back till late etc. Professionals who succeed in this industry are the ones who can adjust with these odd timings and are willing to put in extra hours as and when required.
Low Entry – Level Salaries
Professionals who work in the Print Media Industry generally start off with very low entry level salaries, ranging from Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 12,000 per month even though there are exceptions. This is very less as compared to well paying industries like IT, where a professional can earn almost double or triple this amount as his/her entry – level salary. As you gain experience and move up the hierarchy in this profession, there is a good chance that you will start earning well, although your remuneration depends heavily on your popularity as a Journalist.
Dealing with Criticism and Abuse
As a professional working in the Print Media Industry, you are subject to criticism, especially on sensitive topics. Journalists and Editors have to constantly deal with criticism and personal abuse directed towards them through websites and social media pages. This is not easy as most of the times professionals have to deal with threats and indecent comments from the public, especially from those sections of society who are against the opinions of the newspaper/magazine etc.
Professionals who succeed in this industry are the ones who have the ability to identify genuine criticism and react positively towards it while ignoring the rest. Additionally, professionals working in this industry have to always be conscious of what they say and never compromise on their ethics and morals.
Threat from Broadcast Media and the Internet
Print Media as an industry is severely under threat of becoming extinct due to the presence of other faster and more interactive sources of information such as Broadcast Media (T.V, Radio etc.) and the Internet. To survive in this cut – throat industry, Print Media owners are always looking to cut costs and push employees to work harder. This puts a lot of pressure on employees and leaves them with little job security. Employees are constantly required to provide a deeper insight into matters as compared to other mediums, which requires deeper research and more networking.
Find out about different Online Careers.
Professionals who succeed in the Print Media Industry of today are the ones who can handle this pressure and constantly be of value to the organization. Employees who are comfortable with working on computers and writing for the internet are preferred in most places as most publications are moving towards creating online versions of their publications.
Networking
Working in the Print Media Industry requires professionals (especially Journalists) to utilize their networking skills to the absolute maximum. Due to the competition from Broadcast Media and the Internet, it becomes necessary for print media publications to provide a deeper insight into matters which requires Journalists to have greater networking circles and more resources.
Professionals who become successful in this industry are not the ones who write best, but the ones who can network the best and gain the maximum information from important resources. As a person working in this industry, you will constantly need to build relations, stay in touch with important contacts and gain leads whenever possible. The need for networking is so great that it actually ends up becoming a hindrance as you are often required to deal with people who have no interest in divulging any information whatsoever to you.
