My Science School

Subject choice after X does not matter when it comes to taking up cricket commentary. What matters is your level of comfort with cricket as a subject. Do you, for example, remember who scored how many runs in the finals of the 1999 world cup? You should read books and magazines pertaining to cricket like a Bible. You should have the knack of interviewing cricketers, comparing their previous performances to the present one. And if you think that subject choice has anything to do with cricket commentary, did you know that commentator Harsha Bhogle did engineering at Osmania University and business management, Ahmedabad, and took up advertising as a career before taking the plunge into cricket.

 

Picture Credit : Google

 

 

I am a student of class XII. I want to be a good English newsreader. For this purpose I want to know which exam do I have to pass. I have been reading English news on the stage everyday in school. I have also won a number of prizes for being the best newsreader. I hope that you will help me fulfil my ambition.

You have made the right beginning by reading English news on a regular basis in your school. But you don’t have to appear for any exam to be a reader. News channels have a diction test, wherein they test your fluency, speed, diction and presentability. So hone all these aspects.

Besides diction, speed and fluency, certain other skills also matter: how good are you at interviewing people (for as you would have seen on news channels, news readers are also supposed to interview guests in the studio during the news hour); how good is your knowledge of happenings around the world and whether you keep abreast of happenings; and also how well do you handle difficult situations, like having to report the meagre facts again and again for two hours before more footage arrives, say in the Akshardham attack last year, or Indian Airlines hijack episode in 1999.

 

Picture Credit : Google

 

How can I go in journalism right after school?

On an average most newspapers and electronic media companies do not give a job merely on the basis of a journalism degree. Journalists are recruited from as diverse a background as Hindi literature, English literature, economics, political science, sciences, law and even sports, after they have cleared the written test and interview. Therefore, it is better to enhance your knowledge of a variety of subjects. Most of the skills of journalism - reporting, interviewing, writing and editing – are learnt on the job.

At the under-graduate level, journalism programmes are offered by universities like Delhi University, BHU, University of Mumbai, Marathwada University, Aurangabad, Goa University-Bambolin, Ahilyabai Vishwavidyalaya, Indore, Pune University, Punjab University, Chandigarh, Punjabi University, Patiala and Berhampur University.

At the post-graduate level, Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism is reputed for its programmes. Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi, offers an MA in mass communication. Ranchi University offers both MA and diploma programmes in journalism. Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi, and St Xavier’s Institute of Communications (XIC), Mumbai, are known for their PG diploma courses.

 

Picture Credit : Google

                                  

I am not presentable in my looks. How can I go in electronic Media?

Looks do matter on TV, to a certain extent these days. You don’t have to be a beauty queen, but how you present yourself in front of the camera spells your success. Maybe, you are photogenic and work wonders in front of the camera. The best way to start is to give an audition tst for a TV channel. If you clear the audition, you will be called for voiceovers for TV programmes of that particular channel. In these voiceovers, you don’t appear onscreen, but record for a given news item or a documentary. Having stepped into an organization, you can prove your mettle and show an inclination for the area of your interest.

 

Each assignment, however small, is your chance to prove yourself as a conscientious worker and quick learner. Don’t miss any opportunity, even if it is in the form of a tiny news coverage. Face the camera with confidence. There are also openings in the research department and at the desk, where you can excel and gradually take on news reading assignments.

 

Picture Credit : Google