Lady Shri Ram College introduced a three year Honours programme in Journalism in July 1995. In this short span of time, this course has developed into one of the most coveted undergraduate programmes for potential journalists in the country.

Among several unique aspects of this programme is its inter-disciplinary approach, which combines courses in Journalism and Communications with Honours level components of Economics and Political science. Another special feature is the mentor programme under which each student is apprenticed to an accomplished journalist. The close interaction with the 'mentor' helps to develop and hone the student's skills in research, writing, reporting and editing, and enables her to focus career goals.

The teaching methodology incorporates lectures, workshops and seminars, and emphasizes independent projects and extensive written assignments. The Principal and some members of the college faculty oversee the programme and deliver lectures from time to time in their special disciplines. A Co-coordinator assists in assigning and evaluating projects, conducts regular appraisals and facilitates the practical components of the programme.

It is our attempt at LSR to imbibe the teaching-learning process with the kind of sensitivity that reconciles excellence with humanity, a pedagogy that can break free of rhetoric, shatter myths and rescue imagination and intuition using them as resources to conceive and initiate change. To do this we provide for our students a diverse faculty drawn from the ranks of academics and practitioners who take interesting lecturers and conduct seminars. The Journalism department also brings out its publication SPACE. Realpolitik a student initiative newsletter is also published regularly by a team of our students. Our students attend film screenings and documentary festivals as well as seminars and conferences on the media to expand their horizon of experiences and to expose them to a plethora of views. We take pride in fostering our students with ambition, motivation and above all the will to make a difference.

The contact with visiting faculty is a special feature of the programme and enables students both to move beyond course requirements and engage with issues that impact the ethic and ethos of the profession

Course Requirements

Students of the Journalism programme are offered a total of twenty three courses. There are fifteen courses in the field of Journalism and Communications, and four each in political Science and Economics which are Honours level courses.

The semester system is followed. Each year has two semesters (July-November and December-April) and examinations are held at the end of each semester. 20% of the marks in each course are based on the tutorials and written assignments which a student has to submit every semester. In addition, there is a practical training during the vacation at the end of the fourth semester. This academic programme is spread over a six day week. Each student is required to have a minimum of 75% attendance.

Students are encouraged to learn at least one foreign language, and to be computer literate. Knowledge of Word Processing is strongly recommended for this programme, and is a requirement from the second year onwards.

To guide the Journalism Programme in its educational, professional and development initiatives, a group of distinguished experts from the media, the academic world and other professions has been formed to advise and support the College.

Current members of the Board of Advisors are :

Dr. Bharat Ram,

Chairman, Lady Shri Ram College for Women

Dr. A.M. Khusro,

Director, Agha Khan Foundation And Consulting Editor, Financial Express, New Delhi

Mr. B.G. Varghese

Senior Journalist and Consultant Media Foundation

Mr. Kiran Karnik

Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer Discovery Channel, India

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Faculty

Student Representatives

Distinguished Visiting Faculty:

Mr. B.G. Varghese

Senior Journalist and Consultant, Media Foundation

Dr. Shiv Kumar

Advisor, UNICEF, New Delhi

Mr Shekhar Gupta

Editor, The Indian Express, New Delhi

Ms. Usha Rai

Senoir Journalist, WWF, New Delhi

Mr. Praful Bidwai

Senior Journalist

Ms. Sabina Sehgal Saikia

Editor, The Delhi Times, The Times of India, New Delhi

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Course Structure

Semester I

Course I: Indian Government and Politics

• Fundamental rights and directive principles-their role in creating a social welfare state-constitutional amendments and social change.

• Government institutions and their working.

• The Central Executive and Legislature-A study of the working relationship between the President, the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Parliament.

• The Supreme Court-Judicial Review-Judicial Activism.

• Nature of the administration, and its role in the political and development process.

• Working of Federalism-Issues of State Autonomy.

• Politics at the District Level-Panchayati Raj.

• Nature of the Party System

• A study of the major National parties and some of the more important Regional Parties, and their social base.

• Effects of Fragmentation of Parties on the formation of the working Government at the Centre and at the States.

• The Electoral System-Stresses and Strains

·         Secularism and Communalism in India-Problems and trends

A course on the Indian Government and politics must address itself to the most fundamental problems of our society an attempt to understand the reasons behind their existence the seeming indifference to the same. Hence, the following issues must be studied.

• Problems of Poverty

• Unemployment

• Child Labour

• Education

• Public health

• Social Movements:

o        Environment

o        Tribal Movements

o        Dalits and Backward castes

o        Feminist Dialogue

Course II: Newspaper Journalism

A)      Introduction to Journalism.

• The Newspaper in the age of Globalization.

• Function of a newspaper, relationship and responsibility vis a vis the reader.

• The role of the press in a democracy (Fourth Estate)

• Freedom of the Press

• Print Journalism vs. Electronic Journalism.

• Newspaper on the Internet

• Anatomy of a newspaper.

• Basic Terminology-leads, bylines, exclusive etc.

B)      Newspaper make up

• Purpose, function and constraints

• Design process (Size, anatomy, grid, design elements and steps involved)

• Handling text matter (Headlines, Pictures and advertisements)

• Page Make-up (Front page, Editorial page, Section pages and Colour pages)

• Design structure (Graphic Vocabulary and syntax).

• Layout and format.

• Typography (Physical structure, design style and appropriateness).

• Copy preparation (verbal and visual).

• Typesetting techniques (hot and cold).

• Printing processes (Old, modern and future trends).

• Desktop Publishing (Capabilities, equipment and software).

Course III: Economic Development and Planning in India

A) Economic development:

• Concept and general perspective common characteristics of underdevelopment. India as a developing economy and its international standing.

• Strategies of development : Balanced Vs Unbalanced growth strategy. Wage goods strategy. Basic needs strategy. Mahalanob is heavy import substitution strategy. Export led growth strategy.

• Capital accumulation as a factor in economic growth. Harrod-Domer growth model and capital-output ratio.

• Role of education in economic development.

• Population and economic development: education, poverty and inequality of income distribution (with special reference to India). Problems associated with these and approaches towards their solution.

• Changes in the sectoral distribution of national income, per capita income and labour force since independence. Assessment of the Indian growth experience with respect to these.

B) Agriculture

• Role of agriculture in India's economic development.

• Factors influencing productivity in agriculture-institutional factors, technological factors, pattern of ownership. Prices and availability of finance.

• Industry-the rate and pattern of industrial growth: trends since 1950.

• Industrial policy with special emphasis on New Industrial Policy 1991.

• Public sector in India and its role in the growth process.

• Role of the small scale and cottage industries and Government policy with respect to these problems of industrial sickness.

• External Sector : Role of foreign aid, capital and MNCs in India's growth process. Foreign trade : composition and direction. India's BoP problem. Impact of liberalisation (particularly since 1991) on the Indian Economy.

Course IV: Communication Theory

• Communication-Definition, Scope Sociological and psychological perspective.

• Verbal Communication-Principles and characteristics.

• Non-Verbal communication-Kinds, functions, characteristics, actions and gestures.

• Communication and individual: access, habits, information needs, comprehension, credibility, impact.

Theories of communication and mass communication.

• Theories of the press

• Two stop flow of communication

• Channels of communication.

• Communication modelsFeedback, role of audience in communication

• Barriers to communication

• Effective communication.

Semester II

Course V: Social Psyche and Mass Culture

• Public opinion, leadership.

• Propaganda, prejudice.

• Crowd behaviour.

• Mob mentality.

• Feedback.

• Social Survey.

• Cultural influences on personality and social behaviour.

• Mass Culture.

• Audience of Mass Culture.

• Verbal and non-verbal communication.

• Folk media as form of mass culture

• Live stage performance

• Entertainment and consumerism.

Course VI: International Politics

• Cold War: Origin phases, superpower détente, end of cold war and the New World order.

• Decolonisation: Emergence of third world and its impact.

• Foreign Policy of India: Change and continuity in post-cold war era, adoption of non-alignment and its relevance.

• Foreign Policy of USA in post-cold war era with special reference to Asia-Pacific region.

• United Nations: its role, prospects and limitations; peacekeeping activities; specialized agencies like UNICEF,UNESCO, IIO.

• Regional organizations: SAARC, ASEAN, European Union and IOC

• Foreign Policy of China and its principles and objectives; with special reference to role of Asia-Pacific regions.

• International Economic order, WTO, Globalization and its impact, Role of IMF and World Bank.

• Apart from these, there are certain other topics, which are essential for the understanding of the current international scenario:

  • Issues in contemporary global politics, like the resurgence of ethnicity and breakup of states; rise of issue of fundamentalism, etc.

  • Nuclear weapons and its impact on international politics; Nuclear non-proliferation and arms-control measures like NPT, CTBT and FMCT.

  • Theoretical concepts like Power, National interest, Deterrence, Balance of Power, Power vacuum, etc.

Course VII: Basics of Information Technology

A)      Analogue and Digital Technologies

• Cable TV and services.

• News and current affairs on the Net

• Web page.

• Information super highway-Concepts and issues HD-TV etc.

• Emerging Trends in IT

• MIS-Management Information System

• Satellite and terrestrial broadcasting.

B)      Satellite communication:

·         Use of satellite in radio and TV communication.

·         Satellite TV in India, cable TV in India

·         On-line journalism.

Course VIII: Introduction to Reporting and Editing

·         Introduction to editing

·         Newsroom organisation and operation

·         Role of the sub-editor, news-editor, etc.

·         Editing symbols and their use

·         Language skills-spelling, grammar, punctuation

·         Tightening copy

·         The buried lead

·         Erroneous copy

·         Sources of copy

·         Headlines

·         Introduction to reporting

·         Reporter-Functions of a reporter in a democracy, attributes and responsibilities of a Reporter.
News-sources, transmission, 5 Ws and one H.

Semester III

Course IX: Law, Society and Media

Relationship between Law, Society and Press

·         Government and independent news media

·         Legal rights and responsibilities of journalists.

·         History of Press Laws in India.

·         Major press laws before independence.

·         Struggle against the curbs on press

·         Major press laws since independence

·         Right to information

·         Freedom of the press

·         Broadcast Bill Prasar Bharti.

·         Media Ethics

·         Self-Regulation

·         Press Council.

·         Editor's guild and other regulatory bodies

·         Debates on responsibility and accountability of journalists and publishers.

Course X History of Journalism

A)      A brief history of the genesis of printing

·         Early attempts at bringing out news-sheets in the west

·         British and American streams of journalism

·         James Augustus Hicky and early newspapers of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay.

·         Raja Ram Mohan Roy and growth of Indian language press

·         Early Urdu press; Sr. Syed and journalism

·         Indian press in pre-independence era.

·         Role of newspapers in India's freedom struggle

·         Indian press since-independence legendary Indian Editors

B) Growth of major Indian newspapers: Medium and small newspapers and news magazines.
Non-news journalism.

Course XI International Media Scenario

·         Advent of modern mass media.

·         Development of newspapers and journals.

·         Press in colonial countries

·         Media scene during post World war II period

·         Use of media by power blocks, super powers.

·         Demand for new information order by third world countries

·         Bilateral, multilateral and regional information cooperation

·         Non-aligned news pool

·         Third world media-problems and present scenario

·         Struggle of news between developing and developed countries

·         International communication policies

·         International practices on Visual coverage

·         Global trade practices and regulations in media exchange.

Course XII Development Communication and Rural Reporting

Part A

Development and Communication-Concepts and theories.

Development in Indian perspective:
(a) Rural
(b) Urban

Major Development Issues :
a) Agricultural Extension.
b) Health and Family Planning.
c) Women Empowerment.
d) Poverty and Unemployment.
e) Energy and Environment.
f) Education.
g) Safe Drinking Water.
h) Slum Development.

Role of Communication in development process-Personal and interpersonal communication-use of mass media as a tool in development.
Traditional Media : Traditional form of oral literature cum musical forms, fairs and festivals, community dance, etc.

Part B

·         Rural Communication-Information needs in rural setting. Rural specific feature of communication information support for rural development writing for rural masses.

·         Reporting Panchayati Raj institutions.

·         Rural coverage in mainline print and electronic media.

·         Rural press. Rural news and media organizations

·         Tribal Communication-Specific features of tribal society. Writing for Tribal masses. Tribal press. Information needs in tribal setting. Tribal media organisations.

Case Studies

Semester IV

Course XIII Advanced Reporting

·         Functions of Chief of Bureau

·         Campaign Journalism

·         Lobby reporting

·         Parliamentary reporting

·         Diplomatic reporting

·         Reporting from a foreign land

·         Reporting exercises

Course XIV Advertising and Public Relations

Advertising

·         Meaning and definition of advertising, features, types, distinction between advertising and publicity

·         Role of advertising in the marketing mix (products and services) in society and in the economy

·         History, growth and development-advertising in India

·         Setting advertising goals, DAGMAR model.

·         Advertising budget, meaning need for and methods of setting advertising budget

·         Segmentation and positioning. Campaign planning, advertising message, types of advertising messages, creativity (art and production), copy writing, advertising media decisions

·         How advertising works-changing attitudes, associating feelings with the brand, developing brand personality, creating social norms, precipitating action

·         Organisation: Advertising Department vs. Advertising Agency, functions and role of advertising agency, agency client relationship, media buying houses, agency commission factors affecting choice/change of an agency.

·         Ethical and legal aspects in advertising

·         Apex bodies in advertising (AAAI, ASCI).

Public Relations

·         Meaning and definition, Public Relations vs. Publicity, Public Relations vs. Marketing, importance and role.

·         History, growth and development

·         Public Relations with internal and external publics-employees, community, industry, marketing, shareholders and investors, suppliers, government and media, publishers, designers, photographers and printers.

·         Public relations and communication media and mass media use of news, speeches, special events, handouts and leaflets, audiovisual media, internet, e-mail, worldwide web, digital photography.
Managing promotions and functions, VIP visits, public service activities, working with causes and ideas, crisis management.

·         Organisation of Public Relations-In house department vs. Consultancy, Future of Public relations in India. Ethics and the Law. Apex bodies in PR (PRSI, PSPF).

Course XV Advanced Editing

·         Objectivity and social context of news

·         Politics and sociology of news

·         Edit page-its structure and purpose

·         Magazine Journalism

·         Tabloid journalism

·         Edits and middle

·         Special articles

·         Week-end pull-outs

·         Supplements

·         Backgrounders

·         Photo editing.

Course XVI Media Industry and Management

·         Newspaper organisation: an overview

·         Organisation of newspaper, magazine and news agency offices

·         Principles of good management

·         Management of different sections of newspaper organization

·         Functioning of editorial, business and printing departments

·         Source of revenue-circulation and advertising

·         Economics and marketing of newspapers

·         Problems of finance, arranging equipment and personnel for new publications

·         Problems of small newspapers in India.

Semester V

Course XVIII Press Conference

The attempt will be to give students a feel of press conferences and press sheets. The students will be given inputs into asking questions according to the situations and the status of the person addressing the press conference.

The whole paper will be delivered by :
i. Organizing mock press conference in classrooms.
ii. Inviting important newsmakers and leaders into the classrooms.
iii. By sending students to press conferences where reporters from news media are invited.

Students will be asked to submit 10 such reports that they consider their best work for assessment.

Course XVIII Radio and TV Journalism

·         History-a brief history of radio and television

·         Organizational structure of AIR and Doordarshan, important recommendations of various committees on electronic media.

·         Satellite communication-Use of satellite in radio and television communication, satellite television in India, cable television in India.

·         Radio and TV news services-Basic characteristics of radio and TV news, their comparison with print news, radio and TV news gathering, compilation and writing.

·         Radio and TV production-Basic principles of Radio and TV programme production, an introduction to programme production equipments, basic production techniques, production of radio and TV interviews, talks, discussions, features, documentaries.

·         Radio and TV audience-Characteristics of audience in India, Impact of TV on Indian audience.

Course XIX Government Information System

Part A

Publicity System

·         The need for Government publicity

·         Basic principles of Government publicity- Government publicity guidelines-Operation of Government publicity

·         Maintaining press relations through press conferences, press releases, press tours. Supporting service like background, research, references and photo coverage. Government information system.

Part B

Handling Government and other information sources

·         Information needs for a journalist in social, developmental, national and international areas.

·         The press information officers in Ministry and Government Departments

·         The Press Information Bureau

·         The UN, UNESCO and World bank officers as source of information

·         The CII, FICCI, as information sources for business, industry

The Bombay Stock Exchange Directory and the Registrar of Companies as sources for profile on companies.

Course XX Seminar on Current Issues

Semester VI

Internship.
Project Report and Comprehensive Viva.

Marks in Each Course
- Written Paper : 80 marks each.
- Internal assessment : 20 marks each.
- Project Report : 150 marks.
- Comprehensive Viva : 50 marks.

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Note: For Fee schedule and prospectus, see College Prospectus.