Mass communication a lucrative career
By Fung Lan Yong
Published in "Borneo Post Sabah" on Monday, March 14, 2016
Mass communication is the
transmission of information to a large audience through the mass media; in
Malaysia, information is mostly disseminated through newspapers, magazines,
television, radio, film, and websites. Nowadays,
most Malaysians have access to such mass media channels as news reports, books,
movies, television programs, music videos, advertisements, and printed/online
articles. Further,
mass communication has become a lucrative career for Malaysians as it enables
them to transcend all boundaries and become unified with the entire global
community. It is the virtual reality of
the 21st century that encompasses almost all aspects of human life,
which enables 1Malaysia to face the challenges posed by a phenomenal explosion
in communication technology.
Characteristics of mass communication
Mass
communication has several characteristics.
First, it has universality; this refers to
the extensiveness of a medium and acceptability of messages. For instance, Malaysians do not need to be
literate in Hangul in order to enjoy a Korean drama. Second, it has permanence; this refers to the period
for which a medium can hold its message, thereby making the message
reviewable. For example, books,
newspapers, and magazines have permanence because they can be repeatedly read
and stored. Third, mass communication
allows wide coverage and rapid dissemination; it can continuously relay
information to heterogeneous audiences across wide geographical areas within
seconds. Finally, it is a cultural
transmitter; it transmits the
heritage culture of one generation to another, one ethnic group to another, and
one nation to another, thus preserving, promoting, and even integrating it.
Roles
of mass communication
Mass communication plays four
important roles in society. First, the
surveillance role requires it to provide accurate news and information to the
public. Second, the interpretation role
permits it to set a context for new information and provide commentary about
its significance and meaning. Third, the
socialization role allows it to transmit values within a society, especially in
setting examples for appropriate behaviour and attitudes. Finally, its entertainment role is to
entertain the public through film, radio, television, sound recordings, books,
and magazines. Given these roles, mass
communication is often associated with several sensitive issues, including
freedom of press and censorship, media-government relationship, media
objectivity, and their social impact.
Prerequisites of effective mass
communication
Effectiveness of mass communication relies heavily on the
sending of messages. Hence, mass
communication graduates should be well versed with the communication process
and be able to plan about what, who, and whom to be
communicated each time. They should always have a clear idea about every message in order to communicate successfully to
the audience. They
should also be able to ensure comprehensibility as their
effectiveness greatly depends on the audience’s understanding of the message;
hence, they should be able to deliver simple and accurate messages that can
catch people’s attention.
Further,
mass communication graduates should be able to use an appropriate channel to deliver a particular message to an intended audience. Although there are numerous channels of mass
communication, not all of them are suitable for every message. To select a suitable channel, they must be
able to determine the cost, time constraints, and demographics of the
audience. Besides selecting appropriate channels for their message, mass
communication graduates must be able to produce accurate and authentic
facts or messages. Accurate or authentic
information ensures receivers’ understanding and gives a positive impression
about the sender. Finally, they must
ensure consistency between their message and their own actions in order to gain
the audience’s confidence and trust.
Basic
requirements of a mass communication career
Mass communication requires more than
just effective communication skills and a literature degree; with technology
assuming an increasing role in Malaysian life, most mass communication careers
now require adequately trained professionals who can work efficaciously in delivering
information to a wide-ranging audience.
With the proliferation of blogs, it seems that anyone can become a journalist;
however, only those with mass communication knowledge and skills can become successful
professionals in Malaysia.
A diploma is essential to apply for a
responsible position in any organisation, including something related to mass
communication; meanwhile, Malaysians who are interested in mass communication
should start improving their written and oral communication skills by blogging
or working as a freelance contributor to newspapers or online publishing sites.
These undertakings help develop their maturity,
objectivity, and critical thinking, which are essential soft skills and graduate
attributes in most professions.
Generic
skills and attributes
Mass
communication is an
appropriate career for Malaysians who are creative and innovative, especially
those with a way with words. They must
demonstrate good written and oral communication skills as the field requires
them to elaborate on complex issues to a wide-ranging audience in a succinct, clear,
and vivid manner. Moreover, they must
exhibit a great deal of patience and interpersonal skills because it takes hard
work and perseverance to thrive in the field.
Although
the job description of a correspondent reporting international events and that
of an advertising executive promoting a product appears vastly different, both
these professionals may possess a mass communication background. Nevertheless, mass communication graduates
must possess certain soft skills and generic attributes that enable them to get
a job. For instance, those who are
interested to get into news media should show a keen interest and sound
knowledge of news and current affairs, while those who prefer to work in a
publishing company should be capable of projecting a global perspective on
various issues.
Develops many professional skills
Mass
communication inculcates many useful skills that are applicable not only in
fields directly related to it, but also for many other professions. Pursuing mass communication will allow
students to develop verbal
and writing skills that enable them to organize and
express ideas clearly and appropriately.
Additionally, they will develop observation
skills that enable them to evaluate ideas and content as well
as to inform, explain, influence, persuade, mediate, and negotiate. Besides, their attention to detail and organizational
skills will improve, enabling them to work as a team member or
individually, meet deadlines, strive for accuracy, be accountable, and make
decisions. They will also develop critical thinking skills that enable them
to use independent, objective, and precise reasoning to solve problems.
Further, mass communication students
will develop design and development skills that enable them to design projects,
generate and adapt ideas, develop programs, evaluate situations, and present
information and data. They will also
develop problem solving
skills that enable them to examine complex problems by
understanding both the whole picture and its individual parts, recognizing
patterns, applying analytical and intuitive skills, as well as evaluating and
monitoring results. Further, they will acquire research and analysis skills that
enable them to analyse, assimilate, and interpret information
and data. Finally, their cultural awareness will increase, which
enables them to address diverse cultural, social, legal, and
ethical issues of society.
Career opportunities
in Malaysia
Career opportunities in mass
communication are expected to increase in Malaysia in the next few years because
its Multimedia Super Corridor
(MSC) aims to accelerate its Vision 2020 objectives by transforming the nation
into a knowledge-based, global society. Mass
communication graduates are needed
to expand a multimedia hub for innovative producers and users of multimedia technology. Working with both local and multinational
companies, they will have ample opportunities to promote the socioeconomic
development of Malaysia by exploring the limits of the possible and initiating
innovative ways of living, working, and playing in the information age.
Additionally, Malaysia has several
media groups that offer attractive employment opportunities to mass
communication graduates at different levels and positions. Prominent media groups in Malaysia include
broadcasting (Astro, RTM), production (Animonsta, Filmscape, Double Vision,
Les’ Copaque), record labels (EMI, Kartel, Life Records, Monkey Bone), and
several publishing houses. Jobs in these
organisations are attractive in terms of remuneration, fringe benefits, and
future prospects. Therefore, Malaysian
graduates with good language proficiency, commitment, and passion will have an
advantage to join these media groups that allow them carve a successful career
in visual communication, corporate/institutional media, film directing, telecommunications,
screenwriting, sound engineering, recording, editing, advertising, public
relations, to name a few.
Wide range of job options
Mass
communication graduates in Malaysia have bright job prospects as it opens doors
for numerous careers. Since communication is an integral component of most
careers, studying mass communication prepares Malaysians for a wide range of
job options. In the advertising/marketing field, mass
communication graduates
can work as account
managers, advertising salespersons, designers, graphics and production
specialists, Information specialists, marketing communications trainees, media
buyers or planners, promotion representatives, or publicity directors.
In
the business field, they can become account
coordinators, business managers, customer service managers, information
specialists, research analysts, or public relations managers. In the broadcasting
and production field, mass communication graduates can be employed as broadcast
technicians, directors, disc jockeys, engineers, film editors, floor managers,
lighting directors, news directors, newscasters, producers, production
managers/supervisors, program directors, scriptwriters, sound mixers, special
effects specialists, station managers, technical directors, or video graphics
artists.
In the journalism field, they can work as assignment editors, columnists,
critics, editors, news analysts, news directors, newspaper editors,
photojournalists, print coordinators, proof-readers, reporters, sports
directors, videographers, or writers.
In the publishing field, they can work as booking agents, literary agents,
editors, or writers. Finally, in the public
administration field, they can work as community affairs directors, event coordinators, or
program administrators.
Mass communication in entrepreneurship
Mass communication plays a significant role in
entrepreneurship, an enterprising domain that the Malaysian government is
currently emphasizing. From Facebook,
Twitter to apps, 21st century entrepreneurs are connected to their
stakeholders more than ever before; they are able to disseminate
news and factual information to wide audiences in real time. Many also use
social networks of mass communication to reach new customers while keeping
existing customers engaged. Further, many entrepreneurs
can take advantage of social media by capitalising on television news networks,
newspapers, and blogs to engage a large audience of interested
stakeholders. Aspiring entrepreneurs can
use social media to start a business anywhere, for example, in a garage or dorm
room, increasing website traffic and marketing inquiries in the process.
Moreover,
many entrepreneurs now release breaking news stories directly to customers via
status updates, photo posts, and messages. This mass communication function helps
foster a sense of community for their business; customers feel connected and
informed via online mass communication tools. Besides helping entrepreneurs promote their products or services, mass
communication tools allow them to shape consumers’ opinion. Many social media users are quick to post
their opinions concerning a product or service, motivating entrepreneurs to
provide as many positive shopping experiences as possible. Finally, mass
communication tools enable entrepreneurs to share their opinion-oriented
business messages or respond to feedback.
They strive to expose customers to different viewpoints in order to
influence them to purchase their products or services.
Cultural
transmission and entrepreneurship
Mass
communication fosters a sense of culture and community in Malaysia; many
Malaysians engage in social networking sites, blogs, and online forums on a
regular basis in order to establish professional and personal relationships
nowadays. Undoubtedly, entrepreneurship
is one of the driving factors in this cultural transmission. It is now easy to communicate with
stakeholders far away, as every business translation can be achieved via a few
clicks. No longer are entrepreneurs
restricted to a certain radius as they can now connect with, or deliver
products and services to, people around the globe.
Entertainment
and entrepreneurship
Besides social networking and
entrepreneurship, mass communication has an entertainment function; for
example, YouTube, Vimeo, and Twitter provide relaxation and escapism from a demanding
world. Entertainment
always has been an important part of the Malaysian society, with a higher
percentage of the population (adolescents, young adults, sports enthusiasts,
and children) preferring entertainment to information.
Through sound recordings,
film, radio, and television, many Malaysian entertainers have been able to
attract audiences around the globe. Further,
many music videos and television shows are instantly accessible to users around
the world; people are now able to participate directly within the media by
posting their own videos, art, and other creative works. Many entrepreneurs take this opportunity to
market their products or services; they no longer need to have a large
advertising budget now because they can simply create and post their own electronic
commercials and virtual billboards to expand their customer base.
Adriana Arissa of Jesselton College Sabah said, “I am doing a diploma in mass communication
because it provides professional training for individuals who intend to pursue
a career in the media, production, public relations, marketing, advertising, or
related fields. It
exposes students to the dynamic and creative nature of the mass communication
industry so that they will be able to operate in the global and constantly
changing world. The diploma is suitable
for passionate and creative individuals with effective communication skills and
who are keen to apply the tools and technologies related to mass
communication. I believe a career in
mass communication is not only beneficial, but it also yields great job
satisfaction, creativity, and innovation.”
Pei Ying Chua of Jesselton
College said, “Mass
communication helps fulfil several entrepreneurial functions. First, entrepreneurs can launch their
business and introduce new products and services. Second, it helps create new markets by
promoting a product or service via different kinds of advertisements; radio,
television, newspapers, and the Internet are the main vehicles of
advertisement. Third, it keeps stakeholders informed on the market
prices, besides the demand and supply of various products and
services. Fourth, it fosters goodwill by spreading the vision, mission,
and social agenda of a business organisation.
Finally, it promotes interdepartmental
coordination of a business organisation, for example, among procurement,
production, marketing, administration, and human resources.”
About the writer
Dr. Fung Lan Yong teaches Academic English, Journalism,
and Entrepreneurship at the same college. She also serves as Honorary President
of its Psychological Society.
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