Journalists should be made to pass an exam

Journalists should be made to pass an exam like doctors and lawyers


Media plays an integral role in shaping the views and the mentality of the public in any country. If the journalists do not portray the correct picture, the perception of the public is also misleading.

For:

- Currently there is no distinct degree mandatory for a person to be a broadcaster and hence it has been observed that people with petite and insufficient training and knowledge enter this vocation leading to adverse effects
- Journalism is considered to be a very respectful and responsible job, but the untrained people are unable to match up to its high standards and maintain those standards
- It will bring in a professional touch
- The education will make them more responsible in handling sensitive data and news, and the ways to impart those news to the audience

Against:

- People who are creative enough and have the courage to join the industry, but due to financial problems are unable to join a course will lose the opportunity of working and achieving their dreams
- Currently journalist are not paid that well, but once they have gained the necessary education, they would start demanding more remuneration, hence incurring a loss to the news channel
- The fees of such specialised courses are expensive and not that everybody will be able to afford to gain the education and their dream to be a journalist will remain a dream
- Lack of proper faculty will also lead to insensitive and poor training of the people

Conclusion:

- Instead of making certification a prerequisite to enter journalism instead on the job training should be provided. The deserved candidates can be later motivated to pursue a degree in the same.
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    Discussion

  • RE: Journalists should be made to pass an exam -Rishika Jalan (04/19/14)
  • I completely agree with the statement that journalists should be made to pass an exam like the doctors and lawyers. As we all know that presently no such exam or entrance exists, but it should be conducted and made compulsory for all those people who would want to take up the profession of journalism. By doing so, the entire profession would become standardized. It would also attract a lot more people from different professional backgrounds. Currently, any person with a creative edge thinks he can be a journalist but he might not be ready to handle the pressure and to showcase the right content the audience. By conducting an exam, it would educate people in a better way and make them more professional to highlight sensitive data to the public. Thus, an entrance exam should be held for aspiring journalists.
  • RE: Journalists should be made to pass an exam -Rajani Sharma (01/07/14)
  • For:

    • Journalism is a very respectful and responsible job. Thus journalists should be made to pass an exam. It has attracted many people from different fields having specialisations in economics or international relations.

    • The way we have a bar exam in other fields, like medical exams which are conducted by the professional bodies, after which they issue a licence which enables them to pursue and practise the profession. In the same way, the compulsion for the journalists to pass the exam will lift the standards in the media industry. After passing the exam they will acquire a certain degree of standardisation.

    • In the absence of exam, a person with petite and insufficient training and knowledge enter this vocation leading to adverse effects.

    • In order to maintain the standards set by the industry, passing the exams should be made mandatory otherwise untrained people will be unable to match up to the high standards of journalism.

    • It will help them in understanding the basics of industry and will make them more responsible in handling sensitive data.

    • Implementation of this rule will help the candidates in getting good amount of remuneration which is not currently paid to the journalists.

    Against:

    • Instead of making certification a prerequisite to enter journalism, training on job should be provided to the journalists.

    • Making the exams mandatory, will de-motivate those candidates who are creative enough and have the courage to join the industry, but due to financial problems are unable to join a course will lose the opportunity of working and achieving their dreams.

    • The fee structure of such specialised course is very expensive and cannot be afforded by everyone to gain the professional education in journalism. Thus making their dream to be a journalist as a dream.

    • Lack of proper faculty will also lead to insensitive and poor training of the people.

    • Deserving candidates will not be motivated to pursue a degree in this specific field.