It’s Not Important to Have a Journalism Degree, But One

Must Have A Sense for News – Says Chandan Pandey,

Reporter at News Vanguard
AUGUST 9, 2018
 WORK-LIFE JOB SECURITY INCOME WORK CULTURE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNITION

BALANCE POTENTIAL EDUCATION

Profile Details
Name​ – Chandan Pandey
Profession​ – ​Journalism
Designation​ – Reporter cum Newscaster
Organisation​ – ​News Vanguard
Age​ – 22
City​ – Agartala
Work Experience (Years)​ – 3
Under-Graduation​ – BA Journalism and Mass Communication, ​New Alipore College​,
Kolkata

Please give us a summary of your Career.

I started my career in Kolkata. There I was involved in making short films and photo shoots
across the entire Bengal state.
Because of the nature of my work, I’ve been to almost all the tourist spots in West Bengal
and some outside Bengal such as Varanasi, Lucknow, Delhi, Himachal etc.
At present, I’m working in Agartala, Tripura as a Reporter cum Newscaster. Apart from
regular reporting, I have covered Assembly elections of President, Vice-President etc.

Please describe your current Job Responsibilities.

At present, I’m working as a reporter cum newscaster in ​News Vanguard​ (an electronic
media house in the state of Tripura).
I’ve had the opportunity to take several interviews, which includes that of the Tripura
University’s Vice chancellor’s and many political leaders.
I’ve also hosted a talk-show with several political leaders including the present Deputy CM
of the Tripura, social welfare ministers and many more.
Average Income in Journalism in the current scenario
Starting out/Fresher – ​0-2 Lakhs Per Annum
5 Years of Experience – ​5-10 Lakhs Per Annum
10 Years of Experience – ​10-20 Lakhs Per Annum
15 Years of Experience – ​20-40 Lakhs Per Annum
20 or more Years of Experience – ​20-40 Lakhs Per Annum

How do you rate the Income Potential in your career?

Work-Life Balance in Journalism

On an average, how many hours do you work per day?
More than 9 hours
On an average, how many days in a week do you work?
6 days
How often are you required to work in night-shift?
Often
Does your work require you to travel?
Often
Does your work require you to relocate to different town/cities?
Often
How would you consider the job security in your profession?
Secure
Would you consider this Profession Risky?
Risky

Overall, how would you rate Work-Life Balance in your Profession?

Overall, how would you rate Job Stability of your Profession?

What are the different ways of entering this profession?
It’s not important to have a Journalism degree, but one must have a sense for news;
because this is the main trait that the company looks for.
Although, I recommend that one should have a graduation degree in journalism or any
language or political science from a recognized university.

Work-Culture
How would you rate Stress-Level in your Profession?
Stressful
How would you rate your office/work infrastructure?
Good
How would you describe your co-workers?
Helpful
Generally speaking, your work is
Field Work

Overall, how would you rate Work-Culture in your Profession?

Importance of Education to enter Journalism

Would you say that Education from top School/College plays a major role in the
success in this Profession?
No
What level of Education is sufficient to be successful in this Profession?
Simple Graduation
Would you say that Studious students are generally successful in this Profession?
No
How would you consider the Cost of Education post 12th?
Expensive
At present, which institutes are best for the education of this profession?
Calcutta University, Jadavpur University, JNU, BHU, IIMC
What is the cost of education (post 12th) of this profession at present?
The cost is around 2 to 5 lakhs
Overall, how would you rate the role of Education in your Profession?

According to you, what kind of person is likely to be Happy &

Successful in Journalism?
First Personality Trait –​ Energized by people, enjoy a variety of tasks and good at
multitasking
Second Personality Trait –​ Focus on facts and details and apply past experiences to
come up with practical solutions to problems
Third Personality Trait – ​Prefer to make decisions using logic by weighing the pros and
cons
Fourth Personality Trait –​ Prefer to keep the flexible plan and keep options open
Fifth Personality Trait –​ Prefer to seek new experiences and create new things
Sixth Personality Trait –​ Prefer to be self-disciplined and organized
Seventh Personality Trait –​ Prefer to be just and fair and not try to make everyone happy
Eighth Personality Trait –​ His/Her Family and Friends agree that S/he is usually relaxed,
calm and happy

What are some of the positives, which would encourage

someone to join Journalism?
The biggest positive is the satisfaction that I get from creating an impact on the society. I do
this by reporting the actual situation to citizens, public servants, and politicians, which in
turn galvanizes the effort to improve the situation.
Another positive is that one gets to earn name and fame in this profession. This is the
reason that this profession attracts so many people.

What are some of the negatives that you would want someone to
be aware of when considering a career in Journalism?
One must not be involved in any kind of illegal business. When I say illegal, it means being
a biased journalist or by hiding the fact or the truth from the people. Because such a
journalist cannot survive for a long time in this field. Therefore, it is important to avoid being
involved in anything that might hamper his/her career.
Another negative is that in the long run, it becomes difficult to maintain a healthy social and
family life.

Recognition in your Profession

What is your family’s view of your Profession?
My Family is Neutral
What is Friends’ view of your Profession?
My Friends are Impressed
What is Society’s view of your Profession?
Society is Impressed
Overall, how would you rate the Recognition aspect of your Profession?

General Information of your Profession/Business

What kind of family’s financial background can maximize success in this profession?
It Doesn’t Matter
What is the ease of starting own business in this field?
Maybe Easy for Few
How easy is it to move to a different country in this profession?
Maybe Easy for Few
Now you have several years of work experience and you have seen professions of
others. If you are taken back to 10th/12th class and allowed to pick a profession, then
which profession will you pick and why?
I’ve always been a person who wants to know “what” “when” “why”, so I would have chosen
this profession only.

Interested in reading more on Journalism? Check out ​our conversation with Vinod
Verma​(Freelance Journalist).