Here is a ranking of the best mass communication colleges in India by Mint. MICA, Ahmedabad, tops. Interestingly, the Chennai-based Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), obviously a journalism school and incidentally my alma mater, is placed second. Hmm. However, the writer makes it fairly clear in the story that the ACJ is not a mass communication institute. Check out these quotes.
“We are allergic to the word ‘communication,’ as it has been abused by many university colleges in the past. We are more of a journalism institute,” Sashi Kumar said.
Sashi Kumar is chairman of the Media Development Foundation, which runs the ACJ.
Another quote: It is a view shared by alumnus and deputy news editor at business television channel CNBC, Harsha Subramaniam. “I feel it is not right to call ACJ a mass communication institute, as it is purely a journalism school. I feel mass communication institutes also teach advertising, public relations, corporate communications as part of their curricula,” he adds.
But what should we make of the fact that the ACJ made it to number two on a ranking of mass communication institutes? In Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, where in August 2006, I was part of a documentary team from ACJ, I met a lady who was working with a non-governmental organisation after graduating from a prominent mass communication college. "ACJ? Oh! You guys specialise. We don't."
“We are allergic to the word ‘communication,’ as it has been abused by many university colleges in the past. We are more of a journalism institute,” Sashi Kumar said.
Sashi Kumar is chairman of the Media Development Foundation, which runs the ACJ.
Another quote: It is a view shared by alumnus and deputy news editor at business television channel CNBC, Harsha Subramaniam. “I feel it is not right to call ACJ a mass communication institute, as it is purely a journalism school. I feel mass communication institutes also teach advertising, public relations, corporate communications as part of their curricula,” he adds.
But what should we make of the fact that the ACJ made it to number two on a ranking of mass communication institutes? In Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, where in August 2006, I was part of a documentary team from ACJ, I met a lady who was working with a non-governmental organisation after graduating from a prominent mass communication college. "ACJ? Oh! You guys specialise. We don't."
8 comments:
I strongly support the argument that ACJ does not belong to this list of colleges...However, considering the fact that there are very few colleges that deal with just one area of mass communication (unlike ACJ) such a grouping of these colleges was expected...But what matters is that ACJ still holds the second position...which makes ACJ the best journalism school...(MICA has no course to offer in journalism)...
I completely agree with you..Can't compare ACJ with MICA...but is still think ACJ is the best... :P
"Is the ranking supposed to boost our collective egos?" - a friend of mine, also from ACJ, via Gtalk message.
Just adding a J-school into the list cos there arent many mass comm schools to choose from is rather....-...
why have a top '10' list then? cud've just called it the 'top mass comm colleges in India.'
how many j-schools are there in the country anyway? acj, iijnm (bangalore)...i cant think of any more.
acj therefore, is the best. makes us all acj alumni feel good.. but apart from b'cast students who actually do learn the tricks of the trade..(new media too, to an extent)..does one really need a j-school? nothin to do with this post, but jus thot i'd float the question.
and another thing.. that ACJ is the best, can only be decided when a consistent stream of AcJians/Acjiites..achieve some level of 'noteworthy-achievement' probably..
but as far as journalism schools are concerned, acj is no 1 of the two in the country! :)
(if there are more J-schools, pls do lemme know..cos honestly cant think of any other j-school in the country)
There is the Times School of Journalism in Delhi, which is opening branches in Mumbai and Chennai soon. Then there is the Pioneer Media School, also in Delhi. There is the Amity School of Journalism and Communication, again in Delhi. There is also Manorama School of Communication (MASCOM) in Kottayam, Kerala, which offers a course in print journalism. It boasts KTO as the Dean. By the way, the guys at IIJNM go on and on about themselves. They've hoodwinked themselves into believing the ACJ doesn't exist! Ha! : )
i meant exclusive 'journo' schools. btw.. MASCOM ppl also go on and on. one of my close friends from there puts it on par with acj!!!
the nerve!!!
:P
Well, the schools mentioned can be classified as exclusive journalism schools, though some names indicate otherwise. For instance, MASCOM, I think, offers just one course - in print journalism.
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