Complete Guide to a Career in Media Management

BBA in media management is an undergraduate degree program that deals with the study of journalism, media, advertising, and broadcasting. Students of BBA in media management also learn communication skills and technologies in project management, social networking, and digital marketing.

Aspirants for BBA in media management degree stand to benefit in many ways, including –

• Learning how to manage the organizational and commercial aspects of the media industry.
• Understanding the emerging trends in media and related technologies.
• Gaining skills to manage real-time scenarios in business strategy.
• Acquiring the knowledge of multinational agencies in media communication.

Graduates find employment in various private and public sector media houses in media sales, marketing, and media production with an annual salary between INR 2,00,000 and INR 12,00,000. The salary depends on your experience in the relevant field.

Media management involves managing media files, creating media content, finding relevant topics, and putting it all together. The key functions of media management are –

Strategic Management

Strategic management is the foundation of all decisions in a company. It includes setting goals for media campaigns and setting processes that are beneficial for the business. The strategic management team does program evaluation, game theory, break-even analysis, and financial control before starting any media campaign. This function helps allocate resources for the media campaign and make your business stand as a strong competitor in the market.

Procurement Management

Procurement management helps when a media house wants to outsource part of its business. The procurement process begins with identifying the need, knowing the target audience, and developing the budgets. It involves finding the right supplier of service, vetting, negotiating the terms and conditions, and contract management.

Production Management

This is also called operations management or the day-to-day tasks within the media agency. In this process, the team arranges resources, monitors the workflow behind the scenes, and deploys the campaigns. The production management team also handles any operational issues, internal or external, throughout the media production.

Marketing Management

The marketing management team strategises the promotion of material and content that the media agency creates. These strategies include advertising, social media, POP, email campaigns, SEO, and content marketing. One of the important goals of the marketing management team is to remove any errors in the strategy and optimise the results.

The duration of a BBA in media management is typically 3 years with 6 semesters. A breakdown of the media management syllabus is as follows –

Semester 1

• Fundamentals of management
• Principles of economics
• Fundamentals of computer
• Business communication
• Introduction to accounts
• Language skills

Semester 2

• Fundamentals of marketing
• Organizational behaviour
• Business law & ethics
• Media psychology
• Management accounting
• Effective communication skills

Semester 3

• Human resource management
• Public relations
• Media management
• Media laws and ethics
• Business statistics
• Marketing management

Semester 4

Digital marketing

Costing and resource profitability

Fundamentals of graphic design

Financial management

News media production management

Semester 5

• Business organisation
• Game production
• Strategic analysis
• Introduction to research methodology and report writing
• Environmental management and corporate social responsibility
• Media planning and buying
• Entrepreneurial business models
• Financial management

Semester 6

• Advertising and brand management
• Client acquisition and retention
• Project budgeting and management
• Project management in media
• Career development and soft skills training
• Developing an advertising campaign (project)
• Internship/case study

The minimum eligibility criteria for BBA in media management is 10+2 in either the science or commerce stream with a minimum of 50% marks or equivalent CGPA in the qualifying exams. While some colleges take admission directly based on merit, others have separate entrance exams.

To be successful in media management, one must have the necessary skills apart from institutional learning. You can groom yourself in these media management skills while studying and finessing them as you gain more industry experience.

• Ability to Handle Criticism – Constructive criticism from peers will help you finesse your skills and grow in the media management industry. Take proactive feedback and work on the gaps to outshine in your area of work.
• Learning Ability, Research, and Data Analysis Skills – With a range of analytics tools to measure the impact of your social media or broadcasting campaign, having analytics skills will help. With modern analytics tools, you can study the success or failure of a campaign in real-time, customer emotion, engagement, response and conversion rates, and community growth.
• Being Unbiased – Journalistic ethics emphasise unbiased reporting of news and events, and having that skill will build your credibility in the industry.
• Communication Skills – The media industry is about communicating effectively and having excellent skills in doing that is essential. Without excellent communication skills, the target audience will perceive you as unprofessional.
• Decision-Making Skills – To make decisions, you need to understand the big picture. This includes knowing how the end-to-end journey from an idea concept to execution works. You need to know how different elements, such as content and social media, tie together. This is necessary to define the target audience and outline goals to scale your efforts.
• Detail Oriented – As a media person, you have the responsibility of conveying the right message to the audience. Poorly researched content not only brings the media house a bad name but also has far-flung societal impacts. Attention to detail is paramount in media management.
• Organization & Time Management Skills – Things happen like clockwork in the media industry. One cannot afford to submit content late or miss a meeting. There are specific time slots available, be it on social media or traditional news media on television. One has to be extremely disciplined to meet the timelines.
• Flexibility – The media industry works at all hours of the day and all days of the year. While every media professional has the required work timings and breaks as part of their HR policy, one needs to prepare for those odd working hours on a critical project.
• Interpersonal Skills – Today’s media thrives on online and offline communities. To do so, you need excellent interpersonal skills. Having them will not only make the media projects shine but also will get you better work opportunities.
• Leadership Skills – Growth in the media management industry will depend on your leadership and problem-solving skills. As you move into critical decision-making roles, your leadership skills will steer the success of your teams and the campaigns.
• Perfection in Appearance – The media industry is highly social, where the way you present yourself and your appearance matters. If you are immaculate and well-groomed, it will add bonus points to your success in the industry.
• Teamwork – You will be working with extremely diverse teams in and outside the office. Journalists often work with people from a range of industries, and they build these contacts with time. You need great teamwork and interpersonal skills in this area.
• Technical Skills – Media management in modern times uses tools for project management, analytics, marketing, and building online communities. All media management professionals must have the relevant technical skills to excel.

Media management is one of the top choices for students looking to make a career in the television, film, radio, and event management industries. After graduation, you can find employment in print media, internet media, broadcast media, the music and gaming industries, and the advertisement sector.

The media management scope extends outside of journalism. Graduates of media management also find jobs in global IT giants, the government sector, and research and analysis firms.

Is media a good career? This is a common question aspirants ask themselves during research. A good career comes with growth opportunities, a wide range of roles, and a respectable income. Here is a list of media management career options in India.

• Media Strategist/Planner – A media strategist works with a team under him/her to build ad campaigns to capture potential clients and keep existing clients engaged.
• Media Manager/Event Manager /Market Researcher – This role requires you to work with the producer and find information, people, and places suitable for your television or radio program.
• Brand Management Professional – A brand management professional develops a strategy that sets the media house apart from its competitors and forms a long-lasting bond with the target audience.
• Marketing Analyst/Specialist – A marketing specialist works closely with the media strategist to create ad campaigns and pricing strategies and set the parameters to target the right audience.
• Marketing & Branding Executive – Brand executives work with marketing specialists and media strategists to implement plans for customer experience and loyalty, and brand awareness.
• Multimedia Specialist – Multimedia specialists create audio, computer animation, video and graphics for news and ad campaigns.
• Social Media Management Specialist – With changing times, every media house has an online presence. Some media agencies run fully online. A social media specialist plans, implements, monitors, and controls your social media strategy to propagate ad campaigns and news.
• Web Content Manager – A web content manager works closely with project leads, editors, and media managers to coordinate the website content. They also work with writers and make sure that the content is in tune with the target audience.
• Ad Sales Executive/Business Development Executive – Ad sales executives oversee the sale of advertising slots in your online or offline media channel. They contact and close deals with brands on behalf of your media house.
• Digital Media Analyst/Consultant – A digital media analyst analyses information that comes from online advertising, social media, and Google ads. They use this information to make future campaigns better.
• Corporate Communication Head – A corporate communication head in a media house oversees the entire communication strategy of the business. The goal is to drive growth and meet long-term business objectives through communication.
• Channel Head – A channel head works in TV channels and oversees the planning, implementation, and growth of the channel and its partners.
• TV Producer – A TV producer is responsible for giving direction to a show. He/she plans the shooting, production, and pre-and post-production. They pitch new stories to the network and handle budgets and hire staff.
• Journalist – A journalist is an individual who gathers information in the form of text, image, audio, and video, and processes them in a news-worthy form. A reporter is a journalist who conducts interviews for the press and broadcast media.

The fee for BBA in media management differs from one college to another. According to a study, the fee ranges between INR 1,00,000 and INR 6,00,000.

According to a leading employer review company, the average salary of a media manager as of 2022 in India is INR 7,75,315.

The media management salary range starts from INR 2,70,000 and goes up to INR 22,90,000, depending on the value you bring to the table and your experience.

Although success in media management is an ongoing journey, these steps will ensure that this journey is faster and smoother.

• Learn the new technologies and close any gaps in your skills.
• Enhance this with knowledge of project management, organisation and communication, and copywriting.
• Fine-tune your skills in using social media platforms and marketing analytics tools. These include Google Analytics and AdWords, WordPress Facebook and Twitter ads, YouTube ads, and more.
• Gain relevant work experience and be a lifelong learner.
• Build a professional portfolio whether you are working full-time or as a freelancer. Show your communication skills through the way you design your portfolio.
• Develop communication and build relationships in the industry because a personal recommendation goes a long way when companies look for talent.

Media management schools are your first step towards the industry, and they must be in the right direction if you want long-term success. Here is a checklist to follow –

• Media is a broad term, and the industry offers you a range of opportunities from traditional to online media. Knowing what you exactly want will narrow down your options.
• Know your budget and research schools that offer the maximum value in it. The fee will normally cover tuition, accommodation, extra activities, and required software.
• Check the physical infrastructure of the institute. This includes classroom space, labs, studio space, and a place for media equipment.
• Research the institute’s affiliations with universities within India or abroad. The place which issues you the degree certificate is important for career growth.
• It is important to be a part of training and internships through your institute. Check if your college provides one.
• Go for an institute that offers you placement opportunities with reputed media houses.

FAQs

What is the admission process for BBA in media management?

Many media management institutes give direct admission based on your performance in 10+2. Others do separate entrance exams to assess your skills and knowledge. Please check directly with the institute you are considering.

Can you specialise after BBA in media management?

Yes, you can choose to build your career in TV news media, print media, or online media as a specialisation. Other specialisations include the film and television entertainment industries.

Who can opt for a BBA in media manage

BBA in media management is perfect for those interested in journalism, television, newspapers, films, radio, public relations, and advertising industries.