Moving Towards Marketable Graduates..!
The Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media Studies offered by the Faculty of Arts, University of Jaffna is a pioneering effort and a response to the need of the time by offering theories and academic analysis of the Mass Media and providing practical proficiency in print, electronic and new media for the students expects to enter into media and relevant world. The programme provides a great strength and facilitates to create Media Studies graduates with the professional skills, knowledge and principles to find employment as Journalists, Press Officers, Information Officers, Advertisers, Documentary and Feature Film Makers and Public Relations Officers at regional and national level. It also affords the graduates with great potentials to be self-employed as small scale entrepreneurs considering the vast horizons of media and as teachers of Media Studies in schools and universities.
The long standing civil conflict and the unsettled conditions in the Northern Province affected the media environment severely and created the impacts in the quality of professional journalism and its ethical norms. The Media Studies Degree Programme would eliminate the above gap and provide more opportunities to the youngsters to enter the field with appropriate educational background.
Further, it is certain that the streams like Conflict Sensitive Journalism, Non-violent Communication and Media Culture which are the part of the curriculum would lead the young journalists with the conviction of social harmony through media activities.
There is an increasing need and demand in the media industry of Sri Lanka for professional journalism with the rise of new newspapers, radio and television channels and the growth of online journalism. Schools have already addressed this need by including ‘Communication and Media Studies’ as one of the subjects in Ordinary and Advanced Levels. It has been included in the G.C.E. (O/L) since 2007 and in the G.C.E. (A/L) since 2010 in the school curriculum. The Media Studies considered the opportunities of continuum in this regard via university education.
Considering the excellence of the stakeholders of this degree programme and to increase their employability, Media Studies is continuously in consultation with the professionals in media industries: Editors of dailies from Colombo and Jaffna, Channel Heads of Television services, Advertising Agencies, Film Makers and Senior Academics in Media and Communication are consulted during the development of the curriculum and pedagogical processes. Further, various interested parties such as government media channels, government institutions, and other state universities are looking forward to collaborate with the Media Studies to extend their media related activities in the Northern Province.