MASTERS OF ARTS

IN
JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION
(MAJMC–Ist year)

ASSIGNMENTS
July 2023 Session

MJM-020

MJM-021

MJM-022

MJM-023

MJM-024

MJM-025
 SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM & NEW MEDIA STUDIES
INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY
MAIDAN GARHI, NEW DELHI-110068
MJMC / PGJMC ASSIGNMENTS
Dear Learner,

As explained in the Programme Guide, you need to submit one assignment in each of the eight
courses. Before attempting the assignments, please read the detailed instructions provided in the
Programme Guide carefully.

The last date of the submission is given against each of the assignment. Please note that you have
to submit these assignments to the Coordinator of your Study Centre within the stipulated time
for being eligible to appear in the term-end examination.

You must mention your Enrolment Number, Name, Address, Assignment Code and Study
Centre Code on the first page of the Assignment. You must obtain a receipt from the Study
Centre for the assignments submitted and retain it. It would be advisable to retain a photocopy
of the assignments with you.

After evaluation, the assignments have to be returned to you by the Study Centre. Please insist on
this and keep a record with you. The marks obtained by you will be sent by the Centre to SED
at IGNOU, New Delhi.

Guidelines for doing Assignments

Attempt all questions given in each of the assignment as instructed. You will find it useful to
keep the following points in mind:

Planning: First read the study material carefully, attend teleconferencing sessions and interactive
radio counseling sessions conducted for the programme; if required you can obtain details from
Study Centre/Regional Centre) and then read the assignments carefully. Go through the units on
which they are based. Make some points regarding each question and then rearrange them in a
logical order.

Organization: Draw a rough outline of your answer. Be analytical in your selection of the
information for your answer. Give adequate attention to the introduction and the conclusion.
Make sure that the answer:
• is logical and coherent;
• has a proper flow of information in sentences and paragraphs; and
• is written correctly giving adequate consideration to your expression, style and
presentation.
Presentation: Once you are satisfied with your answer, you can write down the final version for
submission, writing each answer neatly.

With best wishes,

Dr. Shikha Rai
Programme Coordinator, PGJMC and MAJMC-I
[email protected]
 MJM-020: Introduction to Journalism and Mass Communication
Assignment 01
(Due Date: Please check the website for the latest update on due date)

Assignment Code: MJM-020 /July23

Maximum Marks: 100
Weightage: 30%
Note: Answer all the questions. All questions carry equal marks = 20 each
Attempt each question in about 500 words

1. Choose any two media theories of your choice and analyse how it fits in the current
media scenario. (400 words)

2. What are the ways in which internet has affected the traditional media of print and
electronic? Cite industry reports indicating internet proliferation in India during the
COVID times. (500 words)

3. Select any two language dailies of your choice. Compare their editorial pages and present
the differences in a tabular form.
(350 words)
4. Which elements of a podcast make it unique and better than earlier broadcasts? Write the
concept and idea of a podcast for children upto ten years of age.
(500 words)
5. Conceptualise and plan a fund raiser to promote tribal art through digital means. (400
words)
 MJM-021: Reporting Techniques

Assignment 02

(Due Date: Please check the website for the latest update on due date)

Assignment Code: MJM-021 July23

Maximum Marks: 100
Weightage: 30%
Note: Answer all the questions. All questions carry equal marks = 20 each
Attempt each question in about 500 words

1. Write a feature for your local newspaper on the rise of pollution levels in cities during
festivals and weddings and sustainable ways of celebrations (500 words).

2. Write an article on the concerns of the government regarding the use of crypto currency
in the country. (500 words)

3. On the basis of your reading of the unit ‘Research for Journalistic Writing’, use the
various methods and tools of journalistic research to write an article on the rise of start-up
ecosystem in the country. (500 words)

4. Write a comment on encouraging rural and indigenous sports to be a part of international

sports events and competitions. Cite relevant data from credible sources. (500 words)

5. Write a story on the psychological issues faced by children after being home-bound for
two years due to the pandemic. Also suggest plausible solutions for the problem. (500
words)
 MJM-022: WRITING AND EDITING FOR PRINT MEDIA
Assignment 03
(Due Date: Please check the website for the latest update on due date)

Assignment Code: MJM-022/July23

Maximum Marks: 100
Weightage: 30%

Note: Answer all the questions. All questions carry equal marks = 20 each
Attempt each question in about 500 words

1. Select any two newspapers published in India. One should be a national daily and another
one should be a regional one. Make sure that both come from two different languages. As
per your learning from Units 12 and 13 (Page Layout & Principles of Page Design),
analyse the chosen two newspapers' designs and write your critical interpretations. Take a
screenshot of sample pages and use the mobile/computer markup tools to highlight your
interpretations.

2. Select any 'Explainer' or 'Backgrounder' news stories that got published a month or two
before the submission of your assignments. Create two infographics using any online
tools, as prescribed in the MJM022 (page number 235). Submit the printout of your
infographics.

3. Identify a national/regional issue of the recent past. Read more about the issue and refer
the Unit 7 (Editorial Writing) and write a well-balanced editorial for a national audience.

4. Based on your observation in your locality, identify a pitch for a news website. Write a
brief about your pitch and do a mind map exercise for the chosen pitch.

5. Identify a newsmaker from your locality/district, and write a profile of that person.
Submit the photograph of that person with your assignment.

You can complete the assignments of MJM022 through the SOJNMS’s online students' lab
journal The Voices - https://medialit.in/thevoices/
 MJM-023: Broadcast & Online Journalism

Assignment 04

(Due Date: Please check the website for the latest update on due date)

Assignment Code: MJM-023/July23

Maximum Marks: 100
Weightage: 30%
Note: Answer all the questions. All questions carry equal marks = 20 each
Attempt each question in about 500 words

1. Discuss the different characteristics of online journalism with examples. (600 words)
2. Describe the different categories of presenters in radio. (500 words)
3. Write a script for a television news package of 90 seconds duration on any news story of
your choice.
4. Explain the pre-production stage for a television documentary production. (500 words)
5. Explain any two of the following terms: (250 words each)

i. Hyper-textuality
ii. Content Management System (CMS)
iii. Output
iv. Rundown
 MJM-024: MEDIA AND SOCIETY
Assignment 05

(Due Date: Please check the website for the latest update on due date)

Assignment Code: MJM-024/July23

Maximum Marks: 100
Weightage: 30%

Note: Answer all the questions. All questions carry equal marks = 20 each
Attempt each question in about 500 words

1. Select one news channel and one newspaper of your choice. Get familiarized with their
news operations. Identify the primary characteristics of the respective medium. Find the
differences between the characteristics of these two different media.

2. Identify any five Indian advertisements. Find out the following details of the respective
advertisements from the media literacy perspectives: a] What is being sold through these
advertisements? b] How is it being sold? c] What is the main agenda of each
advertisement, and how it is conceptualized to influence the consumer?

3. Read more about Goal 3 of Sustainable Development Goals [Good Health]. With a
simple online search, understand the international and national efforts taken for this goal.
Write the opportunities and challenges for the media and communication system to
support goal 3.

4. Read and understand the basic concepts discussed in Unit 13 (5.2 Representation of
Social Identities). Collect five days of a newspaper of your choice, and analyse their
coverage on Class, Caste, Gender, Minority and Ethnicity. Write your observations in a
report format. Cite suitable examples from your sample news items to support your
analysis.

5. Identify any alternative media efforts from India or the Asian context. Explain its mission
and objectives and compare it with any mainstream media for their approach to executing
their objectives. Give adequate details of the chosen alternative media efforts.
 MJM 025: Media Ethics and Laws

Assignment 06
(Due Date: Please check the website for the latest update on due date)

Assignment Code: MJM-025/July23

Maximum Marks: 100
Weightage: 30%
Note: Answer all the questions. All questions carry equal marks = 20 each
Attempt each question in about 500 words

1. Private news channels are often criticised for carrying our sting operations unethically.
What are the ethical practices and laws that govern the use of hidden cameras and
recording without a person’s consent and knowledge? Discuss your answer in light of any
recent example.

2. Discuss the role of codes of ethics in the context of journalism as a professional practice,
examining its problematic and positive aspects and whether codes are the most effective
way of securing ethical media practice without unduly restraining practitioners?

3. Fake news and rumour mongering has become a menace due to the lack of gatekeeping
across social medial. What in your opinion should be the ethical code of self-adherence to
reduce the spread of such unidentified news?

4. Reading news and seeing gory photographs of riots, wars or accidents can be mentally
harassing for the audience. Nevertheless, such reporting is essential from journalistic
view. Is there a need of educating journalists on Trauma Literacy for responsible
reporting of accidents or riots? Justify your answer.

5. Personal data created by individuals using the internet creates both footprints and
fingerprints. Discuss the ways that data-matching on the internet pose new legal and
ethical issues for media platforms and media practitioners. [Data matching means the use
of personal information given in one context (or held on one database) with data given
(or held) in another]