Photojournalist
Captures powerful images to tell news stories and document events as visual narratives.
Overview
A photojournalist captures powerful images to tell news stories and document events. They blend photography skills with journalistic integrity to provide visual narratives, often working in challenging environments. Their work appears in newspapers, magazines, and online platforms, offering compelling, real-time insights into current affairs and human experiences.
Where they work
- Newspapers and Magazine Companies
Work environment
You will primarily have a desk job where you might have to handle a team. You are likely to work 5 to 6 days a week, 9-10 hours every day. This may vary from company to company. You will have to work under tight deadlines. If you are a reporter, then local travel will be a part of your job profile. You will have to work in shifts.
Opportunities for work exist for differently abled in this field.
Skills and interests
This career might suit you if…
- You pay attention to details
- You like to analyze things (problems/situations)
- You like to get into discussions about issues
- You like working outdoors
Eligibility and education roadmap
Please check the duration of the course during enrolment.
Route 1
- 1Complete 10+2 in any stream.
- 2Complete a Bachelor's degree (BA/BJMC/BMM) in Communication & Journalism/Mass Media/Journalism/Journalism and Mass Communication
Alternative route 2
- 1Complete a Diploma in Journalism or Mass Communication
Alternative route 3
- 1Complete a Bachelor's degree followed by a Master's degree (MA/MJMC/MMM).
Forms, exams and applications
Exam names above are as printed in the source card. Application windows, eligibility and syllabi change — always check the official notification for current dates.
Where to apply
The courses are offered by the Department of Mass Communications. Note the caution in "Sources and update notice" below. This list of institutes is indicative only.
Government institutes
- Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi
- Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat
- University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
- Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
- Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra
- Farook College, Kozhikode, Kerala
- Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana
- Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Private institutes
Please check if the institute is affiliated and accredited before applying.
- St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, Pune, Maharashtra
- Department of Media Studies, Christ University, Bengaluru, Karnataka
- Times School of Journalism, New Delhi
- Manipal Institute of Communications, Manipal, Karnataka
- Madras Christian College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
- Pearl Academy, New Delhi
- National Institute of Medical Sciences, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Distance learning
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
These institute lists are indicative examples from the source card, not a ranked or complete directory. Always verify accreditation on the institute's official website.
Career outcomes
Growth path
- 1Stringer → Staff Reporter → Senior Reporter → Chief Reporter → Principal/Special Reporter → Chief of Bureau → Assistant Resident Editor → Deputy Resident Editor → Editor
- 2Trainee Sub-editor → Sub-Editor → Senior Sub-Editor → Chief Sub-Editor → Assistant News Editor → Associate News Editor → Assistant Resident Editor → Deputy Resident Editor → Editor
Expected income
₹13,500 – ₹80,000 per month
The card gives the salary of a Journalist rather than of a photojournalist specifically. The figures are indicative and subject to change.
SourceRelated careers to explore
Journalist
Assesses, gathers and presents news about real events from a fair and unbiased perspective.
Photographer
A professional skilled at taking pictures or photographs with a camera.
Student action plan
What you can do this month
- Read this whole roadmap and note any subjects, exams or institutes you don't recognise yet.
- Talk to a teacher or school counsellor about how your current subjects connect to Any Stream, Languages, Arts.
- Look for a school club, competition or online course related to creating.
- Shortlist 2–3 institutes from the list above and check their official website for current admission details.
- Save this career and compare it with 1–2 others you're considering.
Example from the field
Shereen Bhan — The Managing Editor of CNBC-TV18. She graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi with a degree in Philosophy, and pursued a Master's in Communication Studies from the University of Pune, with film and television as her area of specialization. She has been in the field for over 15 years and began her career working as news-researcher for Karan Thapar's production house Infotainment Television.
SourceThis profile is shared for training/educational purposes only, as printed in the source card.
Sources and update notice
- Career card source: Exploring Career Paths with Career Cards, Volume 1, printed page 135 (NCERT / UNICEF India / PSSCIVE Bhopal, First Edition, April 2025).
- Income source: https://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Job=Journalist/Salary
- Last reviewed on this site: 2026-08-21
Only the front of this card is specific to photojournalism. Everything on the back — places of work, work environment, growth path, institute lists, expected income and the field example (Shereen Bhan, a television editor) — is reprinted word for word from the Journalist card on printed page 117, and is reproduced here as printed. Treat the photography-specific route as the Photographer card describes it, and verify courses on each institute's official website.
Eligibility, fees, exam patterns and admissions change often. Always verify current details on official institute, exam-body or government websites before making decisions.