Growing Number of Journalism Graduates, Post Graduates & PhD holders, But Where Are the Jobs in J&K?

 Hemani Kandhari 

Jammu, Feb 20: As universities across Jammu and Kashmir continue to award Master’s degrees and PhDs in Journalism and Mass Communication, concerns are growing over the lack of adequate job opportunities for these qualified graduates within the region.

On February 19 MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para moved a cut motion during the discussion on Demands for Grants of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the Information Department portfolio. The cut motion sought details regarding vacant posts, recruitment plans, and steps being taken to address unemployment among media and journalism graduates.

Every year, hundreds of students complete Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mass Communication and Journalism from universities in Jammu and Kashmir. However, many of them struggle to secure stable and well-paying jobs locally.

Official documents tabled in the House reveal that several posts in the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), including Assistant Information Officer positions, are currently vacant. While proposals for reviving and filling certain posts have been submitted, recruitment is yet to be completed.

In the private sector, opportunities are also limited. Jammu does not have many major national news channels or large media houses operating at full strength. Some well-known publications have scaled down operations in recent years, and many media outlets function with minimal staff and infrastructure.

Another major concern is low wages in the local media industry. Many journalism graduates say that salaries offered by some media organisations in Jammu are too low to sustain a decent livelihood. Due to poor pay and lack of job security, several qualified professionals prefer to seek opportunities outside the region rather than work under unstable and underpaid conditions.

As a result, many journalism graduates are forced to move outside the Union Territory in search of better career prospects. This migration of young professionals raises concerns about the future of the media sector in the region.

Observers say that if the region continues to produce qualified journalists through its universities, there must also be a clear employment roadmap. Strengthening government communication departments, ensuring timely and transparent recruitment, and creating a supportive environment for reputed media organizations to operate in Jammu and Kashmir could help address the issue.

During the discussion, MLA M. Y. Tarigami of the CPI(M) and National Conference spokesperson and MLA Tanvir Sadiq also raised issues concerning the welfare of journalists. They spoke about the need to introduce a pension scheme for accredited journalists in the Union Territory, similar to provisions available in other states. Tanvir Sadiq further suggested that journalism should be introduced as a subject at the 10+2 level to create better academic and career opportunities for aspiring media professionals in the future. MLA G A Mir from Congress also raises concerns for Media fraternity. Many MLAs also expressed concern over the alleged distribution of government advertisements to lesser-known newspapers while ignoring highly circulated and established publications. Similar concerns were raised regarding digital news portals, with members stating that reputed platforms are often overlooked. They stressed the need for transparency and fairness in the allocation of advertisements to ensure credibility and support genuine media organizations. 

These discussions and documents in the Assembly has once again brought attention to an important question — if higher education in journalism is expanding, are enough efforts being made to create opportunities for these graduates within the region?