Journalism is basically information gathering and distribution to various media channels. Journalism is a broad field. You have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a topic for journalism research for your master’s thesis, undergraduate project, or dissertation. You should avoid picking a broad topic, as it can cause confusion. Focusing on a particular question is a better way to approach a topic for a dissertation. This will allow you to focus more and make it easier to conduct your research. You should also ensure that your topic of research is not too narrow. This will make it difficult to find relevant information.
A journalism dissertation is different from other fields in that it is judged to be high quality when the information provided by the interviewees is good. Journalism dissertations are more than theoretical knowledge. They must be real and practical. Here are some topics that you might consider when writing a dissertation in journalism:
Topics to research in journalism/news
Journalism’s most popular aspect is news. This is the most basic aspect of journalism. The job of news journalists is to simply communicate facts as they are. You can find many topics of interest that are very relevant to this journalism aspect.
1. The future for journalism. Is true journalism dead? Is blogging, paparazzi, social media the future for journalism?
2. Promotional models. What propaganda models follow media houses? What are the differences between countries in their practice of journalism?
3. The relationship between individual privacy and the practice of journalism. The relationship between British journalist and the royal family. How has journalism helped Henry and Meghan change their lifestyles?
4. The fields of journalism and commerce. What is the boundary between journalism and business? What is the primary goal of media people? To inform or make money? How does a media house compromise quality to attract and keep investors (advertisers?)?
5. Political instability in African nations. What has journalism done for political instability in Kenya?
6. Media coverage of women journalists. What is the treatment of women journalists around the world? What are the constraints faced by women journalist? Is there a place that women journalists should not be allowed to go?
Topics for dissertations on investigative and political reporting
Investigative journalism aims to expose the truth about an issue or an event. In order to make investigative and/or political journalism effective, all information must be factual.
1. Image and media. How can media help a country establish its image? What can media do to help Afghanistan change its negative image before the world?
2. Power hungry politicians and the media. What role do the media play to ensure that these politicians are held accountable?
3. Investigative journalism is dangerous. An examination of the cases of investigative journalists who were hurt. What can media houses do to protect their investigative journalists?
4. Media in developing countries. What has the role of politics in shaping the development countries? Why are politicians in the developing world making empty promises and never delivering?
5. What makes USA the superpower it has become? How important is the media in the US-China competition for the top position?
6. Politics and corruption. An examination of corruption and Kenya’s government. The two are able to co-exist in such a way. What has corruption done to the Kenyan economy?
Topics for dissertation on animation and film
Film and animation encompass concepts like filmmaking, screenwriting, editing, camera work, and editing. Film and animated are very diverse subjects that can often be separated from journalism. You have many options.
1. Hollywood’s role in recognizing the importance of religion and race. What role does Hollywood play in portraying Arabic men?
2. Cinema from both the United States and India. What can they be compared to? What has their impact been on the global economy? What has their impact been on the cultures of the world?
3. Nollywood’s film market. How can filmmakers from Nollywood improve their industry’s performance?
4. Bollywood. How has Bollywood changed over the years? What has Bollywood’s growth meant for the Indian economy?
5. The relationship between Hollywood and violence. Hollywood and violence.
6. Are you more interested in television or cinematography? Are television and cinema becoming more popular?
Dissertation topics on advertising/corporate communication
Mass media is incomplete without corporate communication. Each organization should have a communications department that can manage all communication within the organization.
Corporate communication is a way to communicate effectively with your suppliers, investors, customers, and employees.
Advertising, however, involves the promotion of a product/service through established media channels. This is the most popular way to ensure your message reaches your target audience, and it’s also very popular among large corporations.
What can you include in your dissertation?
7. How important is advertising in media? Advertising is essential for media to exist.
8. Advertising is a major source of income for media. Is this compromising its standards?
9. Advertising is a way for large corporations to continue doing well.
Business reporting topics
Business reporting allows you to report and analyze commercial activities that impact the economy. Business reporting tends to be more thorough than other aspects. It’s also extremely factual. Business reporters must make complex reports understandable for all. You have many options when it comes business reporting. These are:
1. Economy and pandemics. An overview of the economic effects of pandemics worldwide. How does Coronavirus affect the economy? What is the likelihood of it causing the worst recession ever?
2. Chinese economy. How has China’s economy grown so quickly over the years? This steady rise will be halted by Covid-19.
3. Social networking and the economy. How has the social network changed the business model? Is ecommerce a future business model?
Topics for research on development journalism
Our world is dependent on development. Development journalism is about ideologies and policies that make life better. It covers nearly everything that can improve the quality of life. You have a few options if you’re looking for a dissertation in developmental journalism.
1. For many children living in poverty, education is still an unattainable goal. How can media deal with the increasing incidence of illiteracy both in developing and undeveloped countries?
2. Many countries are still seeing an increase in FGM, domestic violence, and rape cases. What can media do to reduce these cases?
3. Still, poverty is a major problem in the developing world. What can media do to help with this?
A dissertation on journalism is a fascinating task. It is essential to be familiar with the nature of journalism writing. Journalistic writing is more practical than other fields. Interviews, surveys, and other practical methods are all good options to gather data.
