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Personal Statement

Applied Program: Media & Communication

If an allegory can be used to describe the internship I undertook recently, I would choose that of the metamorphosis of a chrysalis into a butterfly—the achievement of maturity through a difficult process of hard struggles. Since July this year, as a graduating student from the School of Journalism and Communication, University of XX，I arrived in XX and worked as a practicing journalist with three media organizations including XX. For the first time in my life, I was confronted with the rich and vibrant social and economic realities of China and my professional training required me to capture the very pulses of this rapidly changing society, together with its live issues and underlying forces, with perceptiveness and precision and to apply in-depth analysis through macro perspectives.

At the very outset, I had difficulty in developing a focus amid a wide range of possible subjects. On the other hand, the break-neck efficiency and tremendous rigorousness required by the media industry were almost beyond me. It was a real challenge when I saw how some of my first reports were rejected. After initial disorientation, I gradually adapted to my exciting journalistic role and my broad ken of knowledge played an important role. XX is the sole dominant media in China’s industrial world, featuring general economic information and in-depth coverage of specific issues. There I published a total of five substantial reports and in-depth commentaries including XX Subsequently, I shifted my internship to XX and to XX where I published yet another dozen articles likeXX, and XX. The editors-in-chief duly recognized my professional standards and potential while  some of my publications provided importance reference for local decision-makers in the related fields. My hard efforts paid off when I was awarded the honor Outstanding Practicing Journalist of 2004 for my reportorial achievements by XX.

The internship proved a defining experience. It served as a bridge linking my academic training with the larger world where this training is to be applied. It improved my ability to deal with complicated realities and to put theoretical knowledge to practical use. It allowed me to see my strength as well as limitations. Above all, it reinforced my determination to seek more advanced academic training so that I can become a truly high-achieving media worker that I have always wanted to be.

University of XX is a first-rate comprehensive university of the country and the School of Journalism and Communication is ranked among top national level in a recent overall assessment. Its broad-based curriculum has given me all the important knowledge requisite of a journalism and communication major. I have excelled especially in History of Communication Science and Technology, Journalistic Reporting, Newspaper Editing, Mass Communication, and New Webpage Design, with highest scores of the class in most of them. Those courses not only permitted me to gain important insights into journalism as an academic discipline but also heightened my journalistic sensitivity. I had a slow start in my first year, nevertheless, my extra efforts since then put me in steady ascendancy in my academic performance, ending up in a top 5 ranking.

My parents are both senior engineers and their wide-ranged knowledge made me aware very early in my life of the importance of comprehensive personal development. During my undergraduate program, my interest in journalism has transcended mere curiosity to become a potential career pursuit. Therefore I paid special attention to be well-read in order to broaden my horizon. Apart from academic work, I became a correspondent for the university newspaper when I was a sophomore and have since been reporting on major campus events. I have kept improving my writing skills, the problem-solving skills as well as teamwork skills. Finally, I have been a member of the class committee in charge of publicity, and a social worker for HOPE Project, a nationwide voluntary support program to bring the dropouts in impoverished rural areas back to school. For my academic and extracurricular achievements, I have been awarded first-class scholarship for years and was the Outstanding Student of the University.

Under the guidance of my advisor Prof. XX, I am currently preparing my bachelor’s thesis—XX. The issues to be discussed included the specific measures of media reform, the underlying reasons behind the reform (the country’s modernization process, social progress and the changing needs of the audience), how to implement brand strategy for media organizations. The conclusions to be drawn will be useful in that the thesis stresses effective communication, the need to improve the professional standards of the media practitioners, and the market-oriented operations of the media industry to supplant government ideology.

What is exciting about China’s media and communication industry for the next decade is that, like the radical social and economic changes, changes in the existing media framework will also be inevitable. The low public credibility of media, the ideological rigidity, the ineffectiveness of media as a means of opinion supervision, the un-rationalized resource allocation, and the lack of market awareness, all those inadequacies must be altered before a new era of media development can be expected. To achieve those desired changes, the development well-trained media workers is indispensable. My present application for a Master’s program in media and communication at XX is precisely motivated by the recognition that, having received a standard undergraduate education, I must acquire international perspectives by studying in a country with developed media industry. With this international background and education, I may be well equipped to face the challenges in China’s future media profession, which is increasingly penetrated by international media organizations.

The UK is acknowledged for its cutting-edge teaching and research in media and communications in the world. I am delighted to find that the Department of Media and Communications of XX is interdisciplinary in nature, bringing together teaching and research across social sciences, focusing strongly on media and technology change and their implications for social, economic and political life, and for policy making. Students are trained to study, to think, and to solve problems independently and creatively. Like the multifaceted metropolis of London, the scholarly work there is also pluralistic, allowing students to listen to different voices concerning the social, political and economic issues of the world. I believe that an exposure to diverse concepts and ideas in this vigorous academic climate is beneficial to my development of independent opinions and decisions.

Whenever I envision that I could be so close to British media giants like BBC, I cannot help feeling excited. My prospective program at XX will definitely become a turning point in my life. By studying how British and international television, broadcasting, printing and electronic media operate, I will acquire knowledge highly relevant to China’s media profession. The relevance will be two-folded. First, my increased professional standards will made me an accomplished journalist and as such I will contribute to the role of supervision of the public opinion. Secondly, I am also interested in learning media management and the capital operations of the media market. This will enable me to work my way into the management of a media organization as I become a senior media worker. Whatever my career path will be, I will have to depend on your program for the requisite professional qualifications.