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Sample Personal Statement for 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.
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