Evaluation of Media Professionals Pertaining to the Reality of Media Graduates Employment and Their Future Career

Qualitative Study ofa Sample of Academics, Officials and Media professionals in Riyadh

Abstract

This (Qualitative) study aims at athorough diagnosis of the reality of media graduates employment and its obstacles, anticipating its future and providing proposed solutions. Thirty-two various media figures, including academics, officials and practitioners, representing various public and private media institutions, have participated in this study. The study seeks to answer the following key questions:

• What is the reality pertaining tothe employment of Media Colleges and Departments graduates?
• What are the reasons behind the shortage of media jobs offered to the graduate in line with his major discipline?
• What is the future of employment of Media Colleges and Departments' graduates at media institutions?
• What are the most significant proposals to facilitate involvement of media graduates in a media career?

This study concludes that all study informants- with their different positions- acknowledgethat the employment of media graduates is a real problem while practical and real procedures should be undertaken to confront and put an end to it. The findings show that there are rare opportunities of governmental recruitment along with barriers not allowing media graduates to work in the private sector. The participants mentioned a group of reasons forcing graduates to work in careers other than the media. Views pertaining to the future employment of this sectionof university graduates were a mix of optimism and pessimism.The optimistic view sees that the universities are to develop their students' skills, and thatthe trend is to localize many job careers in the private sector's institutions and open new career horizons for the graduates. On the other hand, the pessimistic view sees that the status quo will remain as it is with lack of jobs and large numbers of graduates while most academic departments will still work away from the reality of the media market's needs. The study concludes the discussion of its key areas with some proposals which a sample of participants think would facilitate the enrolment of media graduates in media jobs. The researcher considers them recommendations of the study, including job recommendations at the level of governmental employment andother recommendations at the level of media institutions and private sector's institutions, and finally recommendations pertaining to media colleges and departments.