ISC Class 12 Syllabus 2028 Mass Media and Communication

ISC
INDIAN SCHOOL CERTIFICATE
EXAMINATION

YEAR 2028

MASS MEDIA &
COMMUNICATION
(879)

Developed by:
Research, Development and Curriculum Division (RDCD)
CISCE

January 2026
____________________________________________________________________________________________

© Copyright, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations
All rights reserved. The copyright to this publication and any part thereof solely vests in the Council for the Indian
School Certificate Examinations. This publication and no part thereof may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed or
stored in any manner whatsoever, without the prior written approval of the Council for the Indian School Certificate
Examinations.

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)

MISSION STATEMENT

The Council for the Indian School Certificate
Examinations is committed to serving the nation's
children, through high quality educational
endeavours, empowering them to contribute towards
a humane, just and pluralistic society, promoting
introspective living, by creating exciting learning
opportunities, with a commitment to excellence.

ETHOS OF CISCE

Trust and fair play.
Minimum monitoring.
Allowing schools to evolve their own niche.
Catering to the needs of the children.
Giving freedom to experiment with new ideas
and practices.
Diversity and plurality - the basic strength for
evolution of ideas.
Schools to motivate pupils towards the
cultivation of:
Excellence - The Indian and Global
experience.
Values - Spiritual and cultural - to be the bedrock
of the educational experience.
Schools to have an 'Indian Ethos', strong roots in
the national psyche and be sensitive to national
aspirations.

CLASS XII
There will be two papers in the subject:
Paper I: Theory 3 hours -------------------- 70 marks
Paper II: Project Work -------------------- 30 marks

PAPER I (THEORY) : 70 MARKS
1. Communication
(i) Culture and Communication
What is culture? Relationship between culture and mass media; communication in the cultural context;
media as vehicle of cultural transmission; representation and stereotyping in Mass Media.
(ii) Communication and Social Change
Social change: meaning, media as a catalyst for social change (with examples of various social
movements).

2. Journalism
(i) Qualities of a good Journalist.
An understanding of the following: nose for news, inquisitiveness, language skills, trustworthy and
empathetic.
(ii) Ethical Issues in Journalism.
A brief understanding of each of the following with example each and why they happen: sensationalism,
fake news, paid news, plagiarism, advertorials, partisan reporting and sting operations.

3. Television
(i) Advertising for television.
Meaning and process - planning phase, scripting, casting, preproduction, shooting, post-production,
approval, delivery.
Functions- Reach large audiences, inform and educate, entertain and retain attention, create loyal
following for product, affordable information distribution.
Types- Cross promotion, Merchandise, Covert Advertising, Infomercials, Bumper ads, Sponsorship, Call
to action.
(ii) Television Filming stages
Pre-shooting, shooting, post-shooting.
(iii) Camera angles
Eye level, low angle, high angle, ground level, Dutch angle, aerial, close-up, bird’s eye view, worm-
eye view, long shot, extreme long shot, medium shot, oblique.
(iv) Camera Movement
Pan, Tilts, Dolly shots, handheld, crane shots.

4. Radio
(i) Writing for Radio
Characteristics of a Radio Script: conversational language, active voice, simple sentences, avoidance of
technical jargons and capability of creating imageries.

5

(ii) Recording Radio Programmes
Brief understanding of the radio studio and transmission equipment: types of microphones-
Unidirectional, Omnidirectional, Cardioid, Lavaliere, Boundary, Shotgun, Ribbon, Dynamic, Condenser;
amplifier, sound mixer, speakers; audio recording.
(iii) Radio Jockeying
Role of a radio jockey; skills required: command on language (spoken and written), connectedness with
the audience; knowledge about the recording equipment.

5. Cinema
(i) History of Cinema
A brief understanding of the early experiments done by the following:
Lumiere Brothers: Cinématographe, first public screenings, Film- ‘Workers leaving the Lumiere
Factory’, Autochrome process (Impact).
John Grierson: Coined the term ‘Documentary’, founded the British Documentary Movement, National
Film Board of Canada, Drifters.
Robert Flaherty: Created first real documentaries, use of actuality, Nanook of the North, Moana.
Dada Saheb Phalke: Father of Indian Cinema, Raja Harishchandra, inspiration from Life of Christ,
Filmmaking and struggles, Cinema film companies, Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
(ii) Cinema Genres.
Defining genre theory; an understanding of the various types of genres (with suitable examples): action,
westerns, comedy, crime, drama, fantasy/sci-fi, historical, animation, romance and musical.
(iii) Cinema and Social Change.
Parallel Cinema movement in India: Issues depicted and low budget production process (with reference
to Shyam Benegal’s Manthan, Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy & Ritwik Ghatak’s Meghe Dhaka Tara).

6. New Media
Definition of new media
Types (websites, apps, podcasts, smartphones, search engines,) and their characteristics.
AI software: algorithms, digital analytics and content creation - brief understanding with examples
Advantages and disadvantages of new media:
Advantages: Accessibility, Interactive, Engagement, Real-Time updates, Cost-Effective, Personalised, Analytics,
Creativity, Connectivity.
Disadvantages: Misinformation, Polarisation, Lack of control, Addiction, Privacy, Cybercrime, Distraction.
The socio-political implications of the new media: Activism, Education, Access to information, Empowerment,
Manipulation, Extremism, Propoganda.

7. Social Media
(i) Definition of social media.
(ii) Types of social media platforms.
Social networking, blogging, photo sharing, video sharing, music streaming, shorts and reels.
(iii) Role of social media in democracy.
Role of social media in creating collective identities with reference to sharing of information; cyber
activism (with suitable examples)

6

(iv) Cyber Crime.
An understanding of online bullying; stalking; trolling; online frauds.
(v) Netiquettes.
Meaning and importance of netiquettes; an understanding of netiquettes such as: identification of oneself;
respect for others’ privacy, use of appropriate language and imagery; to not spam.

8. Media Convergence
Media convergence; dimensions.
Meaning, importance and benefits of media convergence.
Dimensions: technological, textual, social, economic and political (brief overview with examples).
Advantages of the dimensions of media convergence.

PAPER II (PROJECT WORK) : 30 MARKS
Candidates will be required to have completed two projects from any topic/ allied aspect covered in Theory.
Project work may include:
• Script writing.
• Documentary/ video.
• Book review/ film review/ posters/ advertisements/ cartoon strip.
• Advertisement campaign, social media campaign.
• Case study.
• Field visit/investigation.
Candidates must be encouraged to produce project work that is original and creative, which provides insightful
perspectives.

List of suggested assignments for Project Work:
(i) Develop a script for radio advertisement on any one social issue of your choice. The duration of the
advertisement should not be more than 30 seconds. You are also expected to develop a suitable jingle.
(ii) Develop a short comic story. You can choose maximum 4 characters to build the story. The cartoons should
be drawn by yourself in your own way. Write suitable dialogues. Colouring of the comics is optional. The
story should not be more than five scenes or 15 drawings. candidates can submit them pasted in a chart or
book. No software should be used for this assignment.
(iii) Produce a one-hour documentary on the topic “Life in School”. The documentary must contain video clips
from various activities conducted in school as well as general school life such as recess and dismissal. There
must be at least one interview with a student and one with a member of staff. Narration must be clear and fit
with the visual matter. Any recording not in English must have subtitles.
(iv) Develop an advertising campaign on any issue related to the conservation of the environment. You can
choose any non-electronic media for the campaign. For example, pamphlets, placards, leaflets, etc. Prepare
a report of the detailed process along with pictures of the campaign.

7

(v) Create a power point presentation showcasing the various Graduation courses a student can apply for after
the completion of school. The PPT must contain statistical data regarding employment rates of adults who
have completed the courses, number and type of jobs which make use of the courses as well as difficulty of
the courses. Pie charts and bar graphs may be used. Reasons must be given why the courses should be taken
as well as what advantages certain courses have over others.
(vi) Choose a social media campaign. Follow it for a week. Do a detailed analysis of the campaign in terms of its
strategy, followers, comments/ likes, sharing and development over time.
(vii) Use any camera or mobile phone with video facility to create a 1-5-minute fiction story on a topic of your
choice.
(viii) Write a detailed review of a film from any one of the following genres: Fantasy/ Sci-fi, comedy, musical.

Please note that the above suggestions are indicative; any other Project Work topic is acceptable, provided they
align with the given syllabus.

The Project will be assessed by the teacher and a Visiting Examiner appointed locally and approved by
CISCE.
Assessment of Project Work will be done as follows:
1. Internal Evaluation by Teacher 15 Marks
2. Evaluation by Visiting Examiner 15 Marks
TOTAL 30 Marks

GUIDELINES FOR MARKING PROJECT WORK

Guidelines for Teachers
1. It must be emphasised that the process of doing the project is as important as the finished product.
2. Once the project/projects are chosen, there should be a process of brainstorming to encourage students to
make out a draft/structure for the project.
3. During the brainstorming/discussion, the teacher should discuss the assessment criteria with the students.
4. Students must be cautioned against plagiarism and be penalised for the same.
5. Marks must be awarded for content and originality and not for decorative elements and embellishments.
6. Projects must be the original work of the student.

Please note that there is no separate viva component integrated for the subject under Project Work. Candidates
will be assessed on the parameters provided in the rubric at the end of this document.

NOTE: No question paper for Project Work will be set by CISCE.

8

PROJECT WORK IN MASS MEDIA & COMMUNICATION - GUIDELINES FOR MARKING WITH GRADES

Criteria Preparation Procedure Observation Inference Presentation Marks
Grade I Excellent choice of Originality and relevance; Proper format followed, Information fitted Methodical, precise 3 marks
Topic, good creative, rational and understandable to all ages, correctly to format; work and clear expression; for each
research, visually structured thinking. Proper correct flow of components indicates understanding, neat and tidy criterion
pleasing (or audio), methodology. such as image and audio. good comprehension of presentation; optimum
proper format subject. Components utilisation of skills.
followed. showcased in a way that is
neat and clear.

Grade II Relevant choice of Originality and structured Able to follow format, but Can format and grasp Work neat and tidy and 2 marks
topic; Relevant thinking; adequate not precisely; able to grasp information correctly; clearly presented; for each
audio and visual; methodology; good insight. information; independently subject matter shows methodical and criterion
adequate research. done. adequate comprehension. appropriate techniques
Components are in correct used.
format.
Grade III Topic selected but Unable to create or edit a Tends to make mistakes in Assistance required in Sequence of work 1 mark for
continuous project; requires assistance to organising data; some order to grasp the relevant acceptable but not very each
assistance required prepare components. ability to conduct project. and validity of neat; poor presentation. criterion
for collection of Audio and visuals are Mistakes in editing. information; tends to
information. substandard. make errors.

Grade IV Lack of perception Not able to comprehend Faulty survey and mistakes Cannot process results; Presentation untidy and 0 marks
of the subject and concept of a topic; unable to in data/ poor collection of faulty conclusions in spite disorganised; effort and for each
objective; lack of prepare project even with components; not able to of assistance provided. initiative lacking. criterion
effort. assistance; no video or audio proceed even with
collected. assistance.

9