Planit : Career Areas : Communications and Media

If you are interested in a job where you get the chance to think creatively, and influence how other people think or act, then working in the communications and media industry is the place to be.

We all watch TV, including the adverts, and are targeted by marketing campaigns. We read books and newspapers. We very often take on board the attitudes promoted by people who work in this industry. We want to have the products they advertise.

What areas can I work in?

There are many different types of careers to choose from in this sector, including: advertising, marketing and public relations (PR); journalism; media and broadcasting; and publishing and writing.

To see the routes to getting into each of these sectors, take a look at our Career Pathway.

What kind of companies can I work for?

For some careers such as TV or journalism, you would work for a specific type of company, but in areas such as PR and marketing you could be working for a company in any type of industry.

What’s the job market like?

If you want to enter work in any of these sectors, entry is very competitive so you will need determination and persistence to get into many careers. Some areas, such as marketing and PR, offer long term/permanent jobs, but in other areas short term contracts and freelance work can be more common.

There were estimated to be approximately 217,900 marketing associate professionals working in the UK as of December 2025, an increase from 197,500 in the previous year. ¹ As of December 2025 in Scotland, there were 15,300, compared to 12,600 in 2024. ²

In 2029, the United Kingdom advertising industry is forecast to have a value of £50.552 billion, an increase of 38% since 2024. ³

The United Kingdom publishing market grew by 0.5% in 2024 to reach a value of $8,268.2 million (approximately £6.17 billion). In 2029, the United Kingdom publishing market is forecast to have a value of $9,279.3 million (approximately £6.92 billion), an increase of 12.2% since 2024. ⁴

The world of journalism encompasses both print and online media content. According to Nomis, as of December 2025 there were 5,500 people working as newspaper and periodical journalists and reporters in Scotland, an increase of 1,600 since December 2024. ²

Employment in Scotland’s screen sector increased by 12.1% from 10,940 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in 2021 to 12,260 FTEs in 2023. Screen Scotland’s strategy is to reach £1 billion of added economic value by 2030. ⁶

Facts and figures

According to IBISWorld, around 172,684 people were employed in UK book publishing in 2024, rising to approximately 177,000 in 2025. ⁵
As of December 2025, there were 3,600 public relations professionals working in Scotland. ²
66.4% of marketing graduates from the academic year 2022/23 went on to full time employment within 15 months of graduating. 51% of those found employment in marketing, PR and sales roles. ⁷
As of December 2025, there were 50,700 advertising account managers and creative directors in the UK, 9,000 more than reported in December 2024. ¹

Want to find out more?

ScreenSkills is the industry-led skills charity for the screen industries. Find out more about various careers by visiting their website www.screenskills.com.

The BBC have a great careers section with information about getting into the industry via work experience, trainee schemes and apprenticeships. Check out the site at www.bbc.co.uk/careers.