Starting a career in journalism can be a little daunting for anyone, but particularly so if you are an ethnic minority.
Why? Because so few ethnic minorities work across print and online media. Is this just because most Asians brought up in the UK prefer to follow other career paths which are deemed more “traditional” or “safe” in the eyes of they Asian community like law, medicine, accountancy or banking.
Or is it because British-Asians journalists don’t get the career breaks in print or online journalism because of their ethnicity. I mean how many senior print or online journalists can you name who are British-Pakistani? and if you throw into the equation gender – how many senior print or online British-Pakistani journalists can you name who are female? The answer is probably none.
When I started out in journalism on my student paper at King’s College London, over 10 years ago, I did so because I loved writing and I still do. I didn’t think I’m female, British and of Pakistani origin (both my parents are Pakistani – my mother is from Multan and my father from Lahore) all the world is against me and how on earth am I ever going to get a job in the media?
If I did, I wouldn’t have worked for the publications I have which include several national newspaper websites. Therefore all I can say to those young British-Asians starting a career in the media is have a positive attitude.
I have had many knock-backs, I still do on a daily basis, but be persistent. OK so you might not get your dream job as music correspondent for the Guardian but you could start by doing work experience or an internship for your favourite music magazine or website and prove to that editor that you are worthy of being employed.
Secondly, you must be ahead of the game academically. It is important to study an NCTJ-accredited journalism course whether you want to go into the field of broadcast, print or online journalism, so that you have a qualification under your belt.
This is essential so you can avoid comments – which I had frequently from one senior national newspaper journalist – “Well you don’t have shorthand…or you don’t have media law…” These sort of comments are not constructive and if you have shorthand, media law you can avoid this sort of criticism.
If you are lucky enough to get on an internship say at the Financial Times, BBC or Guardian than that is a different story. You are then likely to be fast-tracked within the organisation and trained up full to national news organisation standards.
It is also essential to be ahead of the game ie know the latest trends and software (if you are considering a career in online journalism) so that you can impress a future employer. So invest in professional courses. The NUJ (National Union of Journalists) run many on a daily, weekly basis.
Read the latest trade publications and websites about your future or current profession, for example journalism.co.uk or the Press Gazette or the Guardian Media section on Monday.
Overall, enthusiasm, determination and working hard pays. If you do all of these, it is difficult to blame your ethnicity or gender for not establishing a career in the media.
If you are good at what you do, opportunities come to you, if you are not, then they don’t obviously.
Sabuhi Mir is a freelance journalist. She has worked for Estates Gazette, the Financial Times, Sweet Maxwell Thomson Financial, Times Online, Lycos.co.uk and ITN On, among others.
This article was published on the Asians in Media website on April 7 2008