You may have often heard the phrase, ‘Begin with the end in mind’, but have you ever witnessed a person living that phrase? While many people struggle to find the right path or discover their interests, FLAME alumna Ridhima Saxena began her journey knowing exactly how she wanted her career to progress.
Currently working as a senior correspondent at Mergermarket— a London-headquartered online news agency, Ridhima always wanted to be a holistic learner. This led her to pursue BA in Literary and Cultural Studies Program at FLAME. On asking what motivated her to take up journalism as a career, she says, “My interest in journalism was fuelled by the style of education at FLAME that required us to question ‘why’ on almost every aspect of life, and imparted the required knowledge and analytical abilities to understand people and situations deeply.”
Ridhima further talked about how the subjects and shared experiences in the program made it easier for her to excel at her Post-Graduate Diploma Program from ACJ, Chennai. “The Post-Graduate Course seemed more like a natural extension of what I had studied at FLAME,” she said. The foundational knowledge helped her excel at courses pertaining to broadcast journalism and writing. Her learning journey became richer as she already had a basic understanding of electives offered at ACJ, such as Gender Theory, Political Thought, Law, etc., since they had already been covered as a part of the curriculum at FLAME.
Ridhima had the opportunity to intern with CNBC-TV18 while studying at FLAME, which made it easier to get a full-time job at the same organization during her placements at ACJ, Chennai. Her prior acquaintance with the workplace and the employees helped her to quickly settle into the work culture and deliver the organizational goals.
With over five years of experience in the field, she garnered excellence in different areas of journalism, including television, print and digital media. Looking back at her transitional journey of working as a financial journalist, she mentioned that the media may have changed, but the core subject - finance, is what always drove her to give her best. When asked about the challenges that the industry presents, she revealed, “In a digital world where news is mostly consumed via smartphones, it has become imperative for us journalists to be able to develop content across all media.” Personally, Ridhima prefers the digital medium as it allows her to incorporate different elements such as videos, interviews, text, social media posts and data to produce an interactive report, unlike other linear media like television and print.
As finance is generally full of complexities, Ridhima’s work involves staying on top of news and regulatory changes in the sector, constantly developing sources, and asking the right questions to the right people. This practice helps her analyse and understand the story behind an event, de-jargoning information, and writing stories that are simple to understand, reader-friendly and accessible. “A career in journalism is rewarding as it enhances your ability to perceive and understand the world around you better,” she said as she fondly talked about the thrilling field that journalism is.
To aspirants desiring to be the voice of the people, she advised, “Be a keen reader, a good listener, think critically, ask relevant questions, and try to be at the right place at the right time. If you are someone who loves observing, writing, and telling stories of people and events, this profession will not disappoint you.”
These skills that she imbibed from the beginning have helped Ridhima in her career as a well-known journalist and in her personal life, and she looks to inspire other young minds in their journeys.