Graduate reports from the frontlines of global journalism

Graduating in 2021 with a first-class degree, Shivalika has built a remarkable career in just a few years.

Now based in India, she works as a Producer for BBC Bangla and Urdu, helping launch entirely new India-facing content for two language services, mentoring new teams on field reporting, and coordinating with journalists across Delhi and Dhaka.

Shivalika's path to the BBC began at Solent, where the practice-led approach to journalism training gave her a grounding she still draws on daily.

When she began researching universities, it was seeing where previous Solent graduates had gone that convinced her:

"I was seeing a lot of people had gone into sports journalism and were working for Sky News and the BBC. So, I was like, let's give this a try."

Once on the course, any uncertainty disappeared. Taught by lecturers with first-hand industry experience, Shivalika quickly found herself getting a real taste of newsroom life:

"I loved the idea of going out, producing a package with my teammates, going across the city interviewing people about the cost-of-living crisis or a protest that was going on. That gave me real insight into what journalism looks like."

Coming to Southampton from India, Shivalika describes arriving as a shy student. The course pushed her out of her comfort zone from day one:

"We were told to go introduce yourself to your course-mates, go outside, go film stories, find stories. That shyness really took a step back. Journalism is about being able to engage with people on literally anything and building that confidence at university has really helped me."

Alongside her growing confidence, Shivalika developed the foundational skill she believes every journalist depends on, the ability to build and maintain relationships with sources. It was these skills instilled by her lecturers that she still relies on today.

A work experience opportunity with the BBC proved equally formative. For eight months, she helped produce stories for Radio 4 Live, covering events across South Asia:

"That really helped me get my foot in the door and see how media works outside of university. It helped me understand what the industry looked like."

Having navigated her own route into the industry, Shivalika encourages current students to take the same approach:

"I would say make sure you have a placement or work experience locked in during your holidays. It will give you real insight into whether you want to do journalism, help you build your network, and bring real colour to your CV. There's nothing more important than that."

She also credits Dr Graham Bond, Senior Lecturer of Journalism at Solent, whose passion for international journalism left a lasting impression:

"He really went out of his way to support his students. We were talking about what's going on in China, what's happening in the EU, all things I'm widely interested in. If there was one person, I really wanted to learn journalism from, it would be him."

Since graduating, Shivalika has moved through the industry. She began her career at the Southern Daily Echo in Southampton as a Community Reporter, before going on to write for the MailOnline as a Foreign News Reporter. She then joined the BBC, initially as a Field Producer for BBC Indian Languages, before stepping up to her current position for BBC Bangla and Urdu.

In her time at the BBC, Shivalika has covered some of the biggest stories of recent years. She produced coverage of the India-Pakistan conflict, the Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh, and the Air India crash. She has also reported on the West Bengal Assembly elections, producing live broadcasts, political interviews, and social issue packages from the ground.

Most recently, Shivalika has been producing content in Bangla and Urdu, two languages she does not speak. For a journalist with her sights set on foreign reporting, it is exactly the kind of challenge she has been working towards:

"To be able to produce stories in languages gave me the confidence that I can make it in foreign reporting and producing. You can deploy me anywhere and I'll be able to produce."

Dr Graham Bond, Senior Lecturer for Sport Journalism at Solent, says:

“It’s been brilliant to see Shivalika’s career progress so rapidly. Her success is first and foremost a testament to her energy, ambition and talent, but it’s also great to know how much she treasures her past experiences on Solent Journalism newsdays, where the rhythms and stresses of day-to-day journalism life are authentically replicated.

“Practice-based education is at the heart of what we do as a university, and knowing it’s been so effective in setting Shivalika up for her current high-pressure job is really gratifying for all of us who taught her.”

Find out more about journalism courses at Solent here.