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What advice would you give to a new journalist?

I would actually say do as few unpaid internships as possible. If you’re going to do things for free, do things that feel collaborative with other students and use that experience to get something paid. I did a lot of unpaid internships and they never got me a job.

Who is a person you find inspiring and why?

Sheelah Kolhatkar. Once I became a business journalist, I was looking for examples of women who were doing business and financial journalism in a way that felt punchy and interesting. I read everything Sheelah Kolhatkar writes.

Have you ever experienced sexism in your career?

Yes, of course, loads of times. Thankfully, much less in the last few years. When I started my career I was covering commodities and trading in a big newsroom. 95 per cent of my sources were men, my colleagues were men. It was a difficult balance that most young female journalists go through when trying to find a way to assert yourself when doing your job.

What would you consider as your worst fear as a journalist?

I speak quite openly about sociopolitical issues. I was really fearless at the beginning of my career, but as the country is sliding into a really scary place for minorities with opinions, my worst fear is the potential backlash and being doxed. Being visible as a black woman online with opinions, I’ve seen it take its toll on people around me who have been hounded or had racist abuse hurled at them. I just really have no interest in that being my life.

What is your go-to snack?

I don’t really have a go-to snack. I live in a shared house and we buy bread communally so I probably have toast with jam most often. The bread is communal because it’s a socialist household – bread and roses.

Have you experienced sexism in your career?

It’s a really difficult question to answer because these things are not always like, 'hey toots, show us a bit of leg.' It can be just how long it takes you to navigate a certain space versus somebody else and it’s never that obvious. I think by and large I have been quite fortunate to find myself in spaces that have really supported me.

By Katie Ross