BROOKE THEIS

By Kiran Duggal

What is your fondest memory of City?

We used to do themed dress-up days to get us through production fortnight. It really did boost morale. We did denim day, wavy-garms day, and sports day - where we wore shorts and airtech.

Who was the most inspiring person you met while on the course at City?

There were so many. Jo Elvin came and spoke to us and it was right after Glamour had announced that it was closing its print magazine. The fact that she turned up during that time to talk to us was amazing, because it showed such resilience. I had been a fan of hers for years and I still am. It spoke volumes about her approach to work and she imparted that on all of us.

What advice would you give to a new journalist starting out in the industry?

You have to love it, because ultimately, genuine curiosity is what will lead you to the better stories. Don’t do things because others are telling you that you should do them. Follow your instincts.

What is the most memorable interview you’ve done so far?

The most meaningful interview was one with a woman called Yeonmi Park. She is a defector from North Korea, and she has the most incredible story. It was hard to fnd her; I frst tried random (incorrect) email addresses, and then I managed to get a number for her from a closed Facebook group that hadn’t been active since about 2016. Next, I got a text from Yeonmi in the middle of the night, and she was like, ‘Can you talk now?’ I was in my pyjamas. I went into my living room, got my questions up, and called her. The result was a very emotional piece, told in her voice. I’m very proud of the piece because I didn’t imagine that I would be able to do that kind of storytelling in my magazine, and the fact that I was able to means I have to give a huge amount of credit to my team.

Have you ever experienced sexism in your career so far?

Absolutely – you can’t escape the gender pay gap. But it’s the women who push on despite the sexism that exists, and actively fght it that can make real change.

Did you ever doubt yourself or feel impostor syndrome?

Yes, I did. I sometimes felt overwhelmed with the course at City. It was very hands on – pretty much fve or six days of work per week. I was one of the students not living in London during the course. Being based in Reading made it a four-hour round trip. I had to leave at the crack of dawn to make it to my classes on time, and I would get home pretty late – just before midnight, depending on the day. I defnitely felt impostor syndrome at times because I couldn’t believe that I was working that much. I remember feeling like I didn’t know if I was strong enough to make it through the year. I don’t think I was the only one who felt that way.

If you could go back to your time at City, what would you do differently?

Honestly, nothing really. It was a diffcult ten month course but I wouldn’t change anything about it. I think it defnitely taught me some life lessons about resilience and the importance of soldiering on.

What do you think could be done to improve diversity in the industry?

To improve diversity in the industry as a whole, there needs to be allyship from the top down. News editors in every form of journalism need to encourage underrepresented voices in the newsroom. The real problem is that we have a lot of voices speaking for communities. Journalism is made stronger by diverse voices because it’s those voices that can see the disparities and the stories not being told. We are the voice of the people; we are supposed to speak up for the people.

By Nandni Sharma