DARCEY EDKINS

By Ciéra Cree

CHEYENNE DARKO Newspaper

Features Intern at British Vogue

By Sharnya Rajesh

Did you ever doubt yourself or feel impostor syndrome?

Oh my gosh, yes! All the time. I think in part because of the fnancial element. I got the George Viner scholarship, and because of that I’ve always felt like someone has paid for me to be here and I’m not working as hard as the others. I can see people working two jobs to pay for their masters. And of course, I’m also working. But I’m also just there feeling awful because it doesn’t look like I want it as much as they do. City was also an environment where everybody was very news-focused. Like serious business and fnancial reporting, and I was like: ‘Hi, I want to talk about London Fashion Week.’ So you do wonder, ‘Should I be here?’

What’s your death row meal?

Sushi. It’s an inoffensive meal. Actually no, because it can be done wrong. I need something safe. Sweet and sour chicken and rice. You just can’t go wrong – even if you just use a packet of sauce. If you mess it up, I refuse to die until you get right.

Have you ever experienced sexism in your career?

Not to me, personally. But I had some friends who went to interviews for different newspapers and were told during interviews not to wear low-neck tops. Like, ‘we’re not going to give you the job if you try and seduce us,’ just weird things like that. And assumptions such as that only lads are into sports journalism. They do mindlessly say very old-fashioned things. And I think it’s also because the journalism world is still very white and male.

Do you have any family members in the industry?

No, I’m a frst gen journalist. It’s strange. My parents don’t get it – even right now. I’m working at the biggest fashion magazine in the world and they’re just like, ‘oh, so you’re into clothes stuff.’ Once I said, ‘but Mum, this is the crème de la crème. This is the big banana stuff,’ and she said, ‘you tell yourself that, you’re doing great’. I guess for them journalism just seems like uncertainty.

What is your worst fear as a journalist?

I think my biggest fear is the uncertainty of the job. It’s not like most jobs where you have a set structure of how you’re going to progress in your career. As a journalist, there is no set progression or journey in the industry. I think my biggest fear is not having that kind of secure work. It does always work out but it’s always just a bit terrifying. I’m just completely winging it.

What is your fondest memory of being at City?

Being surrounded by so many talented journalists and mentors was a privilege. I was inspired, encouraged, and supported by those around me and I made some lifelong friends.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Platforming underrepresented and marginalised voices has always been a priority. I feel very lucky that in my current role at Freeda I have been given the space to do that. In particular, I am proud that I have written about the violent misogyny and sexism that plagues our society by centring women with powerful stories.

Self care tip – how do you manage your well being?

Self-care can be a really diffcult thing to practise as a journalist. It’s important to try to set clear boundaries between work and free time. When I was at City, I used to spend all my evenings and weekends chasing down stories and taking on extra work. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to be ambitious, but that should never come at the expense of your wellbeing. Burnout is real, especially in this industry, so it’s important to check in with yourself regularly. I also tend to turn off notifcations for emails and work messages after a certain time each day and try to monitor my screen time to avoid falling into ‘doom-scrolling’ on Twitter or TikTok. But nobody’s perfect and I am still trying to fnd that healthy balance between work and play.

If you could interview anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

My grandma. She passed away a few years ago and I regret not asking her more questions.