ABOUT

So what do you actually do?

I make podcasts and videos for BBC Trending about the intersection of social media and the real world. I mostly look at how human rights plays out online, platforming peoples stories from all around the world.

What has your career path been?

It’s been pretty conventional from high school to university for my undergrad in Spanish and English and a masters in Television Journalism. That’s not to say it’s the only way to get into journalism. There are plenty of journalists who don’t have degrees and who didn't go to journalism school.

What is the best part of your job?

Everything! Never having the same day twice. The constant learning. Meeting people from different walks of life. Telling stories that are impactful. Perfecting my craft - in writing, presenting, production.

Why do you do your job?

Perhaps naive but the incessant need to leave the world better off than I entered it.

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

One: Never stop believing in yourself. It’s a competitive industry and it quickly weens out those who stop believing. 


Two: Be open-minded about the opportunities that come your way even if you don’t like the sound of it. You’ll have a lot more experience in different things but it’ll help you decide what aspect of journalism you want to pursue. Plus it’ll put you in a position of power to say ‘no’ later on.

Check out Reha’s socials below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

No day is the same in my line of work. Superficially, yes. I start work at 10am and finish at 6pm. But it is so much more than that. Underneath the routine is a lot of good chaos. The news changes every day and shapes what story I’ll be working on next.

Every morning we (BBC Trending) have a team meeting where we bring ideas to the table and discuss the parts of the news agenda that relate to our line of work in Current Affairs. If my editor has agreed to an idea I’ve pitched, I spend the rest of my week researching and producing those stories. A lot of work goes into a report.

Usually, I work on one to two at a time. Some take months, others weeks. Very few are finished and ready to go in one to two days. Working in long-form documentaries and programmes means I have to be adaptable and resilient.

At times, stories fall through and you have to pick yourself up to move on to the next one. It’s hard to do that without feeling attached to something you’ve worked so hard to build up. But when a story comes to fruition, the intensity of producing something you’re proud of is all-consuming. My routine changes accordingly.

During production, I may be required to work longer. And although it’s rare, sometimes it’s until the late hours of the night.

Pre-pandemic, I’d work from the office but now I’ve been working from home only to go in for broadcast-critical work. This includes for filming and recording audio for radio. I also used to travel quite frequently. For now it’s at a standstill. I interview contributors and assemble reports together remotely.