ABOUT

Tell us who you are!

Zoya Raza-Sheikh, Features Writer at GAY TIMES Magazine. 

So what do you actually do?

I actively cover the LGBTQ+ pop culture scene including music, film and TV. A lot of my features cater to an educational perspective such as exploring intersectional issues and underrepresented communities. 

What has your career path been?

I studied English and American Studied from 2015-2018. After graduating, I realised I wanted to be a journalist. I juggled running a mildly successful music blog which helped me build a contact base while I worked part-time to save up for a MA in London.

During that time, I used the days I wasn't working to do interviews investigating my local music scene and more. After that, I moved to London to study Magazine Journalism at City, University of London. I graduated from there in 2020 and landed this job at the end of my MA.

I was quite lucky to get the first journalism job I applied for! However, I have faced setbacks in my career as a freelancer. It taught me not to take rejection personally and to always keep trying. 

What is the best part of your job?

The interviews!

A key part of my role is getting to know artists, members of the community and organisations affiliated with the community. A conversation can be a great way to learn on the job and better yourself as a journalist. 

Why do you do your job?

LGBTQ+ media (much lack the media industry as a whole) currently lacks prominent diverse voices. While this is getting better, I hope to steer conversations in a direction that can accommodate both POC and LGBTQ+ voices and issues.

I hope to bring greater inclusivity as I go. 

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

Always give things a try!

Even if you're uncomfortable or anxious, it's best to give it a shot. You can pick up new skills in new experiences or environments. Also, don't be afraid to make mistakes – that's where the best learning happens.

Check out Zoya’s socials below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

Each day is quite different but typically involves getting stuck in with news, planning features, editorial discussions and helping out with social media. A magazine is quite fast-paced so your day-to-day can vary quite significantly. The morning is usual admin and research-heavy - this includes spotting trending stories, topics, events, and artists that may be of interest that I can plan a feature or news piece around.

Our editorial meeting will likely take place at the start of the day which consists of pitching ideas for the site and digital magazine. This means bringing your best ideas, any potential contacts you have and presenting the idea in front of the editorial team.

The latter part of the day is where I put my preparation into action. This will include structuring ideas, reaching out to artists or people of interest that may be suitable for my features.

As a feature writer, it's also key to fact check and comb through all my details so I will typical assign an hour in the day to run through my planning again and ensure everything is sub-edited and my copy is clean with no errors.

This part of the day consists of juggling planning while ensuring there is a steady stream of content going online. It can be a lot of multi-tasking!