On October 28, 2021, INMA and Google News Initiative (GNI) awarded their Elevate Scholarship to 50 news media professionals around the world. This series features these impressive media professionals who are shaping our industry.

Dhruti Shah has never been afraid of blazing her own trail. After starting her journalism career in newspapers, she spent more than a decade at the BBC working on everything from current affairs programming and writing record-breaking stories to digital and social production on innovation and climate change. Shah even helped grow the BBC News LinkedIn account, boosting followers by four times while leading that charge.

 After her time at the BBC, Shah migrated more toward writing. 

 “I’ve had two poems published: one in a nature writing anthology and one as part of Margate Bookie’s The Open Arms on the theme of acceptance,” Shah said. “I’ve been running training modules and speaking to journalism students globally about my experiences.” 

Freelance writing and four global fellowships keep Shah plenty busy. In addition, she serves on the board as a trustee for the John Schofield Trust, which encourages newsroom inclusion and social mobility.

“I’ve been enjoying taking a step back to understand journalism and the industry beyond the BBC and am looking forward to new collaborations,” Shah said.

Shah’s focus is to inspire other journalists to break barriers and showcase stories that don’t typically have a platform.  

“I am a woman who was state school educated, who is of the Jain faith,” Shah said. “I’m involved with female empowerment networks and ethnic minority networks. I raise issues that have often been swept under the carpet and make sure they are discussed.”

Despite not having a background in business journalism, Shah offers motivational talks across the industry and even wrote a book about financial literacy. Her approachability helps the industry become less exclusive, she said.

“All I’ve ever wanted to do is make a difference, to show people that everyone has the power to storytell, not just a select few,” she said. “I want to open doors and leave a legacy.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .