In December 2022, INMA and Google News Initiative (GNI) awarded their third annual Elevate Scholarship to 50 news media professionals from 31 countries. This series features these impressive media professionals who are shaping our industry.

Tsering Lock, retention manager for The Economist in the U.K., started her career in publishing at an unusual time — halfway through the pandemic — when she landed a retention role at Dennis Publishing (now part of Future Plc).

“This was a fantastic initial role, as I worked on a variety of different magazines which all had different audiences with different behaviours,” Lock said. “For example, our children’s titles did particularly well during lockdowns, but when children went back to school, a large ‘COVID cohort’ suddenly started renewing at a much lower rate.”

During her time at Dennis, Lock was involved in many large-scale projects that allowed her to work cross-functionally with other teams. “From a social aspect, I helped organise the company’s Christmas party and was on the team meeting committee. This involved organising and planning the weekly meetings to 70+ people in a hybrid manner,” Lock said.

One particular meeting she organised was a workshop on Imposter Syndrome, which is something she is passionate about and was received very well.

Early in 2022, she was approached by The Economist and accepted a new role. “I am having a fantastic time at the company, and it is so exciting to work at a brand that really is spearheading the way in terms of both journalism and retention,” Lock said.

She earned a promotion in six months and said she can see herself staying and progressing at the company for many years.

“I would like to one day be head of a department that is part of a company known for its innovative and successful work. I would like to be respected in my role not just for the work I produce but also for the relationships I have built with people,” Lock said. “Ultimately, I would like to have a career that I can look back on when I retire and see that I have made a difference.”

Through the Elevate Scholarship programme, Lock would love to be able to learn from industry leaders how to stay at the forefront of innovation and also develop her leadership skills to make a difference. She is passionate about retention and genuinely believes that the subscription business model is the way forward.

“I would like to develop my data skill sets, as I believe it is essential to always be data-driven. I also think this scholarship and joining a community of like-minded individuals will give me such a confidence boost and be able to push myself more at work,” she said.

“I believe I work for one of the biggest current affairs titles there is, yet we actually have a relatively small team. This means that it is much easier to make a big impact. I am lucky to work for a company that really does focus on inclusivity and diversity, which is a key business goal.”

Because both the CEO and editor-in-chief are women, she gets to see first-hand the positive impact female leadership has on young women like her who are just starting their careers. 

“I am half-Tibetan myself, and I have never heard of anyone from my background being a leader in their industry; I know how disheartening that can be,” she said.

But she looks forward to one day being the leader that other young women look up to. 

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