My first point of call for this article was always going to be Newsbeat on BBC Radio One. When I called I initially phoned to speak to Robin Brant the Newsbeat Political reporter – fortunately the familiar voice that greeted me on the other end of the line was recognisable for a reason.
I inquired as to the owner of the voice and to my sheer delight I discovered it was none other than Tulip Mazumdar who had answered my call. I grasped at this opportunity immediately requested the quickest of interviews.
Tulip reveals reporting
Tulip Mazumdar, is a presenter for BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat, named after springtime in Lincolnshire, she said what it takes to be a good reporter.
Broadcasting to approximately 11 million listeners, it is vital to know your audience. A story that interests one maybe irrelevant to another, for instance Tulip said “When I worked for radio Merseyside the audience was much older compared to radio 1 whose audience is much younger.”
“You must know the needs of your audience and how the story relates back to them.” But before more importantly, a good reporter must be able to have an inquisitive mind – without this you will not be able to spot a good story.
Within this a reporter must play devil’s advocate to the subject matter too. Tulip said: “We had a story on Heroin addicts being paid to be sterilized. Being impartial as well as sensitive is a must, we had a woman call us to complain as she used to be an addict but managed to turn her life around and is now a mother.”
She studied BA Sociology at Liverpool University, and created news bulletins for the SU Radio; from here Tulip gained as much hands on experience as possible at Cambridge and BBC Merseyside Radio. This led to the BBC News Training scheme, which was followed with a job with Merseyside Radio.
Enthusiasm and persistence are essential in getting your foot in the door, “You may get knocked back but you need to keep putting up.”
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