From Newsroom to Exile: The Hidden Costs of Being an Indian Woman Journalist 

Journalist-in-exile Malini Chakrabarty reflects on her career in light of harrowing news in India.

Written by Malini Chakrabarty

In my small Glasgow flat, I watch social media footage of thousands of women marching through Kolkata’s streets, their candlelit faces defiant in the August darkness. The “Reclaim the Night” protests following the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor feel painfully familiar – another woman silenced, another battle for justice. As a journalist who fled India in 2019, I recognise the rage in their voices. But I also recognise the cost of speaking truth to power.

Together with two colleagues, I spent months investigating what would become one of the biggest stories of my career: a ₹475 crore (£60 million) scam involving high-level Indian government officials. The investigation took months of work – analysing 21 years of annual reports, going undercover, and speaking to sources who risked everything to share information.

However, the gender dynamics in the newsroom added another layer of complexity to my investigation: male colleagues initially dismissed my work, suggesting I was “grasping at straws.” Yet, when the scam was finally uncovered, the same voices that doubted me were suddenly gushing praise. It was a whiplash-inducing shift that highlighted the double standards women journalists often face.

I was fortunate to have a few women mentors who understood the challenges and provided crucial support throughout the investigation. Their guidance helped me navigate not just the complexity of the story but also the politics of the newsroom. Still, I wasn’t prepared for the backlash that followed once the story was published. Within days, my inbox was flooded with rape and death threats. Because the investigation touched the dairy industry, some viewed it as an attack on religion itself (cows are considered sacred to some Hindus).

The vitriol became so intense I deleted my Twitter account. Some colleagues advised me to “let it go,” but other women journalists helped me stand my ground. Despite their support, the experience was deeply isolating in a profession I had fought so hard to enter. (A fight which itself had been a battle – I was the first journalist in my family, having torn up my medical entrance forms, literally running off to Nepal to escape the prescribed path.)

Each threat in my inbox crystallised the difference between PR and journalism: one protects the status quo, and the other challenges it. I looked up to bold women journalists like Gauri Lankesh, who was an outspoken critic of right-wing Hindu extremism and demonstrated the courage this profession demands. So much so that when she was murdered in 2017, it shook me.

Now, in 2024, her alleged murderers have been granted bail – a chilling message to journalists like me: quiet down or meet the same fate. According to the 2024 Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, an international organisation that tracks press freedom worldwide, India ranks 159 out of 180 countries. According to a 2023 report by the Coalition For Women In Journalism, India has witnessed a disturbing rise in attacks against journalists who dare to question the governance, with women journalists facing additional layers of vulnerability due to gender-based discrimination and violence.

To me, Scotland, with its reputation for press freedom, seemed like a safe haven. However, the challenges here are different but equally daunting. As an international student and exiled journalist, I’ve encountered subtle but pervasive racism. During a housing search, a real estate agent told me, “Don’t put curry on the walls.” In another instance, a white man told me, “You’re so good for an Indian.” Such backhanded praise, laden with racial assumptions, serves as a constant reminder of the biases I face. These experiences are not isolated. A 2024 study by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the UK found that 68% of journalists from ethnic minority backgrounds reported experiencing racism in their workplaces.

While I rebuild my life in exile, my sister, a doctor in a government hospital in Bengal, marches nightly with her colleagues. Some are on hunger strikes. Our conversations revolve around safety protocols – she carries pepper spray, has installed a dashcam in her car, and keeps her location services on at all times. It’s heartbreaking to watch from afar as she fights for basic safety and hygiene to do her job properly, yet I’m immensely proud. We’re both women fighting for the right to do our jobs well, whether in medicine or media.

My daily life now looks different from what I imagined when I first chose journalism. I work as a communications strategist and freelance illustrator – art has become my way of reclaiming my voice. This year, I took a step toward returning to journalism by joining the “Pass the Mic” programme, aimed at increasing women of colour (WOC) representation in Scottish media. While I had to adapt to my circumstances, moving from traditional journalism to illustration and storytelling, the core mission remains firm: giving voice to the deliberately unheard.

The struggle extends beyond borders. According to a 2020 UNESCO and International Center for Journalism study of 714 women journalists, 73% had suffered online violence. The impact is stark: 30% resorted to self-censorship, 20% stopped interacting online completely, and 20% faced physical attacks related to online threats. While some sought help – 25% reported incidents to employers -and 13% were forced to increase personal security measures.

The journey from newsroom to exile has taught me that while we may not choose our battles, we can choose never to stop fighting. The message to women in journalism, and indeed in all fields, has long been clear: you’re not welcome here; we’ll tolerate you.

But tolerance is not enough.

In the face of systemic sexism and racism, the resilience of WOC journalists worldwide serves as a powerful reminder: the pursuit of truth knows no borders, and neither does the fight for equality. We will not merely be tolerated. We will be heard, we will be respected, and we will reclaim our rightful place in every sphere of life – one story, one illustration, one voice at a time.

Featured image MDSABBIR/Shutterstock.com

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