We had the pleasure of sitting down with journalist and social media marketing specialist, Vartika Puranik. She focuses on content strategy and social media marketing and has bylines on GirlBoss, NBC Universal, HuffPost, YourTango, and more. When she’s done working on B2B technical projects, she gorges on everything and anything chocolate. Below you’ll read how she got her start in journalism and advice on how to jump into the industry without fear.
Share your full name, professional title, and hometown.
Vartika Puranik. I’m a journalist, content strategist, copywriter, social media marketing professional and SEO writer.
How did you get your start in journalism? Did you always see yourself being a journalist?
I was studying Lifestyle and Fashion business marketing. Yes, I’d write songs, poems etc. when I was a kid, but it never occurred to me that I could also take it up as a profession. My passion for the field was fueled by these two elements that I did a lot of– writing and primary & secondary research. I uncovered my love for weaving words and communicating beautifully structured creative sentences with the world as soon as I got my first job in a Lifestyle entertainment media house based in Bombay. I was actively working on assignments for them and gradually entered into international journaling. I love and devote my time covering all the nuances for a myriad of areas. My work for Syfy NBC universal is about the relationship between anxiety disorder and psychological movies. I love giving platforms to people to talk about things that are less talked about. I make sure that I highlight people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, race, culture etc. as much as possible.
What is an accomplishment you are most proud of in your career?
Covering every piece with as much neutrality as possible. We get to see much less of this these days.
What advice would you give to an aspiring journalist?
To both aspiring and experienced journalists: I’d say self-awareness is needed in all areas of our lives. Try to see everything from an unbiased lens. Remove yourself from the story as much as possible. To the aspiring journalists, I’d say to not wait for their golden opportunity. If you think you’ve got what it takes, then get up, research and start writing. Don’t be afraid to say no to covering unauthentic and toxic news stories. I’ve only covered celebrity news from a positive angle. Now, I’ve stopped covering it completely.
Wild Card: who was your childhood crush?
Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys.