BBC’s Ranvir Singh returns to UCLan

By UK Journalism

Co-Presenter of BBC North West Tonight news programme Ranvir Singh came back to UCLan to share her journalism experiences with broadcast students.

Ranvir, who completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism at UCLan, gave an honest and frank account about her career which has led her from BBC Radio Lancashire to BBC GMR and then to BBC North West Tonight where she now presents alongside Gordon Burns.

She also shared tips and advice on do’s and don’ts in the industry.

“Your attitude in the newsroom is crucial when you first start a job. Be aware of the fine line between being seen as confident or arrogant because you only get a short time to let people know who you are.”

Creativity

She said an important skill for a journalist is creativity as it is something producers respond to at times of pressure.

“The best reporters are those that can see different ways of telling a story. Sometimes a story may be worth telling but visually it isn’t exciting enough and that’s when creativity kicks in.”

Ranvir was lucky enough to be offered a six month contract at Radio Lancashire straight after leaving university but says it is a “big place to make your mistakes.”

“To many journalists the BBC is like the Holy Grail so it is a difficult place to cut your teeth. It was a very steep learning curve for me” she added.

She cited the news days during her course as important exercises.

“It is important to perform at your best during news days because a guest news editor will notice if you are good. Journalism is sometimes about conserving your energy for the times that matter the most.”

Enjoy the pressure

Ranvir has Co-Presented on North West Tonight since 2007 and also regular presents the late night bulletin. She said she feels “natural at presenting” and that to succeed in broadcasting you have to enjoy the pressure.

“You know journalism is for you if even when you’re having a really tough time at work deep down you still enjoy the pressure of the job. When presenting you need to be organised and have ideas in place in case anything goes wrong.”

Ranvir says her time working in radio helped her move into television journalism much easier than if she tried to do it straight out of university and that television is no place for “shaky journalism.”

“A television audience is very unforgiving because people respond to it personally. In TV you only have 30 minutes to fit in everyone’s work so because everything is condensed you feel the pressure.”

Ranvir didn’t hold back punches when describing life as a journalist. She admitted it isn’t an easy ride and includes long hours and lots of hard work.

“Be resourceful and whatever task you are given make that your priority and exhaust every opportunity. To succeed in journalism you have to be in it for the long haul.”

Long term Ranvir says she would be interested in working on BBC News 24 or Sky but admits she also misses the buzz of reporting.

She added: “I do miss being in the thick of a good story and the really satisfying moments in my career are when I know I’ve nailed a story well.”

More info
MA Broadcast Journalism
PGDip Broadcast Journalism
BBC North West Tonight

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Extra and related information

Our print and broadcast courses are accredited by the The Broadcast Journalism Training Council and the National Council for the Training of Journalists. Our MA Magazine Journalism is accredited by the Periodicals Training Council.