By Anoop Bhuller
The past year has been tough for everyone. In a short space of time the way we lived our lives changed completely. This new virus started to take people’s lives and strike fear in many. It was shown that those from BAME backgrounds were at a higher risk of contracting Covid-19.
There were new stories everyday and more people were following the news regularly. What I noticed was the lack of attention being given to the issues involving BAME communities. Although studies had found that they were at higher risks, what measures were actually being put in place to protect us? Where could we see news and stats about BAME communities?
This was when I decided I wanted to use the extra time we all had at home to do something useful and help share information that wasn’t otherwise being shown to the public. Tinig UK had provided a platform on which Filipinos could see the news that was affecting them and their communities. It gave a voice to an overlooked group during the pandemic, and I wanted to be part of this, sharing important information that had not been spoken about.
Where could we see news and stats about BAME communities? This was when I decided I wanted to use the extra time we all had at home to do something useful and help share information that wasn’t otherwise being shown to the public.
I got the opportunity to talk to Filipino students about the way the pandemic had affected their university experience and societies. This is my favourite piece I have written for Tinig UK so far. As a student myself, I feel that we have been overlooked and the real impact of how much the virus has impacted our studies and mental health has not been recognised. I hope that being able to speak to other students who feel the same, and to share with others their personal experiences will provide a deeper understanding of these issues.
In addition to this, I have enjoyed being able to use more creative methods of conveying information such as producing infographics. I found that this was a way of making statistics, which can often appear overwhelming, much clearer to readers.
During my time at Tinig UK so far, I have been able to develop my writing skills. I have also learnt how to work with other writers to co-produce a larger story, while practising my research skills. From this, I learnt the importance of communication and organisation. I like how as part of Tinig UK I can share ideas and work with other people that have different strengths, allowing me to learn from them.
Gaining practical experience around verifying information has also been very important. This is valuable for any writer to ensure that we are providing readers with accurate and truthful stories.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoy writing for Tinig UK and have gained invaluable experiences from working alongside such professional writers.
A message from Tinig UK: Anoop is a second year Journalism student at Bournemouth University. She has been writing for Tinig UK since July 2020. It has been wonderful to see her develop and bloom as a writer and creator, and we are grateful for the time she has given us. We look forward to seeing the next steps of her writing journey in the months and years to come.
