A piece of Diyora’s mind: Video series

For the third instalment of the series, we’re hearing from Diyora Shadijanova, opinion and personal essays editor at gal-dem and freelance journalist for publications like Cosmopolitan and the Independent. She tells us about learning to grow confidence as a journalist, and her piece that got given a shout-out at a protest! 

Journalists’ tales of self-doubt and success

Everyone experiences self-doubt – or as it is often now known: imposter syndrome. The psychological condition affects 70 per cent of the population, and it isn’t limited to people entering a new profession or starting university – it can affect even the most seasoned of professionals. 

XCityPlus spoke to three journalists to find out about their experiences with imposter syndrome, and moments in which they overcame it.

A toolkit for journalists writing about trans activism

As our newsrooms continue to broaden and diversify, it’s important to ensure journalists stay as informed as they can be. Over the past few years, trans people have experienced a historic groundswell in media visibility: from celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner, Laverne Cox and Elliot Page on glossy magazine covers, to TV shows like Transparent and Pose. 

Tackling COVID-19 vaccine myths: Q&A with Laura Garcia

The COVID-19 vaccination programme is a light at the end of the tunnel for those whose lives have ground to a halt due to the pandemic. But the success of that programme is being impeded by myths being spread online. XCityPlus spoke to Laura Garcia about how misinformation and disinformation is spread and the causes behind vaccine hesitancy.   

Work-from-home wellbeing: How the UK’s leading health and fitness journalists are getting through the pandemic

For journalists working through the pandemic and the changes it sparked, it can seem impossible to balance a career and still take care of their mental and physical health.

But what about the people who write about these topics for a living? We spoke to some leading health journalists to find out how they stay happy and well when working from home – and what they’ll do going forward.