Shampi Chakraborty Purkayastha

One does not always need to stand in the spotlight to make headlines. Sometimes, the real work of journalism begins in the shadows—uncovering the stories of people buried in obscurity, sifting through documents to reach the truth, and asking uncomfortable questions of the powerful.

This is the path Kolkata-based journalist Sara Aziz chose to follow before she had even turned 25.

In 2025, Sara received a Highly Commended distinction in the Young Journalist of the Year category at the UK's Press Awards. She was honoured at the awards ceremony on May 22, when she was just 23. A journey that began in Kolkata had by then taken her to the international stage of journalism.

Sara Aziz

Sara began her career relatively recently, working as a freelance journalist in 2023 while pursuing her undergraduate studies in Kolkata. While studying English Literature at Loreto College, she developed a keen interest in investigative journalism. She later pursued a master's degree in journalism at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.

Her professional portfolio includes work for several international media organisations, including The Guardian, Telegraph, South China Morning Post, The Christian Science Monitor, Voice of America andThe Times.

Yet, perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Sara's journalism is her choice of subjects. She consistently brings attention to stories that risk being lost amid the constant churn of the news cycle. The lives of Rohingya refugees, sexual abuse of incarcerated women, human rights violations, women's health and the struggles of vulnerable communities have featured prominently in her reporting.

Sara Aziz

In February 2024, an investigative report by Sara published in The Guardian highlighted allegations of sexual abuse involving female inmates in West Bengal's prisons. The report raised serious questions about the safety of women prisoners despite measures intended to segregate male and female inmates. Sara conducted the fieldwork herself, and the investigation also carried photographs taken by her.

Her reporting on the Rohingya refugee crisis subsequently brought her further international recognition. While working for Voice of America on the situation of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, she reported directly from the ground and spoke to refugees about their experiences. The work later became an important part of the portfolio recognised by the Press Awards.

Her engagement with the Rohingya crisis continued. In a Guardian report published in January 2025, Sara examined the plight of Rohingya refugees stranded along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. The report brought together firsthand accounts, conditions on the ground and the impact of government policies on those caught in the crisis.

Sara Aziz

Another investigation brought her work into the international spotlight. A report published in The Telegraph examined questions surrounding the death of a Rohingya child who was in the custody of Indian authorities in Delhi. The multimedia investigation looked beyond the child's medical treatment and detention conditions to examine the wider circumstances surrounding the detention and alleged abuse of Rohingya refugees in India.

It was this body of work that earned Sara the ‘Highly Commended’ distinction in the Young Journalist of the Year category at the UK’s  2025 Press Awards.

In a LinkedIn post acknowledging the honour, she attributed the recognition to her investigative work with The Telegraph and The Guardian. She expressed gratitude to her mother, sister, grandmother, teachers and colleagues, as well as faculty members at Loreto College and Columbia University.

She also paid tribute to the Rohingya people who had trusted her with their stories.

One part of her post was particularly revealing of her approach to journalism. She wrote about the need for journalists to summon greater resilience during difficult times. Although she had planned to travel to the UK to receive the award in person, she had to cancel the trip at the last minute because of an issue related to her US student visa.

Sara Aziz

For Sara, therefore, the recognition represented more than a trophy. It was an acknowledgement of a journey that had begun as a young college student's pursuit of stories and developed into an international journalistic career.

There is another dimension to Sara's creative identity. She is not only a journalist but also a poet and illustrator. The Poetry Foundation's profile describes her as an Indian poet, journalist and illustrator and features some of her published poetry.

The young woman who began writing stories as a college student in Kolkata has since contributed to leading global media organisations. Yet her central journalistic concern has remained remarkably consistent: telling the stories of people whose voices are often drowned out by power.

Sara has described her professional interests as including investigative journalism, human rights and issues of national and international significance. Her reporting has covered women's health, the Rohingya refugee crisis, human trafficking and the struggles of indigenous communities.

Her journey, therefore, is not simply the story of a young journalist from Kolkata receiving international recognition. It also reflects a form of journalism that uses digital platforms while retaining the fundamentals of reporting—going to the ground, meeting people, examining records and asking difficult questions.

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The path that began in Kolkata has already taken Sara a long way. As much of her professional journey lay ahead for this young scribe, she is expected to do wonders.