Prarthana is an award-winning journalist, editor, and content strategist whose career spans newsrooms including Fortune, Bloomberg News, and CNBC, reporting across print, digital, and broadcast for audiences in the millions. She currently writes and edits corporate content at GSK. In her day job, she’s producing in-depth features and scripting podcasts on science and innovation for global audiences, blending her newsroom experience with corporate editorial strategy. She spends her downtime at HIIT classes, working through a growing stack of books, and sampling oat cappuccinos wherever she goes.
How many years have you worked in podcasting or audio?
0–2 years
What is your current role, in your own words?
I’m a writer and editor at GSK, creating written articles as well as strategizing and scripting podcast episodes for the British pharmaceutical giant.
What types of projects do you typically work on?
I work on multimedia storytelling projects in areas of science, innovation and R&D within therapy areas important to GSK, such as oncology and infectious diseases.
How many years have you been a Signal Awards judge?
This is my first year!
What excited you about joining the Signal Awards Judging Academy?
Podcast is a medium I consume widely, as it’s incredibly creative and fits seamlessly with my daily life. In my job, I’m also steeped in scripting and developing podcasts, which has further piqued my interest in audio. I spotted the Signal Awards when finding avenues to be more involved in both, discovering and recognizing podcasts. I’m excited to be part of the distinguished Signal Awards Judging Academy and among professionals who are invested in championing the podcasting industry and its many creative contributors!
What is one recent podcast you’ve loved and would recommend?
I enjoy ‘Commotion’ by Elamin Abdelmahmoud as it’s a nice glimpse into the cultural zeitgeist.
What separates good audio storytelling from great audio storytelling?
Trust and flair of the podcast’s hosts.
What project are you most proud of and why?
A team of us at GSK have been hard at work in developing a new podcast episode on a respiratory condition called Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It’s made for a general audience despite being a niche topic, so I’m proud of the outcome. Here it is: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/if-400m-people-live-with-copd-why-arent-we-talking-about-it/id1870591688?i=1000777719076
What podcasting trend, challenge, or opportunity has your attention these days?
I’ve been paying close attention to podcast discoverability and the mechanisms behind it as the size of the industry keeps growing. There’s tremendous opportunity, but there’s also a real need to be distinguishable amid all the noise.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to emerging creators?
If you follow the best practices, there will always be an audience.
What are you currently listening to? (podcasts, music, anything)
I’ve been listening to the ‘The News Agents’ and ‘The New Yorker: Fiction’ podcasts this week.