Jessica Shankleman
What were you doing before you became an Incisive Editorial Trainee?
I spent last summer freelancing, splitting my time between writing news stories for BusinessGreen and producing video content for ITN Productions. Obviously, I was really keen to get a full-time job so when the offer came up of applying for a traineeship to work on BusinessGreen, I jumped at it.
What role are you doing now?
I'm a reporter for BusinessGreen, writing news, features, opinion and pieces. Much of the week is spent writing news stories from my desk, but most weeks I also get the chance to report from conferences in London or further afield, from Glasgow to Malaysia. I also really enjoy filming and editing video and audio pieces for the site, using a Flipcam or in the Incisive studio.
What was the first story that you had published?
At BusinessGreen, the first story I had published was about Puma launching a new kind of sustainable trainer bag to replace the age-old shoe box, to reduce the company's environmental footprint.
What's been your best moment at Incisive so far?
Travelling to Malaysia to investigate how plantation companies are trying to make palm oil more sustainable. The week was incredibly demanding but also very rewarding. I had to file news stories, opinion and analysis pieces most evenings after having spent the days attending meetings, visiting plantation sites in Kuala Lumpur, or orangutans in the Borneo rainforest. Thankfully, I was allowed to take a week's holiday in Malaysia afterwards to relax and make the most of the trip.
