Harshita Rathore

About

I am a Delhi, India-based journalist and storyteller, producing narrative videos, primarily short documentaries. I am currently the Head of Video Production at Newsreel Asia, a start-up OTT news media. Being in this profession for more than three years, I have worked for both national and international organizations, Forum Asia - a Bangkok-based human-rights organization - and The Diplomat.
Currently, I am hosting a docu-series called The Dinner Table, which indiscriminately features India's persecuted communities, including Muslims, Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and Christians, tribals, while I cook a meal with the family and sit down to have dinner with them as the crew films the unscripted, heart-to-heart conversation that takes place. It’s an attempt to helpthe audience empathise with the victims of persecution in a humanitarian manner and without any politicalconsiderations. 

The Dinner Table was a finalist at Eppy Awards 2021 in two of the categories including ‘Best collaborative investigative/enterprise reporting’ and ‘Best news or event feature video.’
https://www.eppyawards.com/
I have also reported from India’s most conflicted area, Kashmir soon after she started working. My published work includes stories shot in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. I also received the jury citation certificate at Laadli Media Awards supported by UNFPA, for one of my stories for highlighting the marginalisation and vulnerability of domestic workers in web feature, ‘India’s Unequal Domestic Workers.’ 

Being a graduate from India’s most prestigious journalism Institute, Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), run by Information and Broadcasting Ministry, I have also for taught storytelling in the area of journalism to about 500 journalism professionals and students as a guest faculty including conducting sessions in my alma mater IIMC soon after I graduated.
I am currently experimenting with an idea of bringing elements of filmmaking into journalism and therefore working towards creating observational documentaries.