Shaili Chopra, a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in journalism, left the TV studios in 2012 to try her hands at entrepreneurship. Fiercely feminist, her remarkably successful venture—SheThePeopleTV— is a testament to her unflinching commitment to telling stories of women spread across spectrums. Having authored three popular books, Shaili firmly believes that storytelling is innate to who she is.
Here’s an exclusive chat:
1) After more than a decade in journalism, what drove you to become an entrepreneur?
The desire to take a chance upon me. I believe in taking risks and putting one’s learning curve to the test.
2) How is SheThePeople.TV different from other women-oriented storytelling platforms?
We are not women-oriented. We don’t have sections dedicated to ‘women’. We are a women’s platform. We empower, engage, elevate and focus on all non-vanity needs of the thinking woman. From rural India’s firebrand women to urban India’s new leaders, we have them all covered. Multilingual, with a solid outreach, we are the country’s largest platform for women.
Quick Five:-
- Facebook or Twitter? Both
- E-books or Physical books? E-Books
- News TV or Netflix? News TV (old habits die hard)
- Favourite show? Is yet to be made
- Passionate causes? Girl child education, sport for a change, growing golf, gardening for good.
3) Your father was in the Air Force, how was your childhood like?
12 classes in 12 different schools. My childhood was a journey of change. I made new friends, got to experience new cities, learnt new languages and cultures, and made new connections. I believe I am a positive child and a lot of that came from my upbringing across the country and the world.
4) When did your association with golf begin?
Aside of SheThePeople.TV, I also run GolfingIndian.com, India’s only platform dedicated to news and views around golf. It’s my give back to a sport I love and enjoy. I grew up seeing my dad play the game and that got me interested. Never got brilliant at it but nonetheless, I enjoyed the game. I also wanted to break the notion that golf is elitist. India’s best players come from humble backgrounds.
5) You have received the country’s top honour in journalism, you are a successful entrepreneur, and also a popular author. Which of the three is closest to your heart?
I look at the three as three phases. As I shared earlier, I believe in taking a chance on myself. As a journalist, I wanted to go beyond being a presenter. So I broke news. Ramnath Goenka Award became a testimony to that. As an entrepreneur, SheThePeople.TV and GolfingIndian.com, both have won awards for their work. It’s the team’s combined effort. I am glad it’s having an impact. Being an author is a bit like being a journalist. The storytelling never leaves you. And that’s the best part.
6) What is your idea of feminism?
Feminism to me is a woman’s right to make her own choices.
7) Your book, The Big Connect, is about the usage of social media in politics. What do you think should be done to tackle political trolls in the cyberspace?
One person’s troll is another person’s fact checker. Of course, now the trolls itself are of many types. I have no tolerance for trolls who are abusive and threaten to rape or murder. Nonetheless, as a social media expert, I believe there is a need to be conscious of what’s being said. As a population, we need to get more tolerant towards different views. It’s important to not wallow in your own echo chamber.
