Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Advika Rajeev. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Advika , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, I realized that there was a larger and more malignant epidemic traveling the globe. Misinformation. A pandemic spreads fast, but an infodemic is viral. I started the Thinker’s Chronicle newspaper as a force to fight this sickness. A newspaper by and for generation Z, we introduced ourselves as a platform where youths could write about our society from our perspective. Now is when youths transform from spectators of society into participants. If we accept the privilege of joining this globalized society, we have the responsibility to stay informed. With this mission at heart, Thinker’s Chronicle began to spread its wings.
Initially, I found a few friends who, like me, were astonished by the depth and impacts of misinformation about the COVID pandemic. We started off writing and combining several articles and sending it among some mutual friends. When more friends began to show interest in writing about what they believed gen Z needed to hear, our newspaper began to diversify and collect a symphony of new voices. Thinker’s Chronicle focuses on everything from climate change to social movements to international politics to the latest scientific discoveries. Our voices are as diverse as the problems we seek to address. The pandemic was not the only major issue to grab the attention of the public––movements like Black Lives Matter and #MeToo along with major cases like abortion, book banning, and LGBTQ rights signaled an era of change with generation Z at its frontier. Using the Thinker’s Chronicle, we hope to not only encourage youths to research, fact check, and write about issues that matter to them, but to read and take a more active role in understanding society. Behind our thoroughly researched and edited articles is a team of talented writers who are learning how to write an unbiased and accurate account of a story. If Thinker’s Chronicle’s mission is to reduce misinformation among generation Z, its writers are the torchbearers.
While we started off as just a shared pdf between a close knit of friends, Thinker’s Chronicle has taken flight to become an international organization with over 60 published editions. The newspaper has traveled through 3 design shifts, the last having occurred for our Golden Jubilee update. We have over 40 contributors spanning 7 countries as well as a readership across 27 nations. This diversity of experiences brings a fresh perspective to Thinker’s Chronicle’s work.
During another high wave of cases in India, we decided to help Thinker’s Chronicle’s take a more active role fighting COVID-19. Thinker’s Chronicle ran the ‘Give Breath, Give Hope’ fundraiser to raise money to purchase oxygen concentrators. We raised a total of $750 and worked with other local radio and news outlets to raise awareness and increase our donations.
In the end, while Thinker’s Chronicle started off as a force to fight misinformation for generation Z, it has grown to be so much more. We strive to be a platform for steady, unbiased content with a mission to lead our generation in pursuing a dynamic role in understanding and participating in society.
Advika , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Thinker’s Chronicle is a bi-weekly international newspaper focused on providing accurate information for Generation Z. Founded and run entirely by students, we prioritize the Gen Z viewpoint, and write about the topics that matter the most to us. Writing about everything from artificial intelligence to Alzheimer’s research to sociopolitical protests around the globe, we always provide unbiased, fact-checked information to our writers. Along with our writers, we have an incredible support system from our leadership teams. Together with our editors, media and marketing lead, and international leaders, we are able to put together a comprehensive edition every other week with fresh stories for our writers.
Some of our proudest achievements as an organization is seeing how our writers have grown from their experience. While every writer comes in with a desire to understand and share their notes on current events, there are a multitude of different age levels and experiences. As an organization, we work individually with every writer to ensure that they put out their best work. Providing helpful critiques, comments, and techniques help them establish a firmer foundation in journalistic writing. Some writers who are extremely passionate about the direction of Thinker’s Chronicle have been interviewed and selected to join a leadership team at the newspaper, so they too can be a guide for new writers to improve their work.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The central goal of Thinker’s Chronicle is to unveil a new perspective on the news. Youths all over the globe are changing society as we know it, so why not bring our viewpoints about the events that matter the most to us? As our mission statement explains, we not only focus on highlighting the Gen Z perspective through our writing, we also seek to encourage more of our generation to take a more active role in current national and international news. It is this time that we are being introduced as members of society, so it is our responsibility to be informed. We want to create a safe, unbiased environment for students to improve cultural awareness and scientific literacy.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of leading Thinker’s Chronicle is seeing all the editions come together before the publishing date. Knowing how much work goes behind every post, every line, and every quote, it still surprises me how we are able to come together like this. The writers choose topics they are intensely passionate about, our editors tweak and perfect their words, and in the end, each article is garnished with graphics before finally being sent out to our readers. The efforts of many people build a single edition, and I am eternally thankful to everyone who has worked with Thinker’s Chronicle to take it where it is today. It is incredibly rewarding every time we inspire a new writer to join our team and hear their unique writing voice. I’m especially grateful to my sisters Niharika and Mihika who have supported this organization since its birth and hold leadership positions to support Thinker’s Chronicle. All the leadership team members have the dedication and passion to not just write, but to spread the mission of Thinker’s Chronicle, and I am very appreciative of them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thinkerschronicle.com
- Instagram: @thinkers.chronicle
- Facebook: @News.ThinkersChronicle
- Twitter: @TCnews4u
Image Credits
Photo Credit: Subha Puthalath