As former senior editor at gal-dem magazine, a contributor to the Guardian, and a Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee, British-Chilean journalist Naomi Larsson-Piñeda knows what makes a meaningful story. She currently edits the Hyphen, a unique online platform that focuses on issues relevant to Muslim people living in the UK and Europe.
Speaking to her at the end of her panel discussion on ‘How to be a Good Editor’ during the Student Publication Association National Conference 2024 in Bristol, she got candid about a day in the life of a commissioning editor, her unorthodox entry into the industry, and what is possible when systemic barriers are lifted to prioritise talent.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I go into the office a couple, three days a week. I’ll generally read around in the morning and see what’s going on.
A selection of Naomi’s work.
I work with features and everything’s a little bit slower, it’s not really urgent. Often our deadlines are quite flexible, or at least they can be. So, if I have a feature coming in, I’ll start editing that. It will involve commissioning out pieces, so coming up with story ideas as well, discussing that with my colleagues, and then commissioning them out. That’s basically my day to day work, I think.
What would you say was the pivotal moment for you where you decided ‘I want to be a journalist’ but also, when you were in that position, realising you were happy with an editorial role?
I got work experience at a heating and plumbing magazine when I was at uni. I just got it and then I was like, oh, it’s quite fun to work with words and things. It was just funny that it was a heating, ventilating and plumbing magazine. I think that was literally the title! So, after that, I was like, maybe it’d be cool to work in journalism. And then I got into a master’s course in journalism and did that, and then managed to find work.
Then the editing thing happened. I’d always done bits and bobs of editing when I was at the Guardian. It was just a job that was available. I really enjoy it, actually. I really enjoy editing.
"I discovered a bit too late that there were different grants available for young people in your mid-20s or early 20s... to be a bit more aware of things [like bursaries and scholarships] that are available to emerging reporters [would have been helpful]."
Naomi Larsson Piñeda, commissioning editor at Hyphen
Would you change anything about your journalism career to date?
I do feel quite happy with all the different bits and bobs that I’ve done. But, I was very interested in foreign reporting, and I kind of discovered a bit too late that there were different grants, and especially for young people in your mid-20s or early 20s.
These kinds of things that are available, that would have been really helpful to fund me going to South America, basically. So, I think just to be a bit more aware of the things [like bursaries and scholarships] that are available to emerging reporters and things like that. Journo Resources, actually, because that didn’t exist when I was younger; that is really useful – it’s really great. So maybe that would have covered that issue for me.
Are there any moments in your career that you’re especially proud of, and why?
I think on the editing front, it’s that thing of working with very talented people and working together to do really great work. It’s always a joy, I think, to work with new writers and then kind of see them flourish and stuff like that. And then just on my career, some awards, [and I] got a grant that I really wanted to get last year, so that was nice.
Want To Delve Into The Lives Of More Journalists?
We’ve interviewed dozens of people about their jobs, getting into the industry, and what they might do differently. Here are just a few:
Tessa Ndjonkou is a Dublin-based journalist, currently working with the Irish Independent. She holds an MA in Gender, Sexuality, and Culture graduate from University College Dublin. She was Editor-in-Chief of The University Observer, University College Dublin’s newspaper of record, for which she was named Editor of the Year at the 2024 Student Media Awards.
She was also nominated for Best Culture Writer at the 2024 Student Publication Association’s Conference and the magazine she co-edited, OTwo, was nominated for Best Publication and Best Specialist Publication.
