Adapting Journalism Across Borders: Work with Deutsche Welle
Service
Script Writing Video Editing
Fact-Checking
Client
Deutsche Welle
Year
2023
At DW, I transformed reports into short-form scripts and digital explainers, balancing rigor with accessibility across Europe and South Asia.
Synopsis
At Deutsche Welle, I worked across European and Environmental teams to transform long-form reports into accessible, digital-first stories. My work included script writing for video explainers and reformatting ~900–1,000 word reports into 3–6 minute scripts and social content for audiences in Germany, Romania, and South Asia (Eco-India). By assisting with translations, fact-checking, and cultural adaptation, I helped ensure that stories on climate, politics, and society remained accurate, engaging, and regionally relevant.
The Challenge
DW’s reporting spans the globe — but a text-heavy, thousand-word report can lose audiences online. The challenge was to distill nuance without oversimplifying, reframing stories so they worked for YouTube, Facebook, and regional platforms. This meant rewriting and editing with audience in mind: making a story about urban air pollution in Delhi meaningful for Eco-India, while giving Romanian viewers clear coverage of European politics. Every adaptation required balancing DW’s editorial rigor with cultural context.
My Role
Script Writing → authored scripts for DW Europe, DW Germany, DW Romania, Eco-India, and DW Environment, ensuring clarity, flow, and factual accuracy.
Content Reformatting → adapted long reports into concise, 3–6 minute digital explainers and social-first formats.
Fact-Checking → cross-referenced content with academic sources, data sets, and regional reporting.
Translation Support → assisted in adapting stories into German, Romanian, and Indian contexts, reframing tone and emphasis for each audience.
Editorial Collaboration → worked with producers to align scripts with visual storytelling, graphics, and subtitles.
Outcomes
Produced dozens of scripts and adaptations, turning complex reports into engaging digital stories.
Examples of stories include:
Eco-India → explained how Delhi residents are tackling air pollution, and how sustainable farming in India links to global food security.
DW Europe → adapted a long-form report into a digital explainer on how soldier flies can transform food waste into protein, showing audiences how circular economy solutions are reshaping Europe’s approach to sustainability.
DW Environment → reframed climate coverage on resource exploitation by scripting the sand mafia story in India, showing how illegal sand mining drives environmental degradation and threatens communities.
Supported teams in Germany, Romania, and India by adapting and translating content into culturally relevant formats.
Ensured editorial integrity by fact-checking, while making content clear for digital-first audiences.
Helped reinforce DW’s reputation as a trusted international broadcaster, able to communicate complex issues across regions and platforms.
Why It Matters
Journalism today is consumed in scrolls and clips — not just columns.
At DW, my work showed how long reports can be reimagined as clear, factual, and relatable digital stories. From scripting videos on climate change in India to reframing European politics for Romanian audiences, I learned how to bridge the gap between rigorous reporting and digital accessibility.
These experiences proved that with the right editorial approach, complex journalism can resonate across borders.
