Tinku Ray has been appointed Executive Editor of The World, public radio’s longest-running daily global news program, produced in Boston by GBH and PRX. She previously served as The World’s managing editor. Tinku is no stranger to The World as she was part of the original team that launched the program back in 1996 when she was a producer in London with the BBC before becoming The World’s South Asia correspondent based in Delhi for five years.
A career journalist with over 30 years of experience, she has dabbled in every role in broadcast journalism—producer, reporter, editor, and host. She has a deep passion for radio but has also worked in TV and digital news. Tinku was born in India and spent most of her childhood in the UK.
When she is not working, she is spending time with her two daughters and two cats. She loves to travel, read, and go on long walks. She also owns a farm in northeastern India that she hopes to convert to an organic retreat someday. We sat down with her to learn more.
What are you reading or listening to right now?
Apart from the news, of course, every day, right now I’m reading War & Peace & War: 20 Years in Afghanistan by Andrew North. But I must confess that I love crime fiction and am listening to many true-crime podcasts these days.
Who is your role model or inspiration?
I have many, but probably one of my biggest inspirations is Nelson Mandela as an example of human strength and compassion.
Why did you become a public media journalist?
I believe in the power of information and knowledge being central pillars of a truly democratic and free society. Public media is an institution that upholds that belief. From a very young age, I was curious about what was happening in other countries and that’s why I wanted to become a journalist.
What is one word to describe your job?
Invigorating.
Describe an impact that a story that you produced made.
It’s really difficult to choose just one after 35 years in journalism. I’ve been impacted by so many stories, especially during my time as a reporter in South Asia. These include stories of the most oppressed in Indian society, the Dalits and how they survive from day to day in the face of continued violence. But the most poignant moment for me was during horrific riots against Muslims in Gujarat by Hindus when a young Muslim boy in a camp asked if I was Hindu and why I killed his parents. It made me realize how even if we want to be unbiased in our reporting - sometimes we can’t escape reality.
What are your hopes for The World going forward?
My wish is for The World to continue to thrive, grow, and continue to be insightful and inspirational in the stories it airs.
Listen to The World Monday – Friday from 3-4pm on GBH 89.7, livestream at gbhnews.org or listen and read at theworld.org. Subscribe to “The World: Latest Edition” wherever you get your podcasts.
