Ritika Gupta: The BBC’s Correspondent Bringing Business News to Life

Ritika Gupta is the BBC’s North America business correspondent, a powerhouse in economic reporting based in New York City. With a keen eye for detail and a talent for breaking down complex topics, she brings the latest in business and economic news to viewers around the world. As the anchor of a daily business TV show, Gupta provides timely, insightful analysis across the BBC’s TV and radio platforms. Her reporting career began at Bloomberg Television, where she covered financial markets, business, and the economy. Over the years, she has built a reputation for delivering news that cuts through the noise, offering viewers clarity and depth on fast-moving topics. A graduate of University College London with a degree in Economics, Gupta later earned her Master’s in Broadcast Journalism with distinction from City University London. Her expertise spans multiple media, from TV and radio to print and live events. Today, Ritika Gupta stands at the forefront of North American business reporting, making complex financial stories accessible and engaging for a global audience.

What inspired you to pursue a career in business journalism, and how did your background in economics shape your approach to reporting?

I was in secondary school when the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 made headlines. I saw the economic repercussions in the news and my friends who had graduated from university told me how difficult the job market had become. I was fascinated by what triggered such a devastating economic crash, how the events unfolded and how it could be remedied.

This interest encouraged me to major in Economics at The University College London.
While I enjoyed studying the subject, I always knew that I didn’t want to go into finance and banking, like most of my peers. I wanted to do something more creative. A career in journalism had always appealed to me as I was drawn to the storytelling aspect and I enjoyed writing for the university newspaper.

I decided to do a Masters in Broadcast Journalism at the City University, London, to combine my interest in the world of business with my desire to tell stories that matter. I wanted to carve a niche for myself, where I could use my knowledge of economics and financial markets to deliver business news to a wide audience in a compelling and accessible way.

My career started at Bloomberg Television as an intern and producer in London. I had the opportunity to move to the company’s headquarters in New York, where I began on-air reporting on financial markets and business news.
Several years later, I took the role of North American business correspondent at The BBC in New York, to provide live news coverage, analysis and anchor a daily TV business show.

In your role as North America business correspondent, what have been the most significant shifts or trends you’ve observed in the global economy over the past year?

Over the past year, it has been interesting to see global central bank policy shift gears as developed economies recover from pandemic-era inflation. 

The Federal Reserve has put an end to its longest cycle of interest rate hikes in roughly a decade. This could impact hiring, inflation, the housing market, stocks and borrowing costs.

And this too, in a U.S. presidential election year.

Globally, different central banks in developed economies are coming to their own conclusions about the pace and scale of interest rate moves. Some central banks will be synchronised and others will be divided.

Covering breaking business news requires quick analysis and reporting. How do you balance the need for speed with accuracy and depth in your coverage?

Breaking news can be challenging, especially when providing context to a story that is still developing. It is important to deliver business news fast, but even more important to be accurate and diligent when reporting, particularly as the news could be market-moving. I always double-check information and the source, to ensure my reporting is factual, unbiased and up-to-date. 

Finally, remember to breathe and remain calm on air in any situation!

You’ve worked across various media platforms, including TV, radio, print, and online. How do you adapt your reporting style for each medium, and what challenges does each present?

Writing for radio and television is more conversational like you’re telling your friend what is going on. For TV, we tend to think about visual information including graphics and video, that can support the storytelling. There’s also a need for brevity, as attention spans are shorter for a broadcast audience.

Whereas for print, the emphasis is on detailed, in-depth reporting.

The different formats, audience expectations, and production constraints require a journalist to adapt the writing style and delivery. I find that the most effective news reporting leverages the strengths of each platform.

I think in today’s media landscape, you also need to be able to work across platforms, including online and social media. The way news is consumed is changing and it’s important to keep apace.

As someone with a Master’s in Broadcast Journalism, how has your academic training influenced your storytelling approach, particularly when explaining complex financial concepts to a broad audience?

I try to break down a complex financial story and explain why the audience should care in simple terms. I developed these skills during my broadcast media training and I have found them to be invaluable for news delivery and connecting with an audience.

A common tip is to imagine discussing the story conversationally with a friend in the pub – it’s a cliché, but it works wonders!

With economic uncertainty becoming a recurring theme, how do you ensure that your reporting not only informs but also engages viewers who may not have a deep background in business?

I have always been passionate about making finance and business news accessible to a wide audience.
There is a lot to be said about the democratisation of finance and I think the general public is eager to keep apace with business news, as it impacts us all, from the job market to inflation and borrowing costs.

I try to avoid too much financial jargon and explain in simple terms why it matters, as I find that this is the most meaningful storytelling. When reporting, my goal is for the viewer to feel like they have learnt something new or interesting.

You’ve moderated live events and discussions with business leaders and experts. What strategies do you use to steer the conversation and keep it engaging while extracting valuable insights?

To prepare for moderating live events, I research the interviewee’s background and the topic of discussion. While the guest is the expert, it’s important to be able to ask the smart questions that the audience would like the answers to that bring out their expertise.

Sometimes a guest may be nervous and as the interviewer you can try to make them feel comfortable and remind them to keep the interview conversational.

In many cases, it’s important to play devil’s advocate and share the counter view to the guest, to provide balance to the discussion.

Finally, I always try to listen actively to what the guest is saying!

What advice would you give to aspiring journalists, especially those looking to specialize in business and economics reporting in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape?

I would advise them to develop multi-platform skills. The landscape of media and how news is consumed is changing and journalists will benefit from being versatile.
For business news in particular, I recommend doing a short course on economics or finance, to brush up on your knowledge.
And keep reading, watching and listening – that’s the best way to learn!

As a South Asian woman and journalist, what’s the significance of diversity in newsrooms to you?

Representation matters because what we see in the media doesn’t just reflect reality, it can also shape it. The media plays such a crucial role in influencing society, which makes it important for news outlets to represent the diverse perspectives and experiences of their audiences.

I also believe that seeing people who look like you on-screen is important, as it can serve as an inspiration, especially for minorities. Growing up, there were few South Asians in mainstream media but that is changing and it is wonderful to see!

Being able to help or inspire someone else from the community to pursue journalism is very rewarding.