When Fazeela Munshi talks about the moment she found out she had been awarded the Asian Media Awards Scholarship, her voice still carries disbelief.
“I was definitely shocked,” she says. “I had no savings. I had nothing. I didn’t even think I’d get it. But then the email came through.”
Munshi, a BA Journalism (Broadcast) student at the University of Salford, became the first recipient of the £10,000 scholarship last year. It was introduced in 2023 through a partnership between the awards and the university to support students from low-income backgrounds.
For Munshi, who grew up in Blackburn, the award was more than financial support – it was life-changing.
Like many students from working-class families, Munshi juggled her studies with long shifts in order to make ends meet. She worked as a steward at Blackburn Rovers to help her mother and younger sister, while commuting daily to Salford.
Even with a government loan, she often found herself counting every pound.
“The commute alone would cost £200 to £300 a month,” she explains.
“Sometimes I thought I’d need another job on top, just to keep going.”
The pressure took its toll. Instead of using her spare time to prepare for assignments, she spent hours working shifts and travelling. Her dream of becoming a sports journalist seemed increasingly out of reach.
The scholarship was first announced at the 2023 awards ceremony by Professor Alan Walker, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the School of Arts, Media, and Creative Technology, providing £10,000 for a lucky candidate to pursue a three-year undergraduate programme in the creative industries.
Winning the scholarship transformed her final years at Salford. Not only did the award cover the costs of her first and second years, it also allowed her to cut down her working hours, buy a computer with editing software, and take up opportunities she might otherwise have missed.
It also brought unexpected changes closer to home. After 15 years of sharing a bunk bed with her sisters, Munshi was able to invest in a proper bed and finally have a room of her own.
She said: “We had been sharing a bunk bed since I think it was about 5 or 6. For 10 years, we had the same bed, and the only thing we changed was the mattress covers or, like, the duvet covers. I don’t think I’ve ever slept better since I changed my bed.”
Freed from financial anxiety, Munshi seized every opportunity to build her career.
She joined the BBC’s cricket team covering the West Indies v England series, supported the BBC World Series, and reported on cycling events with BCOMS (the Black Collective of Media in Sport), which campaigns for diversity in the industry.
“The scholarship gave me the confidence to get out there,” she says. “It made me feel like people believed in me. Now I feel like I have to succeed – whether by force or not, I’m going to do it.”
As she prepares for her final year, Munshi is clear about her priorities: “This is the year you need to lock in. I need to chase stories. I need to do this.”
Her ambition is to work in sports broadcasting, ideally as a commentator for her home club, Blackburn Rovers. She hopes to inspire a new generation of journalists from similar backgrounds.
The Asian Media Awards, now in their 13th year, will take place in Manchester on 31 October.
