This week’s Travel Media Awards Step Up intern spotlight is on Dharshinee Krishna Naidu, who has completed her placements at FINN Partners and The Sun. 

During her placement at FINN Partners, Dharshinee refined her pitch writing skills, adapting to the fast-paced environment of a PR office and developing her understanding of using Onclusive for speedy reporting on coverage alerts. In her final week, she landed coverage in The Sun, a very apt booking for her next four-week placement. 

Following her time with FINN Partners, Dharshinee moved to The Sun, where she got straight to work writing destination exclusives and articles for Sun Club, The Sun’s subscription-based platform. She enjoyed spending the days writing, learning what a tabloid newspaper looks for and developing her skills and technique as a travel writer. 

She particularly enjoyed researching summer events happening across the UK and looking up free museums for a listicle piece. She refined her knowledge of putting together articles and features in WordPress, working on different styles of formatting and adding imagery from The Sun’s portal.  

Dharshinee says: “It’s been a whirlwind to say the least — the last eight weeks have shown me where my interests lie and the variety in this industry. I’ve even developed a portfolio of my published pieces. 

“Best of all, I can finally reveal that FINN Partners has offered me a job as an assistant account executive and I’m due to start on 10 August! I’m really grateful for Step Up and how this scheme has truly changed my life for the better.”  

Stay tuned for updates from the rest of this year’s cohort. Subscribe to the TMA Step Up newsletter for updates on the 2027 programme and applications, which open later this year.   

https://travelmediaawards.com/travelmediaawards2026/en/page/step-up

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About APL Media      
APL Media is a multi-award-winning content marketing agency and publisher, creating high-quality print, digital and live media across the travel and lifestyle sectors since 1997. It has published National Geographic Traveller (UK) under licence from National Geographic Partners LLC since 2010, alongside brand extensions including guides, events and digital platforms. Its portfolio includes Living360, a digital lifestyle brand spanning wellness, travel, food, sustainability and culture.       

APL Media delivers custom content, branded campaigns and editorial consultancy, internship schemes including Step Up and produces leading events such as the Travel Media Awards. It’s also a leading reseller of advertising for national newspapers, with content created for national newspapers, too. Its trade titles include Postcards and the ASTA Worldwide Destination Guide. aplmedia.co.uk