Hello! I’m Rukhsar, a Canadian-American journalist, communications specialist and graphic designer.

Let me help you: it’s rook-SAR uh-LEE. Hear how to say my name here!

I’ve previously reported for CBC, The Globe and Mail and Global News and produced for CBC podcasts, radio, and television and The Conversation. I hold a Master of Journalism degree from Carleton University. I discovered my passion for journalism over the years – first in writing while I completed my Bachelor of Arts Honours in English, followed by my communications work in Nairobi, Kenya, and then in 2020 amidst the coverage of protests in response to the murder of George Floyd.

My reporting aims to find unique perspectives – from stories like how Canadian Sikh artists took part in India’s farmers’ protest, to the lesser-known theatre practice helping a community of Muslim women heal from ongoing Islamophobia. An audio specialist, I have also produced podcast episodes for CBC’s Front Burner and The Conversation’s Don’t Call Me Resilient and radio and television segments for CBC’s Cross Country Checkup and Calgary’s local News at 6 show. I also produced and hosted the short documentary ‘Painted Pixels’ for current affairs show The 25th Hour, investigating what AI art means for the future of creativity. My reporting experience has taken me from protests in Canada’s capital to covering wildfires to reporting on the JUNOs red carpet.  

 In 2019, I honed my communications skills in Nairobi, Kenya, where I worked at Aga Khan University. Back home in Calgary, I continued my work in communications and marketing for Calgary-based organizations TRUCK Contemporary Art, a visual arts center, and Arts Commons, Western Canada’s largest performing arts center. At TRUCK, I conducted an accessibility audit of the center’s digital presence and developed a rebranding plan to better reach marginalized community members and those with disabilities.