Writing With Fire follows the women behind Khabar Lahariya, a local Indian news organisation run by Dalit women reporting from some of the country’s most difficult social and political environments. The documentary captures a newsroom in transition, as reporters move from print to smartphones and digital video while continuing to investigate corruption, violence, discrimination and failures of public services.

For journalists, the film is a lesson in resourcefulness. Good reporting does not depend on expensive equipment or a large newsroom. A smartphone, local knowledge, persistence and direct access to communities can be enough to produce journalism with real public impact.

It also shows the importance of proximity to the people being reported on. The journalists understand the places, languages and social dynamics of the communities they cover. That knowledge helps them ask better questions and recognise stories that outsiders might miss.

Another important lesson concerns courage and independence. The reporters work under social pressure, political hostility and personal risk, yet continue to confront officials and demand answers.

For a journalist, Writing With Fire is therefore a reminder that technology can expand the reach of reporting, but the essential tools remain the same: curiosity, persistence, local knowledge and the willingness to ask uncomfortable questions.

(2021)