Vitusha Oberoi

About Me

I am an award-winning writer and editor with an extensive background in journalism. I'm a recipient of the Award for Excellence in Writing, International Association of Business Communicators (IABC/Toronto), and two successive Golden Leaf Awards for Excellence in Writing from the Canadian Educational Press Association. I also received an Award for Bravery in Journalism from the Press and Public Relations Association of India.

I started my career as a journalist in India's leading newspaper, the Indian Express, and over the years worked in different publications as a copy editor, reporter, chief reporter, special correspondent, bureau chief and resident editor. I covered the Indian Parliament as an accredited correspondent and focused on the corruption rampant in high places, including a series of investigative reports, based on official documents that exposed the nexus between builders and the sons of the Chief Justice of India. 

Following the exposes, I was sentenced to four months' imprisonment as it is illegal to write anything that reflects negatively on judges in India under its archaic contempt of court laws.  I received unprecedented support from civil rights organizations in India and abroad, leading citizens working for social justice  including Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, and the judiciary itself, as I fought for my right to tell the truth. Over 30 prominent citizens, including former justices of the Supreme Court and the High Court of India, signed a petition to the court and many of them offered to go to jail with me.

Following a protracted legal battle centred on the right of journalists to uphold truth as defence in contempt of court cases, I was exonerated after 10 years. My case is now a benchmark in Indian jurisprudence on contempt law and is quoted in court petitions, research papers, and other legal commentaries. While my case was still in the courts in India, I immigrated to Canada and have since worked in communications in Ontario's educational institutions. 

My vast experience as an editor, who led publication teams in some of India's best newsrooms to deliver impactful stories, has given me the skills to produce succinct communication materials aligned with an organization's needs. I am adept at writing on diverse and complex issues, conducting in-depth interviews, and creating profiles.

 I'm currently working as Editor, Advancement Communications, at Sheridan College. I write articles profiling Sheridan's outstanding alumni who are making a change in the world through their college education. The profiles inspire current and future students, and support the college in its enrolment and fundraising efforts. It is an exciting job that allows me to use my skills and experience to highlight the myriad ways in which educational pathways are empowering youth to create positive change in society. 

Before joining Sheridan, I was Senior Writer/Editor at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology and wrote about the work being done at the college, its programs and students. I profiled leading Seneca alumni and faculty, focusing on their contributions to society. I also edited a variety of communication materials, including blogs and booklets. 

I worked for 14 years in the Communication and Political Action services area of Canada's largest teacher union, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO). I twice won the Golden Leaf Award for Excellence in Writing from the Canadian Educational Press Association for my articles in ETFO's magazine, VOICE. As a photographer, I captured some of ETFO's leading campaigns for workers' rights and gained invaluable experience in organizing and advocacy through political action.

I hold a master's degree in English language from the University of Delhi and have a certificate in Digital Strategy & Communication Management from University of Toronto.