Q&A with Sujay Kumar, managing editor
Investigative Project on Race and Equity
Reporting facts, not opinions. Exposing systemic injustice. Strengthening Chicago’s journalism ecosystem.
What's the biggest thing you've learned so far?
I know how to edit monster longform pieces. But it’s been a fun (sometimes frustrating, sometimes invigorating) challenge to get into the spreadsheets and ask the data questions myself.?
What's your favorite part about being an editor?
I enjoy the slow process of working on an idea with a writer, then the reporting, then the structure, and then the sentences. I like working with reporters who are hungry to do ambitious stories.
What advice would you give to aspiring journalists in today’s media landscape?
If you have the chance to do freelance work for a magazine you read or an editor you like, take the assignment. You can build a relationship through email and comments in a document. Don’t miss an opportunity to do good work.
What's one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.