Susan Smith Richardson
As seen in:
The Examination,
Environmental Health Perspectives,
The Guardian,
Yahoo News UK,
Chicago Tribune,
Rolling Stone,
The Daily Beast,
The Boston Globe,
Poynter Online,
Yahoo,
The Nation
and
Covers:
Race, racial justice, freedom of information, public policy
“Freedom is a constant struggle.”
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I was a news writer at a 24-hour radio station.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
yes, when I was at my college paper
How is social media changing news?
We chase social media when we should chase people offline.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I don't have one.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To serve, engage and inform communities so they can participate in their democracy.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Can't remember.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
A few tight paragraphs in writing that tell me why I should care about the issue.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Asana helps me stay organized.
What's your favorite social network?
TikTok
Who do you wish followed you?
Barack Obama
Why did you become a journalist?
Information is power; people need information to act in their own interest
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
nope.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
A project about police settlements in Chicago focused on how much the city paid to settle police brutality claims.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Trust yourself to know a story when you see one. Don't let anyone deter you.
When's the best time to pitch you?
the end of the day, after 5 p.m.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The author told me why the story mattered.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
The author didn't tell me why the story mattered. If he didn't know, what was the point of the story?
What's your favorite drink?
Syrah, nothing like a good glass of red wine.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Writing down thoughts in my notebook.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Guardian has great inequality coverage.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
A lot of people think reporting about race doesn't require scholarship, just good intentions. You have to develop expertise.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.