"SPEED DATING" WITH EDITORS At #SAJA25 attendees will get quick mentorships from the top editors in American journalism. From career advice to pitching stories - come prepared for a 10 minute one-on-one chat with the best in the industry. As journalists navigate the volatility of today's news industry, hiring managers and senior editors who make hiring decisions, will provide journalists a uniquely valuable and practical understanding of what it takes to succeed. This session would allow journalists to interact with decision makers, not for a job interview, but to learn what it takes to land a job at their organization. Time slot will be provided on a first-come-first-served basis during the registration. Pro tip: Get notes, makes notes.
Peter Bhatia, a multiple Pulitzer Prize-winning editor who has spearheaded meaningful journalism and digital advances at numerous news sites across the country, is editor and vice president of the Detroit Free Press. He comes to Detroit from the Cincinnati Enquirer, where he was editor for two years and also served as regional editor for the USA TODAY Network’s Ohio Region. Bhatia previously was director of the Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at Arizona State's Cronkite School of Journalism. He joined the university in June 2014 as visiting professor in journalism ethics after a two-decade career at The Oregonian in Portland, where he was editor. He is the first journalist of South Asian descent to lead a major daily newspaper in the U.S. @peterbhatia
S.Mitra Kalita is the senior vice president for news, opinion and programming for CNN Digital. She was previously the managing editor for editorial strategy at the Los Angeles Times, served as executive editor at large for Quartz and worked at the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Newsday and the Associated Press. She is the author of two books related to migration and globalization, including the highly acclaimed "Suburban Sahibs," and "My Two Indias". A former journalism professor at St. John's, UMass-Amherst, and Columbia University, she also previously served as president of the South Asian Journalists Association. @mitrakalita
Ravi Agrawal is the managing editor of Foreign Policy and author of India Connected: How the Smartphone Is Transforming the World's Largest Democracy. Before joining Foreign Policy, Agrawal worked at CNN for 11 years in London, New York, and New Delhi, including a four-year stint as South Asia bureau chief. He has won a Peabody award and received three Emmy nominations for his work as a TV producer. Agrawal was born in London, England, and grew up in Kolkata, India. He is a graduate of Harvard University.
Karen Mahabir is the fact-check editor at The Associated Press. She has also been a reporter, editor and producer for the AP in their Mexico City, Washington and New York offices. Karen has also served as the managing editor for news for The HuffPost, and spent many years as a newspaper reporter and columnist.
Pia Sarkar oversees coverage of autos, airlines and energy as an editor at The Associated Press, guiding breaking news and distinctive enterprise. She also serves as co-leader for the AP's Race & Ethnicity team. She was previously deputy editor for the AP's East region. Prior to the AP, Pia served as executive editor of The American Lawyer's website and associate editor for The Daily Journal legal publication in California. She was also a reporter at The San Francisco Chronicle, TheStreet.com, The Record of Woodland Park, New Jersey and The Providence Journal. @PiaSarkar_TK
Chris Opfer is a managing editor (labor & employment), Bloomberg Law, covering policy, politics and court battles that shape the way people work. A licensed attorney and member of the New York Bar, Opfer has been reporting for Bloomberg BNA since 2012. He started at Bloomberg BNA as a Labor Economics Reporter, tracking various employment-related economic indicators, and later reported on Congress and the courts before taking his current position. Opfer was awarded a National Press Foundation Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship in 2013. @ChrisOpfer
Vikas Bajaj has worked at The New York Times since 2005. Before becoming a senior staff editor in the Business section in August 2018, he was a member of the editorial board. He previously was a correspondent based in Mumbai, India, and covered housing and financial markets for the Business section in New York. Born in Mumbai, Mr. Bajaj grew up there and in Bangkok, and he received a bachelor’s in journalism from Michigan State University. He came to The Times from The Dallas Morning News. @vikasbajaj
Bhumika Tharoor is the deputy director of The Atlantic's Talent Lab, the arm of the newsroom focused on hiring and development. Prior to that, she was at CNN helping build award-winning teams across DC and NY for brands such as CNNPolitics and The Lead with Jake Tapper. She joined from The Washington Post as a corporate recruiter and is certified in behavior-based interviewing. Bhumika has implemented projects on culture and digital transformation in the media space. She is currently pursuing her MBA from Georgetown University. @bhumikatharoor
Meghna Rao is the managing editor of The Juggernaut, a New York-based premium website focused on South Asia and South Asians around the world. A lifelong New Yorker who grew up in Queens, Rao left home for India the summer after she graduated, spending four years writing about technology, first for the investment firm Unitus Ventures and then for Tech in Asia. @meghn_a |
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