Alumni Awards profile: Lindsey Cook

Lindsey Cook (ABJ ’14) found her knack for journalism in is the details.

“My education and experience at Grady has been invaluable as I started and built my career in data journalism,” Cook said. “From Grady and my work at The Red & Black, I graduated with strong writing skills and an ability to write quickly, which benefited me greatly at the beginning of my career.”

Cook is the 2020 recipient of the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award which recognizes a graduate of the last decade who has experienced a successful early career.

She joins Purvi Farahi (ABJ ’95) and Monica Pearson (MA ’14) as  2020 alumni award winners.

Cook conceived, piloted, and now leads data trainings for reporters and editors, and assists journalists with compiling data for stories. She worked with reporters and editors covering the Trump administration on digital-first storytelling and digital strategy. 

Cook graduated from the Women’s Leadership Program at Yale’s School of Management in 2019, a program designed for women in management prepare for future leadership roles. She also taught data journalism at the graduate level for American University, as an adjunct professor, both in Fall 2015 and Spring 2017.

Previously, she worked at U.S. News & World Report as the data editor for news.

She frequently speaks to groups of students, both in high school and college, most recently at George Washington University, CUNY, two Girls Who Code Programs, NYT’s Summer Institute and UGA. She’s been a volunteer with Safehouse Outreach in Atlanta for many years and has participated in women’s drives, school drives and holiday gift drives through the Times.

She is also a novelist. Her first book, “How to Bury Your Brother,” was released in 2020. 

Editor’s note: This profile was originally published in 2020. We are celebrating our 2020 Alumni Award winners as their Grady Salutes celebration was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Visit this page for the latest updates on Grady Salutes.