Professor Sturgis has worked as a reporter and editor for newspapers such as the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Times-Herald Record and the Poughkeepsie Journal as well as managing editor for magazine start-ups BET Weekend and Savoy. She began working in interactive media in 1985 as a member of the New York Time’s videotext project. She has worked online since 2001 in positions such as senior programming manager for AOL's Black Voices, as editor-in-chief for Essence.com, and more recently as a web strategist for fierceforblackwomen.com. She has also serves as an editor for Howard University’s fact-checking site truthbetold.news.