Jaya Padmanabhan, an Indian American journalist and former software engineer, has been appointed Executive Director of American Community Media, succeeding founder Sandy Close.
Jaya Padmanabhan, an Indian American software engineer turned journalist, has been appointed the new Executive Director of American Community Media (ACoM), the largest association of ethnic news outlets in the United States. She officially took on the role on February 1, succeeding ACoM founder Sandy Close, who is transitioning to the position of Director Emeritus after three decades of leadership.
In a statement, Close praised Padmanabhan, saying, “Jaya represents a new generation of leaders at ACoM who bring energy, ideas, tech smarts, and business savvy to the sector at a time when AI is transforming not only how we gather and distribute news, but the very idea of what news is.”
Padmanabhan brings over a decade of experience in the ethnic media sector, having previously served as project manager for the University of Southern California Center for Health Care Journalism’s Ethnic Media Collaborative project. In this role, she provided mentorship, management, and editorial support for ethnic media fellows across various multilingual newsrooms in California.
Before her work at USC, Padmanabhan was the Executive Editor of India Currents, the oldest and largest Indian American magazine on the West Coast. She also contributed as a biweekly columnist for the San Francisco Examiner. Her diverse background in both technology and journalism positions her uniquely to lead ACoM during a transformative period for the media landscape.
“Ethnic media teaches me a different way of understanding news, documenting the intimate life of communities and amplifying voices largely unheard and unseen in the public space,” Padmanabhan remarked. “I learned the enduring power of news outlets that provide a collective voice for their communities — the ‘we’ rather than the ‘I’ of journalism.”
Close emphasized the critical need for authentic voices in today’s information-saturated environment, stating, “Despite a glut in information technology, people crave authentic voices and real, in-person connections. The hunger for trusted messengers who help people navigate the changes going on around them has never been greater, even as revenue to support local news platforms has never been scarcer.”
Julian Do, co-director of ACoM, expressed optimism about Padmanabhan’s leadership, viewing it as an exciting opportunity for ethnic media to expand its influence. “Jaya will add a powerful advocacy voice for our sector as we implement new strategies to expand its social marketing role and audience reach,” he said.
American Community Media operates as a national nonprofit news and communications agency under the fiscal sponsorship of the San Francisco Study Center. Its mission is to enhance the capacity of ethnic news outlets to inform and engage communities that are traditionally underserved by general-market media.
ACoM aims to build a more inclusive communications infrastructure that serves the public interest and promotes participatory democracy. Its innovative hybrid model includes a multilingual, pan-ethnic collaborative news exchange with weekly online news briefings and the development of a pan-ethnic digital advertising network. Over the past five years, ACoM has directed more than $20 million to ethnic media in California alone.
Padmanabhan’s appointment marks a significant step forward for ACoM as it navigates the challenges and opportunities presented by the evolving media landscape. Her blend of technical expertise and commitment to community journalism is expected to drive the organization’s mission forward in the coming years.
According to a news release from ACoM, Padmanabhan’s leadership is poised to make a lasting impact on the ethnic media sector, fostering greater inclusivity and representation in news coverage across the nation.