Largest and Oldest Ethnic Media Organization in the U.S. Appoints New Executive Director
LAPost / San Francisco (January 28, 2026) – American Community Media (ACoM) — the nation’s first, largest, and longest-standing association of ethnic news outlets — has announced the appointment of Jaya Padmanabhan as its new Executive Director, effective February 1, 2026. She succeeds ACoM founder Sandy Close, who, after three decades of leadership, will transition into the role of Director Emeritus.
“Jaya represents a new generation of leadership at ACoM,” Close said. “She brings energy, fresh ideas, technological fluency, and business acumen at a moment when artificial intelligence is transforming not only how news is gathered and distributed, but the very definition of news itself.”
Padmanabhan previously worked as a software engineer in Silicon Valley before pursuing her passion for journalism. Over the past decade, she has built deep experience in the ethnic media sector.
She served as Executive Editor of India Currents, the oldest and largest Indian American magazine on the West Coast; later became a biweekly columnist for the San Francisco Examiner; and most recently worked as Project Manager for the University of Southern California Center for Health Care Journalism’s Ethnic Media Collaborative, where she provided mentorship, management, and editorial support to ethnic media fellows across multiple multilingual newsrooms statewide.
Reflecting on the role of ethnic media, Padmanabhan said, “Ethnic media teaches me a different way of understanding news — documenting the intimate lives of communities and amplifying voices that are largely unheard and unseen in the public space. I have learned the enduring power of news outlets that offer a collective voice for their communities — the ‘we’ of journalism, rather than the ‘I.’”
A Critical Moment for the Sector
Despite an abundance of information technology, Close noted, people continue to seek authentic voices and meaningful, in-person connections. “Even as revenue for local news platforms has never been more scarce, the demand for trusted messengers who help communities navigate rapid social change has never been greater,” she said. “Ethnic media is at a moment of reckoning that requires integrating high-tech skills with high-touch engagement and collaboration. Jaya is uniquely positioned to seize this moment.”
ACoM Co-Director Julian Do, who joined the organization during its formative years and returned in 2019, described the appointment as an exciting opportunity for the field. “Jaya will bring a powerful advocacy voice to our sector as we implement new strategies to expand ethnic media’s role in social marketing and broaden its audience reach.”
The leadership transition is widely seen as a pivotal step for ACoM as ethnic media navigates technological change and industry transformation, signaling a clear vision for the future of community-based journalism in the United States.
