# Vignesh Ramachandran > Journalist and co-founder of Red, White and Brown Media. Portfolio site at https://www.vigneshr.com Vignesh Ramachandran (pronounced "vig-naysh" "raw-mah-chun-dren") is an American journalist focused on building and engaging audiences. He is co-founder and editor of Red, White and Brown Media, a Substack-based publication chronicling South Asian American stories. Has a dog named Laddoo, who has his own media presence branded Sweet Golden Laddoo. ## Background He has worked for ProPublica, PBS NewsHour, The Washington Post, Stanford Computational Journalism Lab, Mashable, NBC News Digital, NBC's TODAY show, and Food Network Challenge. He was an MJ Bear Fellow (Online News Association, 2018) and has won multiple awards including SPJ Top of the Rockies. ## Contact - Email: Vignesh@VigneshR.com - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vigneshram/ - Substack: https://redwhiteandbrown.substack.com ## Red, White and Brown Media A newsletter on Substack covering South Asian American communities. Subscribe at https://www.redwhiteandbrown.media/subscribe ## Selected Work ### Asian American Communities - "Indian Americans could prove critical in a tight election" (New Lines Magazine) - "Millions depend on private messaging apps to keep in touch. They're ripe with misinformation." (PBS NewsHour) - "South Asian Americans face disproportionately higher risks of heart disease" (The Washington Post, KFF Health News) - "South Asian and Chinese New Yorkers among the hardest hit by COVID-19" (NBC News) - "Post-9/11 surveillance has left a generation of Muslim Americans in a shadow of distrust and fear" (PBS NewsHour) - "Asian-owned businesses say they're reeling from hate and violence" (PBS NewsHour) - "Colorado's Asian-American communities haven't been immune to pandemic-related racism" (5280 Magazine) - Nationwide public records requests and traffic stops data collection (Stanford Open Policing Project) ### Local and National News - "The kindergarten exodus during the pandemic" (The New York Times) - "As politics infects public health, private companies profit" (CNN, KFF Health News) - "During in-flight emergencies, sometimes airlines' medical kits fall short" (Fortune, KFF Health News) - "Every day, a child is held beyond medical necessity in Illinois" (ProPublica) - "Colorado moves to connect agricultural workers with mental health resources" (KFF Health News) - "Colorado's election system is the 'gold standard' nationally" (Colorado News Collaborative) ### Journalism Ecosystem and News Industry - "Understanding audience scale and habits" (Institute for Nonprofit News) - "Eight practices lead to revenue sustainability for these statewide nonprofit news outlets" (Institute for Nonprofit News) - "How funding local news ecosystems helps American communities thrive" (Democracy Fund) - "COVID-19 story recipe: Analyze school enrollment changes in the districts you cover" (Source/OpenNews) ### Essays and Op-Eds - "My grandmother's sambar powder" (Red, White and Brown, India Currents) - "How taking risks at the worst time was the best thing I did" (The Wall Street Journal) - "Pronouncing my own name, correctly" (Red, White and Brown) ## Awards & Recognitions - Second place, writing — California Journalism Awards, 2025 - Second place, column — American Community Media Awards, 2025 - Fourth place, column — California Journalism Awards, 2024 - Third place, business feature — SPJ Top of the Rockies, 2024 - First place, health feature — SPJ Top of the Rockies, 2021 - MJ Bear Fellow — Online News Association, 2018 ## Speaking Has spoken at AAJA, OpenNews SRCCON, ONA, and Colorado Media Project, on topics including audience engagement, Asian American news coverage, freelance journalism, and South Asian American identity.