COVERING HIS COMMUNITY
By Denise Scott
As T. Vishnudatta Jayaraman drove his family back to Ashburn after a summer trip in 2024, his daughter was curious about his plans to launch a daily national news website for the South Asian diaspora a few months later.
When he explained that South Asian Herald would provide free subscriptions and rely on funding through advertisements, sponsorships and grants, the then 10-year-old decided to help the venture succeed. After arriving home, she set up a lemonade stand in their Belmont Country Club community.
“True to her word, she, with the help of her brother, Raghu, raised $134, becoming our first donor,” Jayaraman said. “Her name, Anagha, fittingly means the ‘Goddess of Wealth.’”
Since its launch, the South Asian Herald has quickly gained about 100,000 readers across the United States and globally, with a significant following in the DMV region.
Jayaraman, who is editor-in-chief, says he works 15-plus hours per day, publishing the original stories reported by himself and a team of writers on the publication’s website.
Jayaraman is a veteran journalist, having worked at multiple newspapers in India before moving to the United States in 2006, where he earned his second master’s degree, in Diplomacy and International Relations. He also earned a doctorate in International Administration with a focus on the United Nations and South Asia.
He has covered the White House, U.S. Congress, United Nations, World Bank, IMF and the South Asian community.
“Our contributing editors are senior journalists who I have either worked with or known professionally for years. They write opinion articles and analysis on various international and national issues affecting the diaspora,” Jayaraman said. “From time to time, I also invite experts and students to write guest columns on different topics. Last year, we had interns from India, Canada and across the country, including from the Academies of Loudoun [near] Ashburn who helped us with social media and marketing.”
The South Asian Herald covers everything from politics to parenting, all from a unique perspective.
“I started South Asian Herald because I felt our community needed a place where our stories are told with care, accuracy and pride,” Jayaraman said. “South Asian Americans are growing in number and influence, and yet so much of our news is scattered or misses the cultural context. I wanted to build a platform that brings our voices together and reflects who we really are.”
In addition to the website’s daily news, the South Asian Herald has become a media organization with multiple offerings plus bureaus in Dubai and Australia. It launched a weekly e-newsletter in November 2024 and a weekly e-paper in April 2026. Both are posted online and emailed to subscribers. And a sister podcast called The D.C. Dispatch launched mid-2025.
“Our growth has been almost entirely organic,” Jayaraman said. “People read a story, share it with their friends or family, and the circle widens. We didn’t launch with a big marketing push – the community itself has carried us forward.”