Indira Lakshmanan Joins U.S. News as Ideas & Opinions Editor

In this new role, she will focus on developing a forum for meaningful commentary from diverse perspectives. 

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in empowering informed decisions through news, rankings and advice, today announced that Indira Lakshmanan has joined the company to start an Ideas & Opinions platform. In this newly created role, Lakshmanan will be responsible for developing and overseeing content that provides perspective, insight and thought leadership around current issues and events.

An award-winning editor, columnist and correspondent in Washington, D.C. for the last 16 years, Lakshmanan's career has taken her to more than 80 countries across six continents, where she has reported for print, digital and broadcast media. As an international and Washington correspondent for The Boston Globe and Bloomberg News, she traveled with presidents and secretaries of state, interviewing and profiling newsmakers from Hillary Clinton to Fidel Castro. She has covered pivotal world events, from the fall of the Taliban and the SARS epidemic in China to the Iran nuclear talks, and her reporting has shined a light on human rights and environmental injustices across Asia and Latin America. She's also been a Washington columnist for the The Boston Globe and the International Herald Tribune.

Most recently, Lakshmanan led the global enterprise team at the Associated Press, overseeing special projects. Previously, she was National Geographic's senior executive editor and vice president for news and features. And as executive editor at the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, she partnered with newsrooms and freelancers to support high-quality, award-winning journalism around the world. Lakshmanan began her career on NPR's foreign desk and is currently – and will remain – a part-time host for the WAMU and NPR current events show, "1A".

"Throughout our 90-year history, people have always turned to U.S. News for news and thought leadership," said U.S. News Executive Chairman & CEO Eric Gertler. "Especially in this election year, it is critical that we expand upon our content offerings to bring helpful commentary to our readers. U.S. News is the right platform to share insightful ideas and opinions, and Indira is the perfect person to lead this effort."

"Along with our independent reporting, rankings and advice, publishing dynamic ideas and opinion content across a variety of topics and perspectives is an important part of carrying out U.S. News' mission to help consumers, business leaders and policymakers make informed decisions," said Dafna Linzer, U.S. News' editorial director and executive vice president. "Indira brings a deep understanding of issues that shape our world as well as the journalistic expertise and leadership skills to advance an engaging forum for intelligent and meaningful commentary."

"I am thrilled to join U.S. News' talented news team to create a startup ideas and opinion platform within a respected legacy media brand," Lakshmanan said. "U.S. News is trusted for its explanatory journalism based on unbiased reporting and data. I'm excited to expand that platform to feature thought leaders who will bring fresh ideas and perspectives to local, national and global conversations." 

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate, Careers and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.