Communicator Spotlight: Ashok Sinha of Dow Jones
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Courtesy of Dow Jones
Ashok Sinha serves as chief communications officer of Dow Jones, the parent company of business publications like The Wall Street Journal, Barron's and MarketWatch and services like Factiva and Dow Jones Risk & Compliance.
Why it matters: While most are familiar with the Dow Jones brands, few know the corporate story — which Sinha is hoping to change.
What he's saying: "Honestly, when most people hear Dow Jones, they still think that we're somehow related to the stock index, which we sold off a number of years ago. I found that challenge to be interesting," he told Axios.
- "We describe ourselves as no longer being just a media company. We're a business information and data company, and what we do is provide information to anyone who's interested in business. So our audience is really anybody who's interested in business writ large."
How he got here: Sinha moved to New York City after college seeking to become an actor or filmmaker, and fell into entertainment PR at MTV Networks.
- From there, he held various communication leadership roles across media entities like Time Warner and Audacy Inc. before joining Dow Jones in 2023.
How it's structured: Sinha reports to Almar Latour, CEO of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal.
- He also sits on Dow Jones's executive leadership team and oversees the global team responsible for internal and external communications for Dow Jones and its brands.
The biggest misconception, he says, is that communications is just about landing press coverage.
- "The stories that we tell can no longer be dependent on just the press," Sinha says. "We have to think about it from literally every perspective— social media, events, speaking opportunities and thought leadership pieces. It is now about leveraging every possible platform to get that message out there."
Zoom in: One important message that Sinha's team helped support was calling for the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was being wrongfully detained in Russia.
- Gershkovich had been imprisoned for nearly six months by the time Sinha joined Dow Jones. From then on, he supported communications efforts working closely alongside an outside consultant and crisis firm through Gershkovich's release on Aug. 1.
- "This effort extended beyond just communications," Sinha says. "It involved engaging Evan's friends, talking to our partners, marketing and getting awareness out in what normally would have been considered competing publications, and felt well above and beyond what a normal communications campaign would have been — and for good reason."
Trend spot: AI's impact on the media industry and how it could change the communications function.
De-stress routine: He is a self-described Peloton addict, enjoys vinyasa yoga and unwinds by spending time in upstate New York.
Content plate: Sinha's news rotation includes The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Axios, Puck and Semafor.
- He also recently binged "Emily in Paris" on Netflix and is currently watching Apple TV+'s "La Maison."
Best career advice he's received: If you're in a room or a meeting, you're there for a reason.
- "At the end of the day, as communications professionals, what we offer is our perspective — either strategically or tactically," Sinha says. "That's what people look to us for, so we need to be sure to voice it."
