When Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy was covering municipal governments in New York and New Jersey for Gannett, there was no way to know it would prepare her for the complexities of covering the most contentious American presidency in recent times.

But Venugopal Ramaswamy told 2026 NPF Widening the Pipeline fellows that those early career experiences came in handy after she joined USA Today as White House Correspondent in January of 2024.  She also recounted her beginnings in India, her move to the U.S. for a master’s degree, and how her reporting and source building helped her develop a specialized beat on “Women in Power.” Her lived experience also gave her an edge in covering the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris, the first candidate of South Asian descent.

Venugopal Ramaswamy told Widening fellows that the White House beat was not a long-held dream but an opportunity that arose. She emphasized the importance of in-person reporting, leveraging a unique personal background as an asset, and how foundational reporting skills remain essential even when covering national politics.

Watch the full session below, and access the full transcript here.