LA is a multimedia journalist, editor, and art director at NPR in Washington, D.C. since 2014. She draws illustrations and comics, writes stories and scripts, does live reportage and interviews, makes graphics, animations, video and data viz, and art directs and edits, too. Before NPR, LA worked for Deloitte making infographics and UX design, and before that she was a designer at a print shop where she screen-printed t-shirts and posters. LA lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, her two sons, and her cat. She is an urban gardener, hiker/biker, amateur naturalist, yogi, and sci-fi lover. Fun fact: LA created 100 illustrations for the book Party of One by Meghan Keane, Chronicle Prism, 2024.
In a landscape of shifting politics and AI-driven disinformation, the illustrator’s hand is a vital signature of truth. Drawing on 12 years of art directing at NPR, LA Johnson explores how personal authorship and human-made art uphold the free press, provide public accountability, and remain our most powerful tool for human connection.
