First, we're a nonprofit. "When I think of NPR and I think of the member stations collectively, I think really of journalism as a public service, not tied to a profit motive," Lansing told NPR News. Everybody at NPR knows exactly what you mean when you say, 'What's our North Star?' Here's what to do in a worst case scenario. So sad to me. I have a negative reaction to what is fundamentally unfair in life, whether it be pay equity, promotions and advancement, training and hiring, or making sure leadership represents people of color and our staff. Lansing: I guess I would comment just as a citizen watching from outside. Yet Lansing also takes over an institution riven by a scandal that hit its top reaches, with a chief news executive toppled over #MeToo complaints of inappropriate conduct toward female subordinates and colleagues. I think you have to be willing to take hard questions. hide caption. NPR's chief executive announced the network would lay off roughly 10% of its current workforce at least 100 people and eliminate most vacant positions. Government support for the public radio system isn't in any immediate jeopardy. Lansing Last year brought a host of challenges to NPR: a multimillion-dollar deficit, calls for changes in its workplace culture and a hit to broadcast listening. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly. Mr. Lansing will start in October, replacing Jarl Mohn, who has run NPR since 2014. I dont know if youve been on the highway recently, but theres a lot more traffic on the highway today than there would have been last May and June. Let's say, I was walking out of high school into college, I had no idea what I was going to do. Weve had a couple of significant anonymous gifts that have helped shore up our forecast for the coming fiscal year. Video Snippet All of those underlying effects generally lead to whatever effects were going to have in corporate sponsorship. This is simply disingenuous. I'm from Minneapolis, and my parents are buried about six blocks from where George Floyd was killed. Its pretty clear to me that the ratings decline in radio is driven by commuting patterns. August 20, 2022 August 20th is National Radio Day. The streaming platform Spotify paid nearly a quarter-billion dollars to buy the podcast producer Gimlet, founded by former staffers of NPR and other public radio outlets. NPR will cut 10% of its workforce, CEO John Lansing said Wednesday. Learn more at npr.org/about or by following NPR Extra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. NPR has a new CEO. Lansing: That was conducted back in September. A graduate of Bellarmine University, he was named to the Bellarmine University Gallery of Distinguished Graduates in 2010. Why did you undertake this? hide caption. The budget for the new fiscal year is set below last years actual based on our forecasts on continued downward pressure on corporate sponsorship. NPR was seen to align itself with federal workers at VOA who essentially conducted an internal uprising on government time, while NPR made quite clear in its coverage where it stood. We still remain one of the top, if not the top, podcasters in America. From 2015 to 2019, Lansing served as the CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the independent federal agency whose programming reaches an average weekly audience of 345 million people in 62 languages. In a memo to. We saw a lot of companies react to the [murder of] George Floyd and we did too. I just think we have a special and unique thing as a company. The newsroom currently stands at just shy of 490 people, while programming has shot up to 230. I subscribe to the notion of leadership as a servant leader, that the role of leaders is to support the team to do their best work. John Lansing, president and CEO Chair of the NPR Foundation John McGinn Public members of the board Carlos Alvarez, CEO, The Gambrinus Company Fred Dust, designer, speaker, and consultant Paul G. Haaga Jr., retired, Capital Research and Management Company - Chairman of the NPR Board of Directors My top goal is to support the women of color at NPR so that they feel like they have more upward mobility.. Lansing clearly had an ongoing interest in the USAGM story and the notion that that at some point along the line he did not provide his take, at minimum, to NPR reporting staff, on the story beggars belief. It is our work. ", Lansing, formerly a top television executive for the E.W. This time, Lansing says he is not confident the money will return anytime soon, so the network and its board have to plan more strategically. I will say in the last three or four weeks weve seen a little bit of an uptick in a positive way on corporate sponsorship. It's not an extracurricular activity; it's fundamental to our business. But we made a firm commitment, as you know, to freeze station dues and fees. No. I think we're moving forward. We couldnt be more proud of the quality and the depth of the journalism thats coming from the member stations, and it really has strengthened the entire system enormously. I think that's where we all wind up. NPR's programming division, which produces its industry-leading podcasts, has more than doubled since 2019. The network had run deficits in six of the seven previous years; under Mohn, it has achieved a slight surplus for each year during his tenure, even as the annual budget grew by more than 40%. Well, I'm fortunate that we have a terrific executive committee and leadership team, so we all share the daily ins and outs of managing a big organization. Current: Is there a timeline for that process? Last summer, we definitely had a racial reckoning. And The New York Times has won praise and new fans through its weekday podcast The Daily, with in-depth interviews of reporters and newsmakers. Current: Companies like Spotify and Amazon have been pouring big money into podcasting. NPR strives to create a more informed publicone challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. And its tied to the same variables you would know yourselves, which is, how fast can the vaccines be deployed? That with a combination of expense cuts, including our employees and our management all taking voluntary pay cuts and benefit cuts, helped close that deficit gap. Our third pillar is to optimize content and meet audiences where they are. Now Lansing says he wants to draw on the intellectual and creative impulses of his new staffers as he leads a domestic journalistic powerhouse with an international reputation and reach. There's always going to be things here and there that have to be worked out, because that's just the way a company is, but I've never been in a company before where it was so understood that we're here to serve the American people. A later report commissioned by the NPR board found that questions had been raised about Oreskes' behavior even before his hiring and that concerns were raised throughout his tenure; the repeated and formal warnings by top executives (including Mohn) to Oreskes to stop the unwanted attention he paid to female colleagues proved ineffective. Londons Investment Appeal Is Unraveling as Arm Heads to the US, Climate Change Is Launching a MutantSeed Space Race, British Parents Turn to Home Equity to Help Young Buy Property, Sorry, Fed, Most US Mortgage Rates Were Locked in During Pandemic Lows, Fed Says MoreRate Hikes Are Needed to Curb Inflation, Mitsubishi Signs $1.9b Commuter Rail Deal With Manila: Nikkei, Amazon Is Closing Its Cashierless Stores in NYC, San Francisco and Seattle, US-Sanctioned Huawei Makes a Show of Force at Mobile Conference, The UK Is Using Drones to Prosecute Small-Boat Migrant Smugglers, Russia Is Getting Round Sanctions to Secure Supply of Key Chips for Ukraine War, Philippine governor killed by gunmen while meeting villagers, An Emboldened Rishi Sunak Gets Ready to Fight His Own Party Over Taxes, Harrods Shrugs Off Recession Fears as Rich Get Richer, FT Says, Wealthy NYC Family Feuds Over $258 Million Madison Avenue Sale, Tom Sizemore, 'Saving Private Ryan' Actor, Dies at 61, The Exhibit Reality TV Show PittingArtist Against ArtistIs No Masterpiece, Matt HancockWhatsApp LeakExposes theNeed for Covid Justice, Brexit Might Have Been Prevented With Deals Like This, Video Roundup: Opinions Must-See Footage of the Week, YellowstoneBackers Wanted to Cash OutThen the Streaming Bubble Burst, How Countries Leading on Early Years of Child Care Get It Right, Female Execs Are Exhausted, Frustrated and Heading for the Exits, No Major Offer Expected on Childcare in UK Budget, Biden Gives Medal of Honor to Trailblazing Special Forces Member, UK Braces for Rare Weather Event That Risks Late-Winter Freeze, Panic Over Metals for EVs Goes All the Way to Automakers C-Suites, What Do You Want to See in a Covid Memorial? I remember we had several all-staff discussions about a variety of issues that branched off of that, including the Code of Conduct, for example, as it relates to NPR employees at public demonstrations. "I don't anticipate that it would be like a haircut across every division, because that's just not management," Lansing says. September 5, 2019; Washington, D.C. The NPR Board of Directors announced today that it selected John Lansing to become its next President and Chief Executive Officer. "Nothing is nailed down yet except the principles and what we know we have to reach.". And for those stations that were scheduled to have a reduction, we allowed those reductions to go forward with a floor of 3% so that nobodys dues went up. "A really important strategic vector that we'll be talking about more within the company going forward is maximizing the value of the content wherever it can live and wherever the audience demands it," NPR Chief Operating Officer Will Lee says in an interview. So I wouldn't create a politics podcast because there are too many, and we have the best one of many already. Mohn placed an emphasis on fostering a more collaborative dynamic with the public radio stations that NPR serves and was given credit for making progress on that score. After becoming part of Warner Bros. At the U.S. Agency for Global Media known until last year as the Broadcasting Board of Governors he presided over 53 percent growth in the weekly audience for the agencys networks over the last three years, to 345 million. Tech companies that also rely heavily on advertising are undergoing layoffs too. And as a CEO, and also as a white man, I want to know, how did you handle it when all eyes were on you? NPR's chief executive announced the network would lay off roughly 10% of its current workforce - at least 100 people - and eliminate most vacant positions. Ever since you started, you've been very vocal about it. Vox Media cut jobs by 7%; Gannett and Spotify by 6%. I think as a white man, I know and have experienced that feeling of trepidation on discussions on issues of race, because there's an inherent fear that somebody is going to have a negative point of view about you. "Bloomberg Opinion" columnists offer their opinions on issues in the news. Current: With broadcast listening declining during the pandemic, what is NPR doing to address and adjust to those trends? That survey happened in the fall of 2020. 2017-2022. Lansing is a veteran executive and journalist who has spent decades leading complex media companies in growing their relevance and reach, while strengthening their business operations. Lansing says he does not yet know who within NPR will be affected, but said the job cuts would not fall evenly across the organization. Their editorial independence is enshrined in federal law, though it sometimes came under attack. In an interview on Friday, Mr. Lansing, 62, praised NPR as a home of high-quality journalism and audio production, and said that in addition to supporting traditional radio broadcasting he wanted to help NPR further its expansion into areas like podcasts, where the radio network has already been a leader. He began his career in media at age 17 when he was hired as a studio technician and cameraman for WPSD TV in Kentucky. Today, we feature John Lansing, CEO of NPR. Lansing started his news industry career at age 17 as a studio technician and cameraman at WPSD TV, Paducah, KY, where he was promoted to news photographer after two years. I, and the management team, all of us, we determined that was going to be a priority for the year 2021. This documentary-style series follows investigative journalists as they uncover the truth. The work theyve done during the pandemic has been nothing short of miraculous in many cases, particularly given the summer of racial reckoning, the most unusual presidential election in memory and everything thats gone on since. Scripps Company, where he managed the company's portfolio of ten broadcast television stations across the country. I think there are interesting trends to follow and try to understand. Harvard Kennedy School. The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, eliminated its Sunday magazine and a handful of other jobs. Disclosure: This story was reported by NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik under guidance from NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi. Last year, however, the U.S. Agency for Global Media came under fire when it emerged that it had bought Facebook ads targeting American citizens, in violation of laws meant to protect Americans from domestic propaganda. Last year brought a host of challenges to NPR: a multimillion-dollar deficit, calls for changes in its workplace culture and a hit to broadcast listening. But were going to continue to follow up on that going into this year. Current: You recently made some changes to NPRs digital strategy by moving to integrate digital operations into divisions throughout the organization.This also includes eliminating the role of chief digital officer held by Thomas Hjelm at the end of February. How is it a priority? To be a part of creating the future of such an important institution is humbling, exciting, and a distinct honor.". He was promoted to news photographer after two years, then moved on to managing editor, news director, and leadership of commercial television affiliates around the country. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Public Media Now was created to be a centralized source of information and resources to help professional within Public Media be more successful. Talk about a force of nature. Current: When was the climate survey conducted? Were working with member stations on topic teams for, say, political reporting or criminal justice reporting across the system. Because when you're all at work, you're all at work, and you go home to your individual situations. The emphasis, he says, must be on drawing in "the future audience to make NPR sustainable for the next 50 years. The varied broadcasters also offered jazz and other music to appeal to people under communist regimes using a soft form of diplomacy. "I want to hear the ideas that are bubbling underneath right now and what people are excited about, what they're looking forward to developing," Lansing said Thursday. We can share resources and story ideas, and we can help organize and support those efforts. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Yet the tech and media industries' prospects stand at odds with a tight labor market and low unemployment more broadly. But it was not from a standing start. Lansing, who is 62, is. Way back when, I was a news cameraman. If you had to create a podcast, what would it be about? In a private meeting on Thursday President Biden informed Senate Democrats that he will not use his veto power to block a GOP-led effort to repeal D.C.'s new crime law. Our goal of developing our audience as a younger and more diverse audience requires that we invest in marketing, we invest in content, and we partner with platforms where those audiences can be found rather than expecting younger and more diverse audiences to come to our platforms, necessarily. That was due largely to reductions in corporate sponsorship and also additional expenses we were incurring in supporting our employees with paid time off, as we adjusted to the new working arrangements and the stresses that we were all under and also the additional expense of cleaning the headquarters multiple times a day on certain occasions. It really stretched me to understand that flexibility is a good thing. I think you have to be transparent and be able to explain what you're doing, even if it's unpopular. The ratings for our weekend magazine shows are actually slightly greater than they were a year ago pre-pandemic, so thats a bright spot.. John Lansing, a veteran government broadcast and cable television executive, has been selected by NPR's corporate board to succeed its current chief, Jarl Mohn. NPR faces financial pressures from two fronts. Current: Can you be more specific about what that looks like in terms of how you reach people who may not already know about NPRs podcasts? What makes you so open and vocal about the need for diversity? Leading the organization through it all is CEO John Lansing, a longtime media executive who has been on the job since October 2019. But thats our commitment. Mayor is said to be staying on at the network as a top executive and deputy to Lansing, retaining the enhanced portfolio she took on after Mohn's health crises. Last fall, when announcing the earlier cuts, Lansing said the network would have to make tough choices - and to "do less with less." "What you really want to do is be connected to people that are consuming content on something they're holding in their hand, and aren't necessarily tied to a TV set on a wall or a radio in a living room," Lansing said. Lansing: They were for general. Lansing describes himself as a citizen watching from the outside A private citizen? I'd say if there's anything that I focused on, and still am focused on during the pandemic, it is to make sure that whatever the situation is, we are supporting staff to do their best work, supporting them when they're having other challenges and making sure that we're attentive and tuned in to employees that need help, that need a break, that need to be heard, whatever that may be. Current: Do you have any examples of how digital operations would be integrated into divisions throughout the organization? And it gives the lie to NPRs claim, through disclaimers, that it is simply reporting on its own the implication of the disclaimer being that there is no editorial control or direction from the CEO. NPR Selects Voice of America Boss as Its New Leader, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/06/business/media/npr-john-lansing.html. Lansing says even that proved overly optimistic. NPR will cut 10% of its workforce, CEO John Lansing said Wednesday. hide caption. "We were doing everything we could against the tide and couldn't keep clipping our costs as the revenue kept slipping," Lansing says. "Jarl would be the first to say that it is the area where he feels that his work was not complete," Sheikholeslami said. Scripps Company, Held senior management positions at Scripps-owned affiliates, including WEWS TV in Cleveland, Ohio and WXYZ TV in Detroit, Michigan, Early in his career Award-winning Photojournalist and Field Producer, Assignment Manager, Managing Editor, and News Director at several television stations. He was previously head of cable TV company Scripps Networks, where he sold $10 million in stock after the company became the target of an SEC probe that was not known to the public. I'm just passionate about how good leadership can lead to good outcomes, and that led me here. Or 'How are we doing on the North Star?' Its not a sidebar. Current: Did anything else stand out to you in that survey that you believe needed attention and needs attention?