We went from about 900 people a day at headquarters down to about 80 and were virtually broadcasting from peoples homes and offices, in terms of the hosts, almost exclusively beginning in April. Our third pillar is to optimize content and meet audiences where they are. Mr. Lansings colleagues attribute the growth to his embrace of digital formats and the understanding of audiences that he gleaned from the private sector. August 20, 2022 August 20th is National Radio Day. And theyre all expected to articulate a DEI goal thats measurable, actionable, and that they can be held accountable for and will be. 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. Ever since you started, you've been very vocal about it. For July, NPRs 60 active shows among them Planet Money, Fresh Air and Wait Wait Dont Tell Me! were downloaded 141 million times and had nearly 21 million listeners in the United States, according to Podtrac. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion of advertising dollars, particularly for NPR podcasts, and the tough financial outlook for the media industry more generally. This is essentially the DEI work writ large, but also our culture of respect, safety, upward mobility, training and making NPR a world-class organization for which to work. "Nothing is nailed down yet except the principles and what we know we have to reach.". While they do not broadcast within the U.S., the Voice of America and the other media outfits Lansing has overseen typically adhere to traditional concepts of factual, nonideological journalism, with the frequent exception of Radio Mart historically an anti-Castro and anti-Cuban communist outlet. But here, Lansing basically jumps over those disclaimers using the lame attribution of private citizen.. He made his mark in his current job with stirring defenses of journalism, free from government interference. Lansing: Lets go back in time. We are different from other federal agencies, said Grant K. Turner, the agencys chief financial officer. John Lansing testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee in July. It all goes back to our mission: serving the American public, recognizing the American public is a diverse mosaic that makes America great and strong, and making sure that we're building systems and content that resonates with all Americans. 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. So hes doubling down on lack of diversity, does that mean he wants his audience to reflect the other half of the country, the conservatives in flyover country? 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. Here's what to do in a worst case scenario. Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. The work of those pillars will be done through the lens of improving our efforts on DEI. I was very pleased to see Code Switch named as Apples top podcast of the year. "And we finally got to the point where there was nothing really that we could cut big enough to fill a hole like that.". Did you plan for this or did it kind of just happen? "When we say we are eliminating filled positions, we are talking about our colleagues - people whose skills, spirit and talents help make NPR what it is today," Lansing wrote in a memo to staff today. David Westin speaks with top names in finance about the week's biggest issues on Wall Street. National Public Radio will reduce its workforce by 10 percent as it grapples with what CEO John Lansing says is a "sharp . So I think thats being offset by some listening through smart speakers and even online, and thats helping to offset some of the reduction in listening within vehicles. NPR To Layoff About 10% Of Current Staff - Deadline John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. 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. You have shows like All Things Considered and Morning Edition, which will continue to be broadcasting tent poles, Mr. Lansing said. NPR has also been the nation's leading producer of podcasts since Podtrac started measuring audiences. So its an ongoing effort. "North Star"] for NPR on my arrival as supporting the diversity, equity, and inclusion of our staff so that we could become more relevant to our audiences and grow the diversity of our audiences. The title of your piece, "Now Is A Time For Truth Telling, For Listening, And For Action," takes a bold stand in defending the urgent work of journalists during this . Within a few weeks, Lansing became convinced that projection would be unreachable. Scripps Networks John F Lansing, National Public Radio Inc: Profile and Biography Or 'How are we doing on the North Star?' Lansing: You have to imagine a picture, if you will. It has become enshrined in our three-year strategic plan as the centerpiece of all of our work. This documentary-style series follows investigative journalists as they uncover the truth. And its something that I think will strengthen the ability for news programming, marketing and member services to be more responsive and to offer greater service to audiences in a more agile way. The union represents 570 people at NPR. Scripps Co., says whenever an economic slowdown appears imminent, marketing budgets get slashed. Current: What challenges have you faced in implementing your DEI plans? Since then,. It's interesting. Current: Companies like Spotify and Amazon have been pouring big money into podcasting. During the Donald Trump administration, he held roles in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and was acting Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Community Planning and Development. NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. The other is the fight for donors. John Lansing '09, former Scripps executive, is new CEO of NPR NPR draws more than 28 million listeners each week and 40 million unique monthly visitors to its website both represent a rise of several million over those five years. Current: What are some of the highlights of that strategic plan? . While serving as chief operating officer, she took on a greater role during two of Mohn's medical leaves and in the aftermath of the sexual harassment scandal. He was responsible for strategic and operational oversight and P&L of the $2.5 billion division of Scripps Networks Interactive, including the company's portfolio of six cable networks Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, DIY, Cooking Channel and Great American Country and the $100 million Scripps Networks Digital division. Instead, Whitney really helped us to buckle down with discipline, understand what's going on, and meet with women of color [in the organization], as we're doing tonight in our executive committee meeting, which we do regularly now. I'm from Minneapolis, and my parents are buried about six blocks from where George Floyd was killed. We collected a lot of data and we have a lot of good follow-up opportunities, and Ill continue to offer myself up as a direct resource in that pilot project. Unlike some predecessors, Lansing doesn't face a particularly fraught political landscape. "We were doing everything we could against the tide and couldn't keep clipping our costs as the revenue kept slipping," Lansing says. Mr. Mohn was pressed about his leadership in a tense NPR interview and later apologized to employees for not taking action sooner. Theres no question about it. John Lansing is taking over for outgoing CEO Jarl Mohn, who has led the organization for . It is intended to align the strategy of its often fractious member stations with one another and NPR itself and to allow NPR, for the first time, to raise money digitally from its audience in concert with those stations. CEO John Lansing says ad revenue for podcasting shriveled even as general economy seems on mend. So mentally, how do you manage that? And weve seen some significant success with that. Our DEI efforts at the beginning of 2020 were not a project or an extracurricular activity; it really became our work. Vox Media cut jobs by 7%; Gannett and Spotify by 6%. NPR Names Veteran Media Executive John Lansing As Its New CEO Lansing also spoke to Current about the challenges of implementing his DEI plans, the organizations financial outlook and his thoughts about the recent controversies at USAGM. It really stretched me to understand that flexibility is a good thing. I would enjoy being on a podcast talking about politics. She also has led initiatives to reform hiring practices and to sweep far more temporary positions into permanent slots, often working closely with the network's chief unions to do so. Chief Executive Officer and Director of the, Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, Florangela Davila to Become KNKX News Director, NPR Hires Noelle LaCharite As VP Digital Technology. NPR Names Veteran Media Executive John Lansing As Its New CEO Its new president and chief executive is John Lansing, a former cable executive who for the last five years has run the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the federally funded organization behind broadcasters like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. We can share resources and story ideas, and we can help organize and support those efforts. 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. 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. US Media Propaganda. Drawing "Liberals" and "Leftists" into the CIA's NPR Names Juana Summers as Co-Host of 'All Things Considered' It didnt begin in the summer it accelerated in the summer. Lansing: Everybodys at a different place with DEI depending on where they stand, whether thats a person who is white and doesnt understand how white privilege has improved their standing in their career in a way that persons of color may have not experienced. And probably the most important accountability is that, first of all, I hold myself accountable with my goals that I report to the board. But were going to continue to follow up on that going into this year. NPR Layoffs: Radio and Podcaster Will Cut 10% of Workforce - The Arcbazar.com. In recent remarks online, Johnson, who is Black, focused on a more competitive landscape for NPR journalists, including people of color. Age: 62, Born on July 31, 1957, in Minneapolis Last fall, when announcing the earlier cuts, Lansing said the network would have to make tough choices - and to "do less with less." Lansing: About 11 months ago, in February, a pilot group of 15 stations got together and put together an 18-month plan to begin the process. Current: NPR and a group of stations started a pilot project around collaborative fundraising in 2019. Lansing: We arent in a position to answer that until we know for sure when the pandemic is going to subside. Applicants to this years fellowship see its cancellation as a setback for journalists of color who want to work in public radio. Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan NPR's search for a new CEO is finally over! He has previously announced he would be staying on as president emeritus to help the network raise major gifts, and along with his wife, Pamela Mohn, he personally committed $10 million to the network. What steps does NPR still need to take in this area? 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? 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. I am still morning the loss of an objective NPR. "I have been an avid fan of NPR for many years. He soon made DEI the top priority at NPR. I think leaders are accountable for walking the walk, for doing what they say they're going to do. Its new president and chief executive is John Lansing, a former cable executive who for the last five years has run the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the federally funded organization behind. There were about 20, 25 different meetings in the course of about 45 days. 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. But also, what are the larger things that are happening? Mohn had promised to attract major contributions to NPR before the end of his tenure; to date he has not landed the major eight- and nine-figure donations his stated aspirations suggested. If it's not being solved from the top down, it shouldn't be a burden for people just trying to build their career. I think we're moving forward. NPR takes only a few million dollars a year from federal sources for its programs. Current: NPRs budget also took a hit because of the pandemic. Or persons of color who are in our organization that are hearing [about] a lot of activity but arent experiencing what they believe they should be experiencing in terms of a workplace where they feel like they can grow and improve their work and improve their careers. I think you have to be willing to take hard questions. Its not a sidebar. And so in late 2019 we began working on a set of priorities for the calendar year 2020 that included promoting Keith Woods to chief diversity officer; putting more energy behind our effort to have 100% sourcing and notating the diversity of our sources; and hiring, leadership, unconscious bias training, et cetera. As I said, its hiring, its emphasis on diversity in leadership, diversity in sources, diversity in voices, diversity in the stories we tell, training around our organization. John Lansing Jr. - Wikipedia Vegas PBS General Manager, Tom Axtell, announces his retirement. 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. We'd like to revisit a story that first broke yesterday and . Faces Of NPR showcases the people behind NPR--from the voices you hear every day on the radio to the ones who work outside of the recording studio. In setting NPR's earlier rounds of budget cuts a couple months ago, Lansing consulted ahead of time with leaders of the unions representing workers at NPR with an eye to avoiding any layoffs. Being selective, having mentors both white and people of color mentors that you can have confidential conversations with and gain some thoughts to help you develop your strategy, standing up for yourself which essentially is what happened at NPR through the climate survey and holding leaders accountable for everything. One thing I would say is, research the places you're looking at to either begin your career or advance your career and understand where they are on these issues. Michael A. McCoy for NPR A federal inspector general's investigation has exonerated six government executives who were suspended last year after raising red flags about actions taken by. "This will be a major loss.". We still remain one of the top, if not the top, podcasters in America. A review by the House Foreign Affairs Committee faulted the agency for insufficient oversight but noted that an internal task force was already having an impact. In an interview, Mr. Lansing called the ads a rogue incident and said it had been corrected. 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. Ever since I've started, I've noticed that you've been very vocal about the need for diversity. To be a part of creating the future of such an important institution is humbling, exciting, and a distinct honor.". "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. Mohn will continue on as President Emeritus & Co-Chair of the 50th Anniversary Campaign. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. Every time I hear it, I think that's a success by itself because we all have that as our guiding light. 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%. NPR faces financial pressures from two fronts. 5 takeaways from the massive layoffs hitting Big Tech right now, the network announced $20 million in cuts, NPR to impose near-freeze on hiring but avoids layoffs as budget cuts loom, NPR chief news executive Nancy Barnes to depart as network reshapes top ranks, January is often a big month for layoffs. Lansing says even that proved overly optimistic. In a memo to. The last time NPR faced such stark choices, it was 2008. An open letter to NPR President John Lansing: Racial justice - Current 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. Reliable Sources: NPR names new chief executive | CNN Business 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. If you had to create a podcast, what would it be about? He is. So sad to lose an American institution to propaganda. "However, when you think how we look out longer term, right, not just for 20 years, but several years out, it's really about building a sustainable financial future for NPR.". Will there be another stimulus? Lansing says the agency referred Haroon Ullah's expenditures to auditors and investigators after travel assistants flagged them; according to the Justice Department statement, Ullah admitted submitting fraudulent receipts for hotel room reimbursements and fake medical claims to get government payments of upgrades in airline seat assignments, among other offenses. "We're not seeing signs of a recovery in the advertising market," Lansing says in an interview. He is a member of the Quinnipiac University School of Communications Advisory Board and the National Board of Advisors of George Washington University's School of Media & Public Affairs. advanced degree - political agility. The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, eliminated its Sunday magazine and a handful of other jobs. So I think that it has caused me to be more tuned in to hearing and understanding our employees. NPR stands stronger than it did at the outset of Mohn's five-year term in 2014. At the center of a graphic is our commitment to DEI, and all of our work in that circle is surrounded by four pillars. Doing that just requires that were putting more emphasis on the diversity of our decision makers, our leadership, our story selection, our source selection. John Ten Eyck Lansing Jr. (January 30, 1754 - vanished December 12, 1829), a Founding Father of the United States, was an attorney, jurist, and politician. An NPR spokeswoman said final decisions on which jobs will be eliminated should occur by the week of March 20. NPR Press Release. Pat O'Donnell, the executive director of the union's Mid-Atlantic unit, could not be reached for comment for this story. It did not drive a lot of immediate donations, but there were some. The ratings for our weekend magazine shows are actually slightly greater than they were a year ago pre-pandemic, so thats a bright spot. ", He continued: "Citizens in countries from Russia to China, from Iran to North Korea, have been victimized for decades. John F. Lansing (he/him) oversees one of the country's most iconic news organizations, whose rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connects with millions of Americans every day on the air, online, and in person. NPR Start Date: Mid October, 2020 CEO John Lansing cited the erosion. Its a real business with real market dynamics.. Faces of NPR: John Lansing : NPR Extra : NPR - NPR.org There was one the year before I was here, then this was the follow-up. Its not something weve baked and were just going to hand it down. Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Acting Chief Business Editor Emily Kopp. The various challenges everybody's having from working at home, for example, you realize that everybody's situation is different when you're working. Trump has notably praised authoritarian figures, including the leaders of North Korea, the Philippines, Russia and Turkey and has waged his own fight against journalists. Now with the magazine shows on weekdays were about 20% behind last year, which is a significant improvement over where we were about eight months ago. Prior to that, Lansing was VP and GM of Scripps ABC affiliates. But second, we're mission-driven, and I think everybody in the organization lives and breathes that mission. Who is the NPR CEO? John Lansing Profile - Public Media Now We saw a lot of companies react to the [murder of] George Floyd and we did too. Lansing: They were for general. NPR Cuts Executive Pay as Corporate Sponsors' Payments Fall Scripps Company, where he managed the company's portfolio of ten broadcast television stations across the country. Yet Mr. Mohns tenure was also marked by a sexual harassment scandal involving a senior news executive whom he had hired and a labor clash with hundreds of union workers. How does the economy react to all of that? In 2019, Joshua Johnson left 1A, a nationally syndicated public affairs show produced by WAMU in Washington, D.C., and distributed by NPR, for MSNBC. Lansing: I dont know how long that may or may not take, but our emphasis right now is on our own internal digital strategy, digital production, digital storytelling. Michael was a senior marketing executive at Scripps for Food Network and HGTV and really brings a lot of media marketing expertise. Discovery, CNN cut hundreds of jobs and killed off its brand-new streaming service, CNN+. So were now into the new fiscal year. He began his career in media at age 17 when he was hired as a studio technician and cameraman for WPSD TV in Kentucky. 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. Prior to joining USAGM, he served for two years as the President and CEO of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), an organization that facilitates collaborative marketing initiatives for its members. All of that is to say that coming out of the reckoning of Memorial Day 2020 was for us and for me, in particular, a call to action internally at NPR to hear and reckon with our own issues internally. NPR NPR has a new CEO. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and 17 international bureaus, NPR and its Member stations are never far from where a story is unfolding. The ratings have tanked because all they talk about is race. The varied broadcasters also offered jazz and other music to appeal to people under communist regimes using a soft form of diplomacy. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. It is our work. NPR's Incoming Chief Dumped $10M In Stock Amid SEC Probe While At Prior Their editorial independence is enshrined in federal law, though it sometimes came under attack. You go to college and all the sudden you're like 'wait a minute, I've got to do something when this is over.' That's a big thing too: having a common understanding of what management's committed to, what the Board supports, the work that's in front of us to live up to it, and ultimately diversifying our audience which leads to the business purpose. Current: How much were those anonymous gifts? NPR CEO Jarl Mohn To Step Down After 5-Year Term Ends In June, Tensions Build In NPR Newsroom Over Handling Of Sexual Harassment Allegations, NPR Announces Newsroom Job Cuts Amid Restructuring. During the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic, NPR was at risk of laying off staff when sponsors canceled their spots on the network, said John Lansing, NPR's chief executive. That was revised as a result. I just think that somebody's truth is the truth. John Lansing , CEO of NPR NPR President John Lansing '09 is Bellarmine's 2021 commencement speaker, Honorary Degree recipient April 22, 2021 NPR P. I had no idea what was out there. Lansing, who is 62, is. Lansing said in an interview with Current Thursday that one of his first observations upon joining NPR was that we needed to double down our efforts in diversity, equity and inclusion. In May 2020, four NPR female hosts of color Garcia-Navarro, King, All Things Considered host Ailsa Chang and Weekend All Things Considered host Michel Martin sent a letter to Lansing . Current: Last year, the SAG-AFTRA union called out NPRs previous failures on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion and asked management to commit to accountability measures. ", "I am thrilled to work with NPR's exceptional management team, staff and journalists," said Lansing. Lansing was most recently the CEO of USAGM, a $800 million dollar independent federal agency that operates on multiple platforms reaching an average weekly audience of 345 million in 61 languages. There are over 1000 NPR Member Station signals broadcasting across the United States What was it like for you to watch that happen? So sad to me. I got this part time job at a TV station to make a little money while I was going to college. But we made a firm commitment, as you know, to freeze station dues and fees. John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. 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.