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. 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 cut short the unwanted attention he paid to female colleagues proved ineffective. I think there are interesting trends to follow and try to understand. Ever since you started, you've been very vocal about it. At Colorado Public Radio, I think there was a $300,000 donation that came out of that. Dear NPR President John Lansing, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for the powerful letter you wrote to NPR staff and the public about the horrific extrajudicial killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Weve also seen very positive upticks in development. 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. 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. Vegas PBS General Manager, Tom Axtell, announces his retirement. At a young age, my biggest goal at the time was to someday be a news director for a local TV station. I think that's where we all wind up. So sad to me. "We managed to get through that year, tough as it was, and to end the year break even," Mr. Lansing said. 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. We established management commitments to the women of color so that we address specifically their concerns. It puts a filter on that helps us explain even unpopular decisions, how they link to our mission. 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. Lansing will start in his new position in mid-October. And what a breath of fresh air Whitney brings into the organization. Current: When was the climate survey conducted? Were working with them to do joint investigative reporting. Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. Bloomberg Markets European Close. 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. He held off a push by House Republicans to spin off Voice of America into a nongovernmental broadcaster. The other is the fight for donors. Video Snippet And I want to look for areas that I can provide leadership to bring resources together as needed strategically to find the right priorities that make the most sense for growing NPR this year and then into the future.. So mentally, how do you manage that? 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. Weve seen significant growth in Code Switch, in Louder Than a Riot, in Sam Sanders podcast [Its Been a Minute], in part because for the first time in a while, were really investing in marketing support for those podcasts. The combination of his health issues plus the situation with Mike Oreskes did derail his plans.. 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. So I wouldn't create a politics podcast because there are too many, and we have the best one of many already. Lansing, who is 62, is currently CEO of the government agency that oversees Voice of America, Radio and Television Marti, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, among others. 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 joined NPR after serving as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. 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 did a climate survey of our employees, and we learned about a particular weak spot for us with women of color at NPR who didn't feel it was a place to grow their career, a place to be their whole selves, a place where they are seen and respected. No. 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. The Lookout is a free, daily email newsletter with news and happenings from all over Colorado. 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. That said, Mohn set higher annual expectations for the network in fund-raising and agreed to be co-chairman of its 50th anniversary capital campaign. So its an ongoing effort. It might come from my journalistic roots, and I think other journalists would say the same thing, I deal [with] and honor the truth. What we now call the North Star of our strategic plan is our DEI efforts as it filters through everything that we do with all of our work. Mohn led NPR through five consecutive years of audience growth and budget surplus. John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. Lansing also spent almost 20 years working at Scripps, including eight years as President of Scripps Networks. And I had a lot of interest in how my former team was being treated, but more importantly, just as an American citizen, how the work of USAGM through VOA [Voice of America] and RFE/RL [Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] was threatening to undermine the interests of the United States government by politicizing journalism that was meant by law to be free of political interference. The roots of the VOA involved providing truthful reports to people under Nazi and Axis power rule during World War Two. Mr. Lansing, who began his career as a teenage cameraman at a television station in Kentucky, spent two decades at Scripps Networks. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion. 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. I think we're moving forward. 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, non-ideological journalism, with the frequent exception of Radio Marti historically an anti-Castro and anti-Cuban communist outlet. Job cuts throughout. NPR's rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans everydayon the air, online, and in person. While member stations on average receive about 10 percent of their funding from the federal government, fees from the stations make up a significant part of the NPR budget. In 2017, Michael Oreskes, NPRs senior vice president for news, left after two women accused him of unwanted physical advances in the 1990s, when he was the Washington bureau chief of The New York Times. 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. We can share resources and story ideas, and we can help organize and support those efforts. I thought, wow. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. I think there's an awareness, like in the way you asked the question about 'our North Star.' 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. "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. promoting Keith Woods to chief diversity officer, regional newsrooms in Texas and California and the Midwest and in the Gulf, I brought in Michael Smith as our new chief marketing officer, looking to sell the Pocket Casts podcast app, Suspension of NPRs Kroc fellowships disrupts talent development, career plans of student journalists. 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. 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'll find out about what they do and what they're inspired by on the daily. While member stations on average receive about 10% of their funding from the federal government, fees from the stations make up a significant part of the NPR budget. "I have been an avid fan of NPR for many years. hide caption. "We are delighted to welcome John, whose deep experience as a media industry executive and practicing journalist make him ideally suited to lead NPR into its next chapter," said Paul Haaga, Chair of the NPR board. hide caption. It has become enshrined in our three-year strategic plan as the centerpiece of all of our work. John Lansing testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee in July. But thats our commitment. People, given the opportunity, will do the right thing in a way that hopefully makes them want to be here for a long time. Lansing served for ten years as a visiting faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. Everybody at NPR knows exactly what you mean when you say, 'What's our North Star?' Government support for the public radio system isn't in any immediate jeopardy. John Lansing - Quick Profile. 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. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. Lansing has earned an advanced degree in political agility. 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. All Rights Reserved. So at the end of the day, its a commitment, but this also has to be accountability. John Lansing is a former Obama appointee who was named president and CEO of NPR on Thursday. (Podcast). Their editorial independence is enshrined in federal law, though it sometimes came under attack. Being a changemaker is awesome, but can have its own challenges as you're just trying to improve your career. NPR stands stronger than it did at the outset of Mohns five-year term in 2014. Why did you undertake this? It began to improve a little bit as we moved into August and September, as corporate sponsorships began to recover a little bit. Fear drives their path. Mr. Lansing rejected that accusation, saying that the agency was independent by law. Under standard procedures for reporting on NPR matters, NPRs corporate and news executives were not allowed to review what they reported until it was posted. But second, we're mission-driven, and I think everybody in the organization lives and breathes that mission. 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. If you had to create a podcast, what would it be about? Current: With broadcast listening declining during the pandemic, what is NPR doing to address and adjust to those trends? 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. We discovered in our most recent climate survey that that was an area that we needed to put more effort into. Diversity is the North Star of a newly implemented strategic plan, Lansing said, because it filters through everything that we do with all of our work.. We're funded by your subscriptions, your donations, advertising, and a generous grant from the Wyncote Foundation. Its something that we certainly support. Just be tuned into our folks. 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. So we were pleased to see SAG-AFTRA join our efforts. NPR has a new CEO. 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. Lansing: I guess I would comment just as a citizen watching from outside. Applicants to this years fellowship see its cancellation as a setback for journalists of color who want to work in public radio. Required fields are marked *. NPR has a new CEO. 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