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. 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. NPR's Michel Martin asks NPR's CEO, John Lansing, to respond to an All Things Considered interview with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. He soon made DEI the top priority at NPR. Lansing: When we look at our strategic plan and our commitment to growing our audience of the future, its clear to us that every corner of NPR has a digital on-demand initiative thats critical to our success and that it makes more sense to have the digital assets closer to the work thats influencing our audiences and growing our audiences. How cool is it to be at NPR? Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world. NPR has tapped longtime media executive John Lansing to become its next president and CEO. Lansing says he remains committed to podcasting "1,000 percent," as well as the network's hallmark news magazines, such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered. It puts a filter on that helps us explain even unpopular decisions, how they link to our mission. So were now into the new fiscal year. Board Memberships & Affiliations. But here, Lansing basically jumps over those disclaimers using the lame attribution of private citizen.. That's something that perceptive journalists should be able to pick up pretty quickly. 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. Coming into public media, which I love, I noticed something that would be unusual in commercial media, in that there really wasnt a great investment in marketing podcasting to outside audiences off of our platforms. "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.". And the pandemic hit six months later in March of '20. Copyright 2023. And theyre all expected to articulate a DEI goal thats measurable, actionable, and that they can be held accountable for and will be. So we took that very, very seriously. As we got to April of last spring, we saw a massive deficit develop for NPR on the order of about $25 million. We can share resources and story ideas, and we can help organize and support those efforts.
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. Last summer, we definitely had a racial reckoning. Current: You came to NPR after serving as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Listeners consider public radio an enriching and enlightening companion; they trust NPR as a daily source of unbiased independent news, and inspiring insights on life and the arts. Lansing: SAG-AFTRA came out with their letter around our September board meeting in 2020. 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. I had no idea what was out there. If it's not being solved from the top down, it shouldn't be a burden for people just trying to build their career. 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. I'm from Minneapolis, and my parents are buried about six blocks from where George Floyd was killed. Last year, the network booked $134 million in such corporate underwriting, a record built on strong growth in podcasting revenue in recent years. I think there's an awareness, like in the way you asked the question about 'our North Star.' Were certainly not over, were not at a finish line. I just think that somebody's truth is the truth. Lansing, who is 62, is currently the chief executive of the government agency that oversees Voice of America, Radio and Television Mart and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, among others. 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. Within a few weeks, Lansing became convinced that projection would be unreachable. Lansing: We arent in a position to answer that until we know for sure when the pandemic is going to subside. Now, he says, it must drum up more creative income sources, like the licensing of the popular show How I Built This to Amazon's streaming services, which he says generates $8 million annually. ", He continued: "Citizens in countries from Russia to China, from Iran to North Korea, have been victimized for decades. Lansing previously held positions overseeing the Scripps Co.'s local television stations and then its national cable channels, which include the Food Network and HGTV, among others. At a young age, my biggest goal at the time was to someday be a news director for a local TV station.
Were working with member stations on topic teams for, say, political reporting or criminal justice reporting across the system. NPR has a new CEO. President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer speak to reporters as they depart the Senate Democrat policy luncheon at the Capitol on March 2. Because when you're all at work, you're all at work, and you go home to your individual situations. What makes you so open and vocal about the need for diversity? 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. 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? 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. But were going to continue to follow up on that going into this year. So I wouldn't create a politics podcast because there are too many, and we have the best one of many already. (On NPR's radio side, advertising takes the form of underwriting, as corporate sponsors are not permitted to call for listeners to purchase goods or services.). Lansing also elevated to chief strategy officer a former U.S. State Department staffer who recently pleaded guilty to having defrauded the U.S. Agency for Global Media out of more than $40,000 in government money in 2018, according to federal prosecutors. 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 the work Keith has been doing long before I got here on diversity in tracking sources and the storytelling that we're doing around the company has really been effective in the area of DEI on radio, podcasting, and digital. America needs public radio more than ever. 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 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. 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. But also, what are the larger things that are happening? Yet the tech and media industries' prospects stand at odds with a tight labor market and low unemployment more broadly. 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. Current: How have your priorities for NPR changed since you became CEO? 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. We had begun a lot of work under [Chief Diversity Officer] Keith Woods' leadership to really move us forward. 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. "And we finally got to the point where there was nothing really that we could cut big enough to fill a hole like that.".
NPR's John Lansing Discusses the Importance of Integrity in Journalism 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. CEO John Lansing discusses NPRs diversity efforts, budget deficit and growing podcast competition. Lansing: I guess I would comment just as a citizen watching from outside.
NPR Cuts Executive Pay as Corporate Sponsors' Payments Fall Podcasting in particular allows NPR to reach audiences that are not necessarily tied to a radio., Paul Haaga, the chairman of NPRs board, said in a statement that Mr. Lansing was a listener and a collaborative leader with a passion for our public service journalistic mission who will help us continue to expand the audience for our storytelling.. 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. Ever since I've started, I've noticed that you've been very vocal about the need for diversity. I had been gone for the better part of a year or so. But after the pandemic hit in mid-March, we got together with our cohort and said, Why wait 18 months? Then I moved on to manage TV stations and cable networks. Lansing: Generally, the numbers that we would like to see in terms of the diversity of our audience were still lagging. Lansing: Lets go back in time. 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. Scripps Networks 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. They lost their objectivity and are now just pushing leftist ideology. The other is the fight for donors. He also vowed to make sure job cuts do not fall disproportionately on employees of color. 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 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. 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. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images A new chief content officer will oversee NPR's news and programming divisions, which have frequently collaborated and almost as frequently clashed over resources and . I think you have to be transparent and be able to explain what you're doing, even if it's unpopular. Prior to that, Lansing was VP and GM of Scripps ABC affiliates. Lansing: We hope to have that completed within about eight to 10 weeks. NPR will cut 10% of its workforce, CEO John Lansing said Wednesday. NPR strives to create a more informed publicone challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. 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. Vox Media cut jobs by 7%; Gannett and Spotify by 6%. He will be the 11th permanent president or chief executive in the radio network's nearly 50-year history. In what ways do you think NPR has forced you to grow, and in what areas are you growing that you weren't before NPR? 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. Board Member. And so that was the way I looked at the future for me. He promises NPR will build on its mission and values but adds, ""This will be a major loss." My story: npr.org NPR says it's cutting jobs by 10% as ad revenue drops Weve seen a gradual comeback. He is credited with restoring morale, in part by naming a noted journalist as head of the Voice of America: Amanda Bennett is a former top news executive at the Philadelphia Inquirer who previously held senior newsroom jobs at Bloomberg News and The Wall Street Journal.
Pompeo Interview Dispute With NPR Sends Conflicting Message on - VOA Courtesy of Allison Shelley for NPR. advanced degree - political agility. I think that's where we all wind up. I joined in October of '19. "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. 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. How is it a priority? Lansing: They were for general. Or 'How are we doing on the North Star?' It was about a $3 million cost to NPR for the fiscal year. "He is a listener and a collaborative leader with a passion for our public service journalistic mission who will help us continue to expand the audience for our storytelling. 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. If we don't get this right, then our audience of the next 50 years will lack the diversity that would give it the ability to grow and thrive and prosper and even survive. So its an ongoing effort. 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. How do you think that the North Star, the strategic initiative, is going? Lansing's tenure at the agency has not been without controversy. Weve also seen very positive upticks in development. He served for four years as the SVP, Television for the E.W. hide caption. 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.. But we made a firm commitment, as you know, to freeze station dues and fees. 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.
An open letter to NPR President John Lansing: Racial justice - Current I think leaders are accountable for walking the walk, for doing what they say they're going to do. And so I had a very visceral reaction to that happening in my hometown, and that it was so egregious the murder of an innocent person captured on video, on a phone. 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. All of those underlying effects generally lead to whatever effects were going to have in corporate sponsorship. "Your mobility becomes extremely important to be involved and connected to audiences that are mobile and that tend to be, frankly, younger and, as we think of it at USAGM, future leaders, who can influence the rise of free and open societies.". Lansing: When I came in in 2019, my earliest observation was that our biggest issue was the lack of diversity in our audience, and I felt that we needed to double down our efforts in DEI throughout our organization in order to fulfill the promise to reflect the entire American public in terms of what America looks like.
NPR hosts' departures fuel questions over race. The full story is And were pleased to work with them. Applicants to this years fellowship see its cancellation as a setback for journalists of color who want to work in public radio. NPR, the public radio giant that employs hundreds of journalists, is about to get a new chief executive. John Lansing, NPR's President and CEO, defended Kelly last weekend during an interview on NPR's All Things Considered program, saying that Kelley "is one of the most respected, truthful . 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. "We're not seeing signs of a recovery in the advertising market," Lansing says in an interview. And its tied to the same variables you would know yourselves, which is, how fast can the vaccines be deployed? Unlike some predecessors, Lansing doesn't face a particularly fraught political landscape.
NPR - Wikipedia Current: How else might NPR assist stations in the coming year? Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnlansing. 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. There was one the year before I was here, then this was the follow-up. A member of the Republican Party, Gibbs was a software engineer and missionary before entering politics. It's not just what happened this week on the Hill, although that's important. Just be tuned into our folks. So we were pleased to see SAG-AFTRA join our efforts. Essentially, the success of the company falls in your hands. Current: NPRs budget also took a hit because of the pandemic. In these comments, John Lansing slides by with a public swipe at the Trump
David Folkenflik on Twitter: "News: NPR to lay off about 10 percent of Experts say the behavior could have constituted insider trading. We established management commitments to the women of color so that we address specifically their concerns. Pat O'Donnell, the executive director of the union's Mid-Atlantic unit, could not be reached for comment for this story. ", Lansing, formerly a top television executive for the E.W. The only route to a successful engagement on this issue is to deal with it, to talk about it, and to take action. We'd like to revisit a story that first broke yesterday and . Current: Companies like Spotify and Amazon have been pouring big money into podcasting. Were finishing up in the next two to three weeks the specific lists of actions and activities under these pillars.
NPR Layoffs: Radio and Podcaster Will Cut 10% of Workforce - The The budget for the new fiscal year is set below last years actual based on our forecasts on continued downward pressure on corporate sponsorship. And be a good listener. Did you plan for this or did it kind of just happen? And I would do a board-level review for the donor or donors as to where the business was, the value of the work we were doing, the things we were adding in terms of covering the pandemic. It was hard for everyone. As we moved through the summer, that deficit remained at about $25 million. 2016 John Lansing leading a moderated a discussion with the members of the International Media Coordinating Council (ICC) about a unified strategy for the future.
John Lansing Email & Phone Number - National Pu.. | ZoomInfo Being a changemaker is awesome, but can have its own challenges as you're just trying to improve your career. He served on the Bellarmine University Board of Trustees from 2010-2016 and was vice-chair 2014-2016. Way back when, I was a news cameraman. NPR takes only a few million dollars a year from federal sources for its programs. For two years, he served as the president and CEO of a cable trade group called the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing. The first pillar is to expand the power of the national-local partnership into the on-demand future. 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. Current: How much were those anonymous gifts? Our DEI efforts at the beginning of 2020 were not a project or an extracurricular activity; it really became our work. So those are the four pillars that rotate around the centerpiece, we call it the North Star, of our commitment to DEI. Lansing: That was conducted back in September. Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. That was revised as a result. You go to college and all the sudden you're like 'wait a minute, I've got to do something when this is over.' Were still looking at a deficit, but were hopeful that by the time we get into March, well have a pretty clear-eyed view of how the year is going to end up. Live from. David Westin speaks with top names in finance about the week's biggest issues on Wall Street. 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. 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. Scripps Co., says whenever an economic slowdown appears imminent, marketing budgets get slashed. The staffing cut, which will cost at least 100 people their jobs, comes in response to the "erosion" of advertising revenue, particularly for the network's podcasts, NPR reported. I'm kind of a politics junkie. According to Nielsen data supplied by NPR, its programs and newscasts had an overall audience of 27.4 million in spring 2019.