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. 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. The first pillar is to expand the power of the national-local partnership into the on-demand future. John F Lansing, National Public Radio Inc: Profile and Biography - Bloomberg Markets Live Now Bloomberg TV+ Bloomberg Daybreak Middle East Bloomberg Daybreak Middle East. As we moved through the summer, that deficit remained at about $25 million. "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. NPR Laying Off 10 Percent of Its Workforce - townhall.com Our third pillar is to optimize content and meet audiences where they are. When you first got to NPR, what did you think? A number of executives will report directly to Lansing, including Nancy Barnes, senior vice president for news and editorial director, who joined NPR last November and oversees the network's newsroom. 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. 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. Pat O'Donnell, the executive director of the union's Mid-Atlantic unit, could not be reached for comment for this story. NPR Selects Voice of America Boss as Its New Leader An NPR spokeswoman said final decisions on which jobs will be eliminated should occur by the week of March 20. The union represents 570 people at NPR. 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 I think you have to be willing to take hard questions. NPR takes only a few million dollars a year from federal sources for its programs. 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? 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. Current: NPR and a group of stations started a pilot project around collaborative fundraising in 2019. I thought, wow. 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. 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. 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. During 2021, we worked on that with Keith and with Diversity and Inclusion Manager Whitney Maddox. Current: When was the climate survey conducted? But here, Lansing basically jumps over those disclaimers using the lame attribution of private citizen.. 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. Yet the tech and media industries' prospects stand at odds with a tight labor market and low unemployment more broadly. Fearing a tepid economy, Lansing and his corporate team projected that revenue would stay flat for the fiscal year that began October 1. Lansing: Thats a great question. 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. But my goals also go to all of my direct reports. 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. 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. I think that's where we all wind up. What do you think are some characteristics of good leadership? CEO John Lansing discusses NPRs diversity efforts, budget deficit and growing podcast competition. NPR chief news executive Nancy Barnes to depart as network reshapes top 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. 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 has earned an advanced degree in political agility. "In terms of mission, understanding of media, the depth of experience, his strategic leadership, his commitment to people and culture, I would say those were really the key things that we were looking for," said Goli Sheikholeslami, vice chairwoman of the NPR board of directors and CEO of Chicago Public Media. John Lansing , CEO of NPR NPR President John Lansing '09 is Bellarmine's 2021 commencement speaker, Honorary Degree recipient April 22, 2021 NPR P. 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. 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. President Biden will allow Congress to overturn new D.C. crime law Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. Were finishing up in the next two to three weeks the specific lists of actions and activities under these pillars. 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. They lost their objectivity and are now just pushing leftist ideology. Vox Media cut jobs by 7%; Gannett and Spotify by 6%. NPR will cut 10% of its workforce, CEO John Lansing said Wednesday. 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. 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. 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. Lansing has won plaudits from journalists for his rousing defense of a free press even while serving in the Trump administration, which has been notably hostile to traditional notions of the role of journalism in civic life. NPR Names Veteran Media Executive John Lansing As Its New CEO It began to improve a little bit as we moved into August and September, as corporate sponsorships began to recover a little bit. To be a part of creating the future of such an important institution is humbling, exciting, and a distinct honor.". This is simply disingenuous. Being a changemaker is awesome, but can have its own challenges as you're just trying to improve your career. Last summer, we definitely had a racial reckoning. Scripps Networks Lansing: They were for general. And our number one goal is to improve our audience diversity. Unlike some predecessors, Lansing doesn't face a particularly fraught political landscape. 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. NPR Names Veteran Media Executive John Lansing As Its New CEO For several years, it eliminated salary increases and suspended retirement contributions. 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. "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. 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. Its an inclusive process. I think we're moving forward. But an example of that one that weve already created is the Consider This podcast, which is just a terrific example of taking the national-local partnership into the on-demand future. 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. ", "I am thrilled to work with NPR's exceptional management team, staff and journalists," said Lansing. Copyright 2023. Lansing has also put significant stock into what he calls the NPR Network, which calls for greater unity of coverage and digital initiatives, such as newsletters, streaming, podcasts and more. He made his mark in his current job with stirring defenses of journalism, free from government interference.