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. Our DEI efforts at the beginning of 2020 were not a project or an extracurricular activity; it really became our work. David Folkenflik on Twitter: "News: NPR to lay off about 10 percent of NPR hosts' departures fuel questions over race. The full story is John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. 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. I think you have to be transparent and be able to explain what you're doing, even if it's unpopular. NPR Mr. Lansings colleagues attribute the growth to his embrace of digital formats and the understanding of audiences that he gleaned from the private sector. 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. hide caption. 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. 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. 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. All rights reserved. After Lansing hopped over to NPR from USAGM in 2019, NPR had to be prompted by outside critics to include disclaimers on its USAGM/VOA stories to note Lansings past USAGM role. We'd like to revisit a story that first broke yesterday and . And weve seen some significant success with that. 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. 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. I joined in October of '19. 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. Current: How have your priorities for NPR changed since you became CEO? Because when you're all at work, you're all at work, and you go home to your individual situations. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. And my top goal is to support, in particular, the women of color at NPR so that they feel like they have more upward mobility. Ever since I've started, I've noticed that you've been very vocal about the need for diversity. The ratings have tanked because all they talk about is race. Certainly in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder on Memorial Day weekend, our efforts accelerated and we doubled down on communication, training and listening. NPR hosts' departures fuel questions over race. The full story is So were now into the new fiscal year. NPR Laying Off 10 Percent of Its Workforce - townhall.com The network has won acclaim for its coverage of wars and disasters, yet suffered its own crisis and tragedy in 2016 when its David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna were killed while on assignment in southern Afghanistan. Follow Bloomberg reporters as they uncover some of the biggest financial crimes of the modern era. What advice would you give to young journalists of color when navigating these white spaces, but attempting to make a change? Yet the tech and media industries' prospects stand at odds with a tight labor market and low unemployment more broadly. We've made some good forward progress around hiring, with requiring that our hiring panels be diverse, requiring that our finalists have diverse representation at a minimum, but of course there's no maximum, in terms of a list of finalists. President Biden will allow Congress to overturn new D.C. crime law Weve seen a gradual comeback. advanced degree - political agility. It's not just what happened this week on the Hill, although that's important. Born and raised in Albany, New York, Lansing was trained as a lawyer, and was long involved in politics and government.During the American Revolution he was military secretary to General Philip Schuyler. LANSING, John, Jr., (Uncle of Gerrit Yates Lansing), a Delegate from New York; born in Albany, N.Y., January 30, 1754; studied law in Albany and in New York City; was admitted to the bar in 1775; secretary to General Schuyler 1776 and 1777; engaged in the practice of law in Albany in 1778; member of the State assembly 1781-1784, 1786, and 1789, and served as speaker in 1786 and 1789; Member of . And how's that being measured and accounted for? 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. During that financial crisis, NPR shut down shows and laid off scores of people. And its tied to the same variables you would know yourselves, which is, how fast can the vaccines be deployed? Lansing: I guess I would comment just as a citizen watching from outside. 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? There are over 1000 NPR Member Station signals broadcasting across the United States Mohn led NPR through five consecutive years of audience growth and budget surplus. But also, what are the larger things that are happening? And our work began then. 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. John Lansing , CEO of NPR NPR President John Lansing '09 is Bellarmine's 2021 commencement speaker, Honorary Degree recipient April 22, 2021 NPR P. Leading the organization through it all is CEO John Lansing, a longtime media executive who has been on the job since October 2019. Were certainly not over, were not at a finish line. Copyright 2023. He joined NPR after serving as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. 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. You go to college and all the sudden you're like 'wait a minute, I've got to do something when this is over.' We established management commitments to the women of color so that we address specifically their concerns. Doing that just requires that were putting more emphasis on the diversity of our decision makers, our leadership, our story selection, our source selection. I had no idea what was out there. 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 hide caption. During the pandemic, NPR sidestepped layoffs through temporary cuts to pay and retirement contributions, distributed with an eye to shielding less well-paid employees, so they were most sharply felt by the most highly compensated staffers and executives. He won praise for doing so and says he informed leaders of SAG-AFTRA on Tuesday about the impending job cuts. This is an edited transcript of the conversation among Lansing, Current Reporter Tyler Falk and Digital Editor Mike Janssen. 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 . NPR Names Juana Summers as Co-Host of 'All Things Considered' 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. He is passionate about NPR's public service mission and the role of a free and independent media in a strong democracy. So sad to lose an American institution to propaganda. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. ", "I am thrilled to work with NPR's exceptional management team, staff and journalists," said Lansing. 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. Unlike some predecessors, Lansing doesn't face a particularly fraught political landscape. NPR stands stronger than it did at the outset of Mohn's five-year term in 2014. 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 Vegas PBS General Manager, Tom Axtell, announces his retirement. 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 announces layoffs, cutting jobs by 10% as ad revenue drops : NPR Lansing: Lets go back in time. This is simply disingenuous. To be a part of creating the future of such an important institution is humbling, exciting, and a distinct honor.". Vox Media cut jobs by 7%; Gannett and Spotify by 6%. "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. After becoming part of Warner Bros. 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. 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. NPR Announces Layoffs In 'Major Loss' For Network 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. I got this part time job at a TV station to make a little money while I was going to college. "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. 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. And I still think we have a long way to go. 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 . Lansing, who is 62, is. They lost their objectivity and are now just pushing leftist ideology. Current. "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. In these comments, John Lansing slides by with a public swipe at the Trump The layoffs are in keeping with an increasingly grim landscape for media companies over recent months. Let's say, I was walking out of high school into college, I had no idea what I was going to do. But thats our commitment. NPR, the public radio and podcasting giant, has a new leader after years of growth and internal turmoil. What do you think are some characteristics of good leadership? NPR plans to lay off about 10% of its current staff due to the soft ad market and a drop in revenue from corporate sponsors, as well as uncertainties in the global economy overall. He is. Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. Current: When was the climate survey conducted? 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 had been gone for the better part of a year or so. The last time NPR faced such stark choices, it was 2008. 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. At the center of a graphic is our commitment to DEI, and all of our work in that circle is surrounded by four pillars. 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. The second pillar is to transform our workplace culture. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion. Lansing: Were still working on it right now. But after the pandemic hit in mid-March, we got together with our cohort and said, Why wait 18 months? NPR is funded by the CPB/PBS which are funded in part by the U.S. government. 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.. What would you go back and tell your younger self? "Bloomberg Opinion" columnists offer their opinions on issues in the news. I think you have to be willing to take hard questions. I hear that all the time. ", He continued: "Citizens in countries from Russia to China, from Iran to North Korea, have been victimized for decades. Applicants to this years fellowship see its cancellation as a setback for journalists of color who want to work in public radio. So we took that very, very seriously. Lansing: Its on social media platforms or YouTube or through media partnerships. This documentary-style series follows investigative journalists as they uncover the truth. It has become enshrined in our three-year strategic plan as the centerpiece of all of our work. 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. I can't speak for other people, CEOs. The newsroom currently stands at just shy of 490 people, while programming has shot up to 230. 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. Just be tuned into our folks. ", Lansing, formerly a top television executive for the E.W. All of those underlying effects generally lead to whatever effects were going to have in corporate sponsorship. Lansing: Thats a great question. hide caption. 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? John Lansing is a former Obama appointee who was named president and CEO of NPR on Thursday. Were finishing up in the next two to three weeks the specific lists of actions and activities under these pillars. NPR's John Lansing Discusses the Importance of Integrity in Journalism By Nicole Jones - October 30, 2020 0 463 NPR National President and CEO John Lansing joined the Belmont community for a conversation about integrity in journalism, highlighting its importance especially during an election year. So that would be mine. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. "We were doing everything we could against the tide and couldn't keep clipping our costs as the revenue kept slipping," Lansing says. "What we've shown with podcasting is that we can take some of our core journalistic assets and we can create new formats and new programs around them and actually reach new audiences. 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. Weve had a couple of significant anonymous gifts that have helped shore up our forecast for the coming fiscal year. hide caption. That survey happened in the fall of 2020. We had begun a lot of work under [Chief Diversity Officer] Keith Woods' leadership to really move us forward. Mohn fired head of news Michael Oreskes on Halloween 2017. Current: You came to NPR after serving as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Live from. The emphasis, he says, must be on drawing in "the future audience to make NPR sustainable for the next 50 years. 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. Lansing, who is . U.S. Agency for Global Media As President, he held strategic and operational oversight of Scripps Networks Digital division and Scripps Networks Interactive, which includes six cable networks: Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, DIY, Cooking Channel and Great American Country. So its a constant commitment to communication, to training, to accountability. But were going to continue to follow up on that going into this year. Pat O'Donnell, the executive director of the union's Mid-Atlantic unit, could not be reached for comment for this story. Mr. Lansing rejected that accusation, saying that the agency was independent by law. NPR Cuts Executive Pay as Corporate Sponsors' Payments Fall I'm kind of a politics junkie. In recent remarks online, Johnson, who is Black, focused on a more competitive landscape for NPR journalists, including people of color. NPR maintains 17 national bureaus and 17 bureaus abroad. Lansing will begin his term at NPR in October and will succeed Jarl Mohn, who has been Chief Executive Officer and President since 2014. 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. We can share resources and story ideas, and we can help organize and support those efforts. John Gibbs is an American far-right political commentator and politician. Age: 62, Born on July 31, 1957, in Minneapolis 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. He began his career in media at age 17 when he was hired as a studio technician and cameraman for WPSD TV in Kentucky. So I think that it has caused me to be more tuned in to hearing and understanding our employees. "I have been an avid fan of NPR for many years. Pack then took a number of actions that raised fears about the independence of the agency, which includes Voice of America. Lansing served for ten years as a visiting faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. I would enjoy being on a podcast talking about politics. Lansing, 62, who is currently chief executive officer of the government agency that oversees Voice of America, Radio and Television Mart and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, among others . We are not just putting out regulations or policies and paperwork. Lansing: SAG-AFTRA came out with their letter around our September board meeting in 2020. I thought, wow. Mr. Mohn was pressed about his leadership in a tense NPR interview and later apologized to employees for not taking action sooner. New podcasts Up First, Consider This and State of Ukraine sit on both sides. 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. Were working with member stations on topic teams for, say, political reporting or criminal justice reporting across the system. Their editorial independence is enshrined in federal law, though it sometimes came under attack. NPR undertook a strategic reorganization last fall, reinstating the position of a chief content officer overseeing both the newsroom and the programming division. 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. "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.". But we felt like it was an important investment to make in our member stations to support them during the pandemic. "Governments around the world are increasingly cracking down on the free flow of information; silencing dialogue and dissent; and distorting reality," Lansing said in a speech he delivered in May to the Media for Democracy Forum. Lansing: We hope to have that completed within about eight to 10 weeks. Why did you undertake this? And theyre all expected to articulate a DEI goal thats measurable, actionable, and that they can be held accountable for and will be. 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. What was it like for you to watch that happen? I just think we have a special and unique thing as a company. Obviously, this job that you have as a CEO of NPR is a really huge responsibility. How are you working to shore up NPRs place in the podcasting landscape and compete with deep-pocketed tech companies? "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. So I brought in Michael Smith as our new chief marketing officer almost a year ago. NPR Selects Voice of America Boss as Its New Leader, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/06/business/media/npr-john-lansing.html. So we were pleased to see SAG-AFTRA join our efforts. Today, we feature John Lansing, CEO of NPR. Leading the organization through it all is CEO John Lansing, a longtime media executive who has been on the job since October 2019. Inquiry Exonerates USAGM Executives Suspended By Trump Appointee - NPR
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