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. If you had to create a podcast, what would it be about? Weve had a couple of significant anonymous gifts that have helped shore up our forecast for the coming fiscal year. Lansing will start in his new position in mid-October. So we took that very, very seriously. The other is the fight for donors. Government support for the public radio system isn't in any immediate jeopardy. I just think that somebody's truth is the truth. Others have waded into the podcast fray with a vengeance. It is our work. 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. NPR stands stronger than it did at the outset of Mohns five-year term in 2014. How cool is it to be at NPR? First of all, as a white man, my first reaction is that it's important for white people in general to understand the inherent biases that we have, even when we think we don't, unconsciously. NPR Press Release. We established the top priority [a.k.a. But we made a firm commitment, as you know, to freeze station dues and fees. I established DEI as our top priority on Jan. 5 of 2020. I think that's where we all wind up. 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. Its a real business with real market dynamics.. 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 . At the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Lansing championed a free press even as leaders of many nations move against it. I hear that all the time. Bloomberg Markets live from New York, focused on bringing you the most important global business and breaking markets news and information as it happens. Again, I think it's about getting it intertwined into everything we do. It did not drive a lot of immediate donations, but there were some. Yet Lansing also takes over an institution riven by a scandal that hit its top reaches, with a chief news executive toppled over #MeToo complaints of inappropriate conduct toward female subordinates and colleagues. Sept. 6, 2019. Pack then took a number of actions that raised fears about the independence of the agency, which includes Voice of America. Copyright 2019 NPR. June 1, 20203:52 PM ET. 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. Lansing: They were for general. And its tied to the same variables you would know yourselves, which is, how fast can the vaccines be deployed? What makes you so open and vocal about the need for diversity? NPR has a new CEO. Everybody at NPR knows exactly what you mean when you say, 'What's our North Star?' I had no idea what was out there. And weve seen that really help them grow. 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? Lansing describes himself as a citizen watching from the outside A private citizen? 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. You want to know what is really going on these days, especially in Colorado. It's interesting. Mohn led NPR through five consecutive years of audience growth and budget surplus. 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%. 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. 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. But were going to continue to follow up on that going into this year. The first pillar is to expand the power of the national-local partnership into the on-demand future. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Current is an editorially independent, nonprofit service of the American University School of Communication. We are different from other federal agencies, said Grant K. Turner, the agencys chief financial officer. 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. Both Lansing and Sheikholeslami say he is adamant about pressing forward with reforms to the workplace culture at NPR that Mayor has already started to put in place. How has that effort been progressing? NPR's search for a new CEO is finally over! But it was not from a standing start. And probably the most important accountability is that, first of all, I hold myself accountable with my goals that I report to the board. And weve seen some significant success with that. Put that pizza box in the trash. "The result, I believe, is a war on truth. 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. 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 thats our commitment. 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. 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. He made his mark in his current job with stirring defenses of journalism, free from government interference. The roots of the VOA involved providing truthful reports to people under Nazi and Axis power rule during World War II. 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. Lansing served for ten years as a visiting faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. 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. Four years ago, Lansing was named by President Obama to be the first chief executive of the broadcasting outfit that was renamed the U.S. Agency for Global Media. What steps does NPR still need to take in this area? NPR has a new CEO. Current: How have your priorities for NPR changed since you became CEO? Its not something weve baked and were just going to hand it down. Vegas PBS General Manager, Tom Axtell, announces his retirement. September 6, 2019. Ever since you started, you've been very vocal about it. Its pretty clear to me that the ratings decline in radio is driven by commuting patterns. No. hide caption. Mr. Mohn was pressed about his leadership in a tense NPR interview and later apologized to employees for not taking action sooner. Its new president and chief executive is John Lansing, a former cable . Under his leadership NPR has been reaching new audiences as the country's top podcast publisher and through platforms like smart-speakers and connected cars. Required fields are marked *. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Public Media Now was created to be a centralized source of information and resources to help professional within Public Media be more successful. Just be tuned into our folks. He took over a troubled organization beset by infighting and bureaucratic inefficiency. The various challenges everybody's having from working at home, for example, you realize that everybody's situation is different when you're working. Current: NPRs budget also took a hit because of the pandemic. First, we're a nonprofit. That survey happened in the fall of 2020. 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. But here, Lansing basically jumps over those disclaimers using the lame attribution of private citizen.. 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. John Lansing is a former Obama appointee who was named president and CEO of NPR on Thursday. 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. But my goals also go to all of my direct reports. It really stretched me to understand that flexibility is a good thing. Every time I hear it, I think that's a success by itself because we all have that as our guiding light. NPR joins a number of top media companies, including The Washington Post as well as CNN, that have been slashing their workforces amid economic woes and financial uncertainty. Learn more at npr.org/about or by following NPR Extra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 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. 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. What advice would you give to young journalists of color when navigating these white spaces, but attempting to make a change? 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. Considering the demise of local newspapers around the country and the growth of our member stations newsrooms around the country, were really working hard to support their local journalism, because its so important to us. Its not a sidebar. The network's fight for listeners' time has become more feverish. In an interview, Lansing said he wants to build on NPR's successes in broadcast news and entertainment to become even more dominant in podcasting and more prevalent in streaming. "During this period when rigorous, fact-based and context-rich . 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.. hide caption. Networks like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty are meant to counter disinformation from foreign governments by broadcasting objective reports, although they have always been dogged by an accusation that they are a form of American propaganda. They lost their objectivity and are now just pushing leftist ideology. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images NPR's chief executive announced the. Mohn fired head of news Michael Oreskes on Halloween 2017. According to Nielsen data supplied by NPR, its programs and newscasts had an overall audience of 27.4 million in spring 2019. It has won acclaim for its coverage of wars and disasters yet suffered its own crisis and tragedy in 2017 when NPRs David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna were killed in southern Afghanistan on assignment. 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. It has become enshrined in our three-year strategic plan as the centerpiece of all of our work. People, given the opportunity, will do the right thing in a way that hopefully makes them want to be here for a long time. Were consulting with digital media, were consulting with the division heads, and were doing it as an all-hands project so that we get it right. Lansing: Its on social media platforms or YouTube or through media partnerships. Mohn fired head of news Michael Oreskes on Halloween 2017. Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan NPR is funded by the CPB/PBS which are funded in part by the U.S. government. Current: What challenges have you faced in implementing your DEI plans? To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 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. 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. The ratings have tanked because all they talk about is race. Lansings tenure at the agency has not been without controversy. I dont know if youve been on the highway recently, but theres a lot more traffic on the highway today than there would have been last May and June. It shouldn't be on any journalists of color, or anybody of color, to have to go and 'solve this problem' in somebody's company. At the same time, we have to think creatively. Lansing's tenure at the agency has not been without controversy. Video Snippet 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. 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. 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. And what a breath of fresh air Whitney brings into the organization. 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. This is just dishonest, especially since NPR became what amounted to a voice of the opposition in its coverage of this dysfunctional federal agency. That's the way I think about leadership here. So sad to me. 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. That was revised as a result. NPR Start Date: Mid October, 2020 You hear me say fairly often it's not a thing that's going to end; it's really a new way of operating with an awareness of this weakness that we need to address and build upon and ensure that it lives on and continues to improve. So were now into the new fiscal year. He will be the 11th permanent president or chief executive in the radio networks nearly 50-year history. Mohn will continue on as President Emeritus & Co-Chair of the 50th Anniversary Campaign. 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.. "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.". NPR's rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans everydayon the air, online, and in person. 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 have many miles to go. 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 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. NPR Facebook Post with Comments. In an interview, Lansing said he wants to build on NPRs successes in broadcast news and entertainment to become even more dominant in podcasting and more prevalent in streaming. 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. 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. Lansing, who is 62, is currently . NPR maintains 17 national bureaus and 17 bureaus abroad. And some stations who had a schedule to go down actually were allowed to go down. administration regarding the now former managers of his former place of employment (USAGM) but claims the mantle of private citizen to do so. Were working with them to do joint investigative reporting. NPR strives to create a more informed publicone challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. The post NPR Names Juana Summers as Co-Host of 'All Things Considered' appeared first on New York Times. So I brought in Michael Smith as our new chief marketing officer almost a year ago. John Lansing, NPR's President and CEO, said the unique arrangement comes at an important time for NPR and for journalism. 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. 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. Current: How else might NPR assist stations in the coming year? 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. 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. That's something that perceptive journalists should be able to pick up pretty quickly. A member of the Republican Party, Gibbs was a software engineer and missionary before entering politics. 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. 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. 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 Foundation. 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. John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. And now in our budgeting were shifting some revenue for Michael to use that to promote and support our podcasts as they compete, as you note, with other large commercial businesses. Theres no question about it. In these comments, John Lansing slides by with a public swipe at the Trump It was about a $3 million cost to NPR for the fiscal year. Mr. Lansings colleagues attribute the growth to his embrace of digital formats and the understanding of audiences that he gleaned from the private sector. Since then, sponsorship revenue has returned, Mr. Lansing said, and NPR was able to navigate the pandemic without cutting staff. John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. The challenges he will face at NPR are not dissimilar to challenges across the media landscape as a whole, said Sheikholeslami, who will soon take up the CEO job at New York Public Radio. Lansing: Lets go back in time. 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 can't speak for other people, CEOs. Scripps Networks And our number one goal is to improve our audience diversity. NPR Were they targeted to specific spending areas or just for general costs? Lansing, who is 62, is. 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.. The work of those pillars will be done through the lens of improving our efforts on DEI. Talk about a force of nature. 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. Oh wait. You have shows like All Things Considered and Morning Edition, which will continue to be broadcasting tent poles, Mr. Lansing said. 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. U.S. Agency for Global Media Your email address will not be published. But now we're seeing authoritarian regimes expanding around the globe, with media repression in places like Turkey and Venezuela, Cambodia and Vietnam.". 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 . We need help now. So we began an intensive set of Zoom meetings that I attended, each one with a member station and a qualified potential donor. The agency has an annual budget of $808 million. "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. So I think that it has caused me to be more tuned in to hearing and understanding our employees. NPR has also been the nations leading producer of podcasts, since Podtrac started measuring the audiences. Fear drives their path. Were certainly not over, were not at a finish line. Both Lansing and Sheikholeslami say he is adamant about pressing forward with reforms to the workplace culture at NPR that Mayor has already started to put in place.

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