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And theyre all expected to articulate a DEI goal thats measurable, actionable, and that they can be held accountable for and will be. It really stretched me to understand that flexibility is a good thing. A member of the Republican Party, Gibbs was a software engineer and missionary before entering politics. After becoming part of Warner Bros. NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. Our third pillar is to optimize content and meet audiences where they are. 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. 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%. The union represents 570 people at NPR. 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. Just be tuned into our folks. 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. David Westin speaks with top names in finance about the week's biggest issues on Wall Street. Board Memberships & Affiliations. And the fourth one is to diversify and grow our revenue models so that were not overly reliant on one or two revenue streams to help strengthen our future financials. How is it a priority? I am still morning the loss of an objective NPR. Weve also seen very positive upticks in development. Well, I like NPR Politics a lot. The newsroom currently stands at just shy of 490 people, while programming has shot up to 230. What was it like for you to watch that happen? A graduate of Bellarmine University, he was named to the Bellarmine University Gallery of Distinguished Graduates in 2010. Mr. Lansing, who began his career as a teenage cameraman at a television station in Kentucky, spent two decades at Scripps Networks. I think we're moving forward. But it was not from a standing start. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Current is an editorially independent, nonprofit service of the American University School of Communication. It didnt begin in the summer it accelerated in the summer. 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. What makes you so open and vocal about the need for diversity? Did you plan for this or did it kind of just happen? What steps does NPR still need to take in this area? 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. And were happy to see SAG-AFTRA agree with us and to join up. 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. So I would tell my younger self to be confident, calm down, it's all gonna work out. NPR takes only a few million dollars a year from federal sources for its programs. 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 . Because when you're all at work, you're all at work, and you go home to your individual situations. 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. I established DEI as our top priority on Jan. 5 of 2020. At the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Lansing championed a free press even as leaders of many nations move against it. Mohn will continue on as President Emeritus & Co-Chair of the 50th Anniversary Campaign. Current: Why are NPR and its partners looking to sell the Pocket Casts podcast app? NPR Selects Voice of America Boss as Its New Leader, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/06/business/media/npr-john-lansing.html. 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. 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. Its something that we certainly support. 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. How are you working to shore up NPRs place in the podcasting landscape and compete with deep-pocketed tech companies? There were three of them, each for $1 million. He joined NPR after serving as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. 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. Lansing: Back in May and June, it was an alarming decline in radio ratings. My top goal is to support the women of color at NPR so that they feel like they have more upward mobility.. Lansing, who is 62, is. "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.". 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. 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. 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. And how's that being measured and accounted for? 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. NPR strives to create a more informed publicone challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Acting Chief Business Editor Emily Kopp. Video Snippet 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 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. He is passionate about NPR's public service mission and the role of a free and independent media in a strong democracy. 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. We are different from other federal agencies, said Grant K. Turner, the agencys chief financial officer. Current (https://current.org/2021/02/ceo-john-lansing-discusses-nprs-diversity-efforts-budget-deficit-and-growing-podcast-competition/). Lansing will begin his term at NPR in October and will succeed Jarl Mohn, who has been Chief Executive Officer and President since 2014. I hear that all the time. Current: How much were those anonymous gifts? ", "I am thrilled to work with NPR's exceptional management team, staff and journalists," said Lansing. Let's say, I was walking out of high school into college, I had no idea what I was going to do. Current: NPR has helped stations during the pandemic by delaying planned changes to the dues they pay. So we took that very, very seriously. Mr. Lansing will start in October, replacing Jarl Mohn, who has run NPR since 2014. Mr. Mohn led the push into podcasting and helped stabilize the organization after years of management turnover and budget deficits. NPR has a new CEO. NPR Press Release. We are not just putting out regulations or policies and paperwork. Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan When you first got to NPR, what did you think? NPRs search for a new CEO is finally over! An NPR spokeswoman said final decisions on which jobs will be eliminated should occur by the week of March 20. If you had to create a podcast, what would it be about? John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. 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. CEO John Lansing says ad revenue for podcasting shriveled even as general economy seems on mend. Current: Companies like Spotify and Amazon have been pouring big money into podcasting. Today is a good day to remember the vital role public radio plays in providing the information we all need to fully exercise our rights in our democracy. 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. Four years ago, Lansing was named by President Barack Obama to be the first chief executive of the broadcasting outfit that was renamed the U.S. Agency for Global Media. I'm kind of a politics junkie. The only route to a successful engagement on this issue is to deal with it, to talk about it, and to take action. So its a constant commitment to communication, to training, to accountability. 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. America needs public radio more than ever. John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. "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.". Were certainly not over, were not at a finish line. Selected by the NPR board of directors, Lansing will start in October, succeeding outgoing head Jarl Mohn, 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. Since then,. The ratings have tanked because all they talk about is race. Were working with them to do joint investigative reporting. As we moved through the summer, that deficit remained at about $25 million. Everybody at NPR knows exactly what you mean when you say, 'What's our North Star?' If it's not being solved from the top down, it shouldn't be a burden for people just trying to build their career. 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. 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. And I still think we have a long way to go. All of those underlying effects generally lead to whatever effects were going to have in corporate sponsorship. Lansing served for ten years as a visiting faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. He won praise for doing so and says he informed leaders of SAG-AFTRA on Tuesday about the impending job cuts. All rights reserved. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. NPR Start Date: Mid October, 2020 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 So mentally, how do you manage that? We still remain one of the top, if not the top, podcasters in America. Their editorial independence is enshrined in federal law, though it sometimes came under attack. John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. So I think that it has caused me to be more tuned in to hearing and understanding our employees. ", He continued: "Citizens in countries from Russia to China, from Iran to North Korea, have been victimized for decades. Fear drives their path. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Current: What are some of the highlights of that strategic plan? In a large part, the digital teams and the divisions will work together to reach a final model. Apple is reportedly building a podcast subscription service. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images And the work goes on. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. NPR Or 'How are we doing on the North Star?' NPR Start Date: Mid October, 2020 I was very pleased to see Code Switch named as Apples top podcast of the year. Lansing: Its on social media platforms or YouTube or through media partnerships. But second, we're mission-driven, and I think everybody in the organization lives and breathes that mission. Age: 62, Born on July 31, 1957, in Minneapolis For the year that ended last September, NPR reported $241 million in expenses. 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. Current: How else might NPR assist stations in the coming year? 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. I think leaders are accountable for walking the walk, for doing what they say they're going to do. 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. 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. He also vowed to make sure job cuts do not fall disproportionately on employees of color. So at the end of the day, its a commitment, but this also has to be accountability. "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. 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. NPR's rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans everydayon the air, online, and in person. NPR undertook a strategic reorganization last fall, reinstating the position of a chief content officer overseeing both the newsroom and the programming division. He began his career in media at age 17 when he was hired as a studio technician and cameraman for WPSD TV in Kentucky. Being a changemaker is awesome, but can have its own challenges as you're just trying to improve your career. 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. 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. Oh wait. He will now lead the nation's top audio producer and broadcaster. Leading the organization through it all is CEO John Lansing, a longtime media executive who has been on the job since October 2019. 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. I think that's where we all wind up. 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. And were pleased to work with them. Scripps Company, Held senior management positions at Scripps-owned affiliates, including WEWS TV in Cleveland, Ohio and WXYZ TV in Detroit, Michigan, Early in his career Award-winning Photojournalist and Field Producer, Assignment Manager, Managing Editor, and News Director at several television stations. 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. ", "It's always difficult in these situations, and I don't want to minimize the impact that it will have on our colleagues and in some cases, you know, our ability to do what we do," Lee says. 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. For July, NPRs 60 active shows among them Planet Money, Fresh Air and Wait Wait Dont Tell Me! were downloaded 141 million times and had nearly 21 million listeners in the United States, according to Podtrac. There are over 1000 NPR Member Station signals broadcasting across the United States NPR has a new CEO. And be a good listener. 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. Pat O'Donnell, the executive director of the union's Mid-Atlantic unit, could not be reached for comment for this story. 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. 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. When will that freeze be lifted? Lansing: SAG-AFTRA came out with their letter around our September board meeting in 2020. 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. It was hard for everyone. Lansing: Thats a great question. Pack then took a number of actions that raised fears about the independence of the agency, which includes Voice of America. Bellarmine alumnus and former trustee John Lansing, a veteran cable television and government broadcast executive, is the new CEO of NPR. The various challenges everybody's having from working at home, for example, you realize that everybody's situation is different when you're working. 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. Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. Mohn led NPR through five consecutive years of audience growth and budget surplus. In these comments, John Lansing slides by with a public swipe at the Trump 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. We had begun a lot of work under [Chief Diversity Officer] Keith Woods' leadership to really move us forward. NPR, the public radio giant that employs hundreds of journalists, is about to get a new chief executive. Again, I think it's about getting it intertwined into everything we do. In an email to the staff on Friday, John Lansing, who joined the nonprofit as chief executive in September, projected that NPR would fall $12 million to $15 million short of the amount it had . Current: Did anything else stand out to you in that survey that you believe needed attention and needs attention? "This will be a major loss.". That with a combination of expense cuts, including our employees and our management all taking voluntary pay cuts and benefit cuts, helped close that deficit gap. He is. Theres no question about it. I'm just passionate about how good leadership can lead to good outcomes, and that led me here. Well, I'm fortunate that we have a terrific executive committee and leadership team, so we all share the daily ins and outs of managing a big organization. It has become enshrined in our three-year strategic plan as the centerpiece of all of our work. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly. 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 . 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 think as a white man, I know and have experienced that feeling of trepidation on discussions on issues of race, because there's an inherent fear that somebody is going to have a negative point of view about you. 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. "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. He guided the organization in becoming a leading developer of unique content across television, digital, mobile and radio platforms. What is the outlook for the rest of the fiscal year? There were about 20, 25 different meetings in the course of about 45 days. On an annual budget of roughly $300 million, Lansing says, revenues are likely to fall short by close to $30 million, although that gap could reach $32 million. Mr. Mohn was pressed about his leadership in a tense NPR interview and later apologized to employees for not taking action sooner. That content executive position has not yet been filled; its creation led to the departure of then-NPR chief news executive Nancy Barnes. And our number one goal is to improve our audience diversity. ", Lansing, formerly a top television executive for the E.W. Well, what we're doing right now, I think communication. John Lansing , CEO of NPR NPR President John Lansing '09 is Bellarmine's 2021 commencement speaker, Honorary Degree recipient April 22, 2021 NPR P. In Mr. Mohns first full year on the job, NPR operated in the black after having run a deficit for five of the six preceding years. John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. So if you have leaders talking about DEI as a priority, well, then, show me. 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. Today, those individual situations are happening in the background when everybody's working, whether it's kids that are school age, or kids that are toddlers, or elder care, or spouses working in the same room or in the same apartment. Mr. Lansing rejected that accusation, saying that the agency was independent by law. It began to improve a little bit as we moved into August and September, as corporate sponsorships began to recover a little bit. Yet Mr. Mohns tenure was also marked by a sexual harassment scandal involving a senior news executive whom he had hired and a labor clash with hundreds of union workers. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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.