Lansing: They were for general. John Lansing is taking over for outgoing CEO Jarl Mohn, who has led the organization for . (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: You have to imagine a picture, if you will. John F Lansing, National Public Radio Inc: Profile and Biography Yet the tech and media industries' prospects stand at odds with a tight labor market and low unemployment more broadly. 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. If you had to create a podcast, what would it be about? Reliable Sources: NPR names new chief executive | CNN Business 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. "Jarl would be the first to say that it is the area where he feels that his work was not complete," Sheikholeslami said. So we were pleased to see SAG-AFTRA join our efforts. Copyright 2023. 2017-2022. 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 so that was the way I looked at the future for me. But we made a firm commitment, as you know, to freeze station dues and fees. 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. 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. Then I moved on to manage TV stations and cable networks. President Biden will allow Congress to overturn new D.C. crime law Within a few weeks, Lansing became convinced that projection would be unreachable. 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. But we felt like it was an important investment to make in our member stations to support them during the pandemic. He is a member of the Quinnipiac University School of Communications Advisory Board and the National Board of Advisors of George Washington University's School of Media & Public Affairs. It's interesting. Current: How else might NPR assist stations in the coming year? The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, eliminated its Sunday magazine and a handful of other jobs. He is passionate about NPR's public service mission and the role of a free and independent media in a strong democracy. So I wouldn't create a politics podcast because there are too many, and we have the best one of many already. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion of advertising dollars, particularly for NPR podcasts, and the tough financial outlook for the media industry more generally. In a large part, the digital teams and the divisions will work together to reach a final model. U.S. Agency for Global Media At the center of a graphic is our commitment to DEI, and all of our work in that circle is surrounded by four pillars. "I have been an avid fan of NPR for many years. "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.". It did not drive a lot of immediate donations, but there were some. And it gives the lie to NPRs claim, through disclaimers, that it is simply reporting on its own the implication of the disclaimer being that there is no editorial control or direction from the CEO. 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. Lansing will start in his new position in mid-October. I hear that all the time. Lansing, who is 62, is. Required fields are marked *. But my goals also go to all of my direct reports. But also, what are the larger things that are happening? I think you have to be in front of your teams. All rights reserved. Ever since I've started, I've noticed that you've been very vocal about the need for diversity. 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. For several years, it eliminated salary increases and suspended retirement contributions. 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 faces financial pressures from two fronts. We have many miles to go. 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. NPR's New CEO Is Veteran Media Executive John Lansing : NPR - NPR.org ", "I am thrilled to work with NPR's exceptional management team, staff and journalists," said Lansing. They lost their objectivity and are now just pushing leftist ideology. Experts say the behavior could have constituted insider trading. And were pleased to work with them. 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, nonideological journalism, with the frequent exception of Radio Mart historically an anti-Castro and anti-Cuban communist outlet. Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. And I think we have to extend that lead. 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. 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. 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. America needs public radio more than ever. And weve seen some significant success with that. NPR's rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans everydayon the air, online, and in person. Current: How much were those anonymous gifts? Current: Can you be more specific about what that looks like in terms of how you reach people who may not already know about NPRs podcasts? How is it a priority? Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly. It was hard for everyone. That's the way I think about leadership here. 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. 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. Board Memberships & Affiliations. I had no idea what was out there. 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. 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. 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. 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. It goes on to say that Mr. Lansing, 62, is currently the chief executive of the government agency, The U.S. Agency for Global Media, that oversees Voice of America, Radio and Television Marti, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, among others. The roots of the VOA involved providing truthful reports to people under Nazi and Axis power rule during World War II. At the same time, we have to think creatively. Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan When you first got to NPR, what did you think? This is just dishonest, especially since NPR became what amounted to a voice of the opposition in its coverage of this dysfunctional federal agency. In these comments, John Lansing slides by with a public swipe at the Trump 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. Current: Did anything else stand out to you in that survey that you believe needed attention and needs attention? How does the economy react to all of that? NPR Cuts Executive Pay as Corporate Sponsors' Payments Fall 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. 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. There were three of them, each for $1 million. Lansing also spent almost 20 years working at Scripps, including eight years as President of Scripps Networks. John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. There was one the year before I was here, then this was the follow-up. It might come from my journalistic roots, and I think other journalists would say the same thing, I deal [with] and honor the truth. Because when you're all at work, you're all at work, and you go home to your individual situations. 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. 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. 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 For two years, he served as the president and CEO of a cable trade group called the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing. So I would tell my younger self to be confident, calm down, it's all gonna work out. Talk about a force of nature. "Management is about committing to strategy, making tough decisions.". The other is the fight for donors. NPR, the public radio giant that employs hundreds of journalists, is about to get a new chief executive. It puts a filter on that helps us explain even unpopular decisions, how they link to our mission. I am still morning the loss of an objective NPR. John Lansing is a former Obama appointee who was named president and CEO of NPR on Thursday. So its a constant commitment to communication, to training, to accountability. And I still think we have a long way to go. Did you know that one day you would become a CEO? Lansing has earned an advanced degree in political agility. "The result, I believe, is a war on truth. "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. "I don't anticipate that it would be like a haircut across every division, because that's just not management," Lansing says. NPR's programming division, which produces its industry-leading podcasts, has more than doubled since 2019. NPR Selects Voice of America Boss as Its New Leader Being a changemaker is awesome, but can have its own challenges as you're just trying to improve your career. Age: 62, Born on July 31, 1957, in Minneapolis I established DEI as our top priority on Jan. 5 of 2020. John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. Live from. Lansing, who is 62, is. 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. Lansing: Its on social media platforms or YouTube or through media partnerships. hide caption. The various challenges everybody's having from working at home, for example, you realize that everybody's situation is different when you're working. Lansing: Generally, the numbers that we would like to see in terms of the diversity of our audience were still lagging. 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. Pozen Fellow At the Shorenstein Center. You can't escape that. Let's say, I was walking out of high school into college, I had no idea what I was going to do. 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. When asked about his priorities, Lansing invoked what he has called the network's "North Star'' since his arrival in the fall of 2019: a push to ensure the network has a bigger and broader audience base, rooted in younger and more diverse listeners, readers and consumers. The only route to a successful engagement on this issue is to deal with it, to talk about it, and to take action. Lansing said he took pride in maintaining conventional broadcasts while appealing to new audiences, reaching about 25% more people each week. 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's John Lansing Discusses the Importance of Integrity in Journalism And theyre all expected to articulate a DEI goal thats measurable, actionable, and that they can be held accountable for and will be. 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. As we got to April of last spring, we saw a massive deficit develop for NPR on the order of about $25 million. Lansing: That was conducted back in September. NPR Names Veteran Media Executive John Lansing As Its New CEO Courtesy of Allison Shelley for NPR. Will there be another stimulus? 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. 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 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. NPR Start Date: Mid October, 2020 I think you have to be transparent and be able to explain what you're doing, even if it's unpopular. Here's what to do in a worst case scenario. 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. Lansing says even that proved overly optimistic. Its my expectation that that will expand throughout the organization, so that everybody understands its everybodys job, and the accountability is going to be something that we measure and transparently report back out. 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. The union represents 570 people at NPR. 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. 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. Were working with them to do joint investigative reporting. Were working with member stations on topic teams for, say, political reporting or criminal justice reporting across the system. My top goal is to support the women of color at NPR so that they feel like they have more upward mobility.. John Lansing - Quick Profile. I think you have to be willing to take hard questions. 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. And Im holding myself accountable with my board and Ive been and am holding my direct reports accountable to me. The newsroom currently stands at just shy of 490 people, while programming has shot up to 230. 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. "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. Pat O'Donnell, the executive director of the union's Mid-Atlantic unit, could not be reached for comment for this story. 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. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and 17 international bureaus, NPR and its Member Stations are never far from where a story is unfolding. 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. And its where our focus needs to be right now. Lansing, who is 62, is. We established management commitments to the women of color so that we address specifically their concerns. NPR Selects Voice of America Boss as Its New Leader, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/06/business/media/npr-john-lansing.html. "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. She really has helped us, and she's brought discipline to a process that in the past might have been people talking past each other a little bit and waiting for things to blow over. At Colorado Public Radio, I think there was a $300,000 donation that came out of that. Video Snippet 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. 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. Media Exec John Lansing to Become New CEO of NPR - Variety John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. Mr. Lansing will start in October, replacing Jarl Mohn, who has run NPR since 2014. 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. Their editorial independence is enshrined in federal law, though it sometimes came under attack. That survey happened in the fall of 2020. The work theyve done during the pandemic has been nothing short of miraculous in many cases, particularly given the summer of racial reckoning, the most unusual presidential election in memory and everything thats gone on since. 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. The ratings have tanked because all they talk about is race. I had been gone for the better part of a year or so. It didnt begin in the summer it accelerated in the summer. "We are delighted to welcome John, whose deep experience as a media industry executive and practicing journalist make him ideally suited to lead NPR into its next chapter," said Paul Haaga, Chair of the NPR board. John Lansing , CEO of NPR NPR President John Lansing '09 is Bellarmine's 2021 commencement speaker, Honorary Degree recipient April 22, 2021 NPR P. 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. "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. 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. He soon made DEI the top priority at NPR.