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. Mr. Lansing, who began his career as a teenage cameraman at a television station in Kentucky, spent two decades at Scripps Networks. Lansing served for ten years as a visiting faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. hide caption. I joined in October of '19. I was very pleased to see Code Switch named as Apples top podcast of the year. 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. 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. John Lansing , CEO of NPR NPR President John Lansing '09 is Bellarmine's 2021 commencement speaker, Honorary Degree recipient April 22, 2021 NPR P. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. We collected a lot of data and we have a lot of good follow-up opportunities, and Ill continue to offer myself up as a direct resource in that pilot project. I think that's where we all wind up. NPR Names Veteran Media Executive John Lansing As Its New CEO This is simply disingenuous. The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, eliminated its Sunday magazine and a handful of other jobs. But thats our commitment. US Media Propaganda. Drawing "Liberals" and "Leftists" into the CIA's 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 . 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. John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. David Folkenflik on Twitter: "News: NPR to lay off about 10 percent of So its an ongoing effort. Fearing a tepid economy, Lansing and his corporate team projected that revenue would stay flat for the fiscal year that began October 1. Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan Disclosure: This story was reported by NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik under guidance from NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi. 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. Did you know that one day you would become a CEO? Yet the tech and media industries' prospects stand at odds with a tight labor market and low unemployment more broadly. 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 network's fight for listeners' time has become more feverish. NPR strives to create a more informed publicone challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. 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. 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. And the work goes on. Board Memberships & Affiliations. One thing I would say is, research the places you're looking at to either begin your career or advance your career and understand where they are on these issues. Today, we feature John Lansing, CEO of NPR. The first pillar is to expand the power of the national-local partnership into the on-demand future. Our DEI efforts at the beginning of 2020 were not a project or an extracurricular activity; it really became our work. 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. Family Status: Married with 4 Children (Jean Rausch Lansing) How are you working to shore up NPRs place in the podcasting landscape and compete with deep-pocketed tech companies? 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. First, we're a nonprofit. Experts say the behavior could have constituted insider trading. 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. I think you have to be transparent and be able to explain what you're doing, even if it's unpopular. I think you have to be in front of your teams. 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. 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. NPR, the public radio and podcasting giant, has a new leader after years of growth and internal turmoil. Every time I hear it, I think that's a success by itself because we all have that as our guiding light. 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. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. 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. Lansing: Everybodys at a different place with DEI depending on where they stand, whether thats a person who is white and doesnt understand how white privilege has improved their standing in their career in a way that persons of color may have not experienced. Within a few weeks, Lansing became convinced that projection would be unreachable. Inquiry Exonerates USAGM Executives Suspended By Trump Appointee - NPR That's something that perceptive journalists should be able to pick up pretty quickly. Current: Do you have any examples of how digital operations would be integrated into divisions throughout the organization? I, and the management team, all of us, we determined that was going to be a priority for the year 2021. 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. And probably the most important accountability is that, first of all, I hold myself accountable with my goals that I report to the board. (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.). John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. NPR hosts' departures fuel questions over race. The full story is Such distinctions between news and programming are tricky, however, as programming oversees podcasts, including those that perform journalistic functions, such as Code Switch, It's Been A Minute, Planet Money, and Throughline. August 20, 2022 August 20th is National Radio Day. 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. 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. ", "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. 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. NPR's search for a new CEO is finally over! CEO John Lansing discusses NPR's diversity efforts, budget - Current Last summer, we definitely had a racial reckoning. He defined NPR's mission as "serving the public with information and an excellence and quality about it that makes it 'must see' on a variety of platforms.". He joined NPR after serving as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Lansing is a media executive with a deep understanding of journalism, having spent two decades as an award-winning journalist, successful newsroom leader and major market local media executive before becoming a global chief executive officer. Lansing, who is 62, is currently the chief executive of the government agency that oversees Voice of America, Radio and Television Mart and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, among others. "North Star"] for NPR on my arrival as supporting the diversity, equity, and inclusion of our staff so that we could become more relevant to our audiences and grow the diversity of our audiences. We are different from other federal agencies, said Grant K. Turner, the agencys chief financial officer. Scripps Company, where he managed the company's portfolio of ten broadcast television stations across the country. 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. What steps does NPR still need to take in this area? 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. So sad to lose an American institution to propaganda. hide caption. Michael A. McCoy for NPR A federal inspector general's investigation has exonerated six government executives who were suspended last year after raising red flags about actions taken by. 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? That's the way I think about leadership here. Lansing: Generally, the numbers that we would like to see in terms of the diversity of our audience were still lagging. Lansing also spent almost 20 years working at Scripps, including eight years as President of Scripps Networks. 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. Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Acting Chief Business Editor Emily Kopp. Were certainly not over, were not at a finish line. Pack then took a number of actions that raised fears about the independence of the agency, which includes Voice of America. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. Everybody at NPR knows exactly what you mean when you say, 'What's our North Star?' NPR Names Juana Summers as Co-Host of 'All Things Considered' John Lansing testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee in July. I think there's an awareness, like in the way you asked the question about 'our North Star.' I have read and agree to the terms & conditions, Senior Vice President for Television in the broadcasting division of the E.W. So if you have leaders talking about DEI as a priority, well, then, show me. Lansing: Were still working on it right now. The ratings for our weekend magazine shows are actually slightly greater than they were a year ago pre-pandemic, so thats a bright spot. U.S. Agency for Global Media "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. 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. John Lansing, a media executive with government broadcast and cable television experience, has been named by NPRs board to succeed its current chief, Jarl Mohn who announced the plan to step down after his 5-Year term ended. 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. NPR announces layoffs, cutting jobs by 10% as ad revenue drops : NPR 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. 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.. CEO John Lansing says ad revenue for podcasting shriveled even as general economy seems on mend. America needs public radio more than ever. Current: How have your priorities for NPR changed since you became CEO? Essentially, the success of the company falls in your hands. Follow Bloomberg reporters as they uncover some of the biggest financial crimes of the modern era. But here, Lansing basically jumps over those disclaimers using the lame attribution of private citizen.. And our work began then. The staffing cut, which will cost at least 100 people their jobs, comes in response to the "erosion" of advertising revenue, particularly for the network's podcasts, NPR reported. "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. 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. And be a good listener. That survey happened in the fall of 2020. Fear drives their path. 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. Last year brought a host of challenges to NPR: a multimillion-dollar deficit, calls for changes in its workplace culture and a hit to broadcast listening. 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. 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. This documentary-style series follows investigative journalists as they uncover the truth. 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. NPR's Incoming Chief Dumped $10M In Stock Amid SEC Probe While At Prior Its pretty clear to me that the ratings decline in radio is driven by commuting patterns. The varied broadcasters also offered jazz and other music to appeal to people under communist regimes using a soft form of diplomacy. 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. But now we're seeing authoritarian regimes expanding around the globe, with media repression in places like Turkey and Venezuela, Cambodia and Vietnam.". 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.. 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. 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. 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. How has that effort been progressing? I just started in May. "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. Current: What challenges have you faced in implementing your DEI plans? Vegas PBS General Manager, Tom Axtell, announces his retirement. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion of advertising dollars, particularly for NPR podcasts, and the tough financial outlook for the media industry more generally. Mr. Mohn was pressed about his leadership in a tense NPR interview and later apologized to employees for not taking action sooner. National Public Radio (NPR) CEO John Lansing announced in a Wednesday memo that the network will lay off 10 percent of its staff and freeze vacant positions. Mohn fired head of news Michael Oreskes on Halloween 2017. He served on the Bellarmine University Board of Trustees from 2010-2016 and was vice-chair 2014-2016. He served for four years as the SVP, Television for the E.W. 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. John Lansing Email & Phone Number - National Pu.. | ZoomInfo Lansing: That was conducted back in September. "We were doing everything we could against the tide and couldn't keep clipping our costs as the revenue kept slipping," Lansing says. 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. In May 2020, four NPR female hosts of color Garcia-Navarro, King, All Things Considered host Ailsa Chang and Weekend All Things Considered host Michel Martin sent a letter to Lansing . 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 . I had been gone for the better part of a year or so. We established management commitments to the women of color so that we address specifically their concerns. Weve also seen very positive upticks in development. She also has led initiatives to reform hiring practices and to sweep far more temporary positions into permanent slots, often working closely with the network's chief unions to do so. 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. Were they targeted to specific spending areas or just for general costs? But it was not from a standing start. "I have been an avid fan of NPR for many years. 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 blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. Mr. Lansing will start in October, replacing Jarl Mohn, who has run NPR since 2014. Its not something weve baked and were just going to hand it down. 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. 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 . NPR, the public radio giant that employs hundreds of journalists, is about to get a new chief executive. 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. Were working with them to do joint investigative reporting. Last year, President Trump appointed Michael Pack as USAGMs CEO. Its not a sidebar. Doing that just requires that were putting more emphasis on the diversity of our decision makers, our leadership, our story selection, our source selection. Faces of NPR: John Lansing : NPR Extra : NPR - NPR.org Chief Executive Officer and Director of the, Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing, Florangela Davila to Become KNKX News Director, NPR Hires Noelle LaCharite As VP Digital Technology. NPR faces financial pressures from two fronts. In a large part, the digital teams and the divisions will work together to reach a final model. 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. NPR To Layoff About 10% Of Current Staff - Deadline 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? 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. 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. John Lansing, a media executive with government broadcast and cable television experience, has been named by NPR's board to succeed its current chief, Jarl Mohn who announced the plan to step down after his 5-Year term ended. 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. He will be the 11th permanent president or chief executive in the radio network's nearly 50-year history. 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. Why did you undertake this? Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images 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. Last fall, when announcing the earlier cuts, Lansing said the network would have to make tough choices - and to "do less with less." "Bloomberg Opinion" columnists offer their opinions on issues in the news. NPR stands stronger than it did at the outset of Mohn's five-year term in 2014. Last year, the network booked $134 million in such corporate underwriting, a record built on strong growth in podcasting revenue in recent years. NPRs search for a new CEO is finally over! I just think that somebody's truth is the truth. I remember we had several all-staff discussions about a variety of issues that branched off of that, including the Code of Conduct, for example, as it relates to NPR employees at public demonstrations. And some stations who had a schedule to go down actually were allowed to go down. They lost their objectivity and are now just pushing leftist ideology. And I was very proud of the progress we were making. The agency has an annual budget of $808 million. And I still think we have a long way to go. For two years, he served as the president and CEO of a cable trade group called the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing. An NPR spokeswoman said final decisions on which jobs will be eliminated should occur by the week of March 20. Mr. Lansing rejected that accusation, saying that the agency was independent by law. Pozen Fellow At the Shorenstein Center. There were about 20, 25 different meetings in the course of about 45 days. ", Lansing, formerly a top television executive for the E.W. And so that was the way I looked at the future for me. Ever since you started, you've been very vocal about it. Others have waded into the podcast fray with a vengeance. But also, what are the larger things that are happening? So were now into the new fiscal year. NPR has a new CEO. 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. 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. That said, Mohn set higher annual expectations for the network in fundraising and agreed to be co-chairman of its 50th-anniversary capital campaign. And were happy to see SAG-AFTRA agree with us and to join up. Lansing: We hope to have that completed within about eight to 10 weeks. 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. He won praise for doing so and says he informed leaders of SAG-AFTRA on Tuesday about the impending job cuts. During that financial crisis, NPR shut down shows and laid off scores of people. NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. NPR's chief news executive, Nancy Barnes, said Friday she would be leaving the network, prompted by NPR CEO John Lansing's decision to create a new executive role above her. Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan When you first got to NPR, what did you think? 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. Prior to that, Lansing was VP and GM of Scripps ABC affiliates.