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. (Former long time member). In recent remarks online, Johnson, who is Black, focused on a more competitive landscape for NPR journalists, including people of color. He is. That's the way I think about leadership here. Mr. Lansing will start in October, replacing Jarl Mohn, who has run NPR since 2014. What you really want to do is be connected to people that are consuming content on something theyre holding in their hand, and arent necessarily tied to a TV set on a wall or a radio in a living room, Lansing said. Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan 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. 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. I think you have to be in front of your teams. 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. Lansing, who is 62, is currently . NPR has a new CEO. Prior to that, Lansing was VP and GM of Scripps ABC affiliates. 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. 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. 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? 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. Applicants to this years fellowship see its cancellation as a setback for journalists of color who want to work in public radio. Disclosure: This story was reported by NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik under guidance from NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi. And weve seen some significant success with that. So if you have leaders talking about DEI as a priority, well, then, show me. Others have waded into the podcast fray with a vengeance. "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. To be a part of creating the future of such an important institution is humbling, exciting, and a distinct honor.". We can share resources and story ideas, and we can help organize and support those efforts. John Lansing is a former Obama appointee who was named president and CEO of NPR on Thursday. 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. Live from New York and London, analyzing the major market moving stories across the day in Europe, hear from the biggest newsmakers and showcase the unrivaled expertise of Bloomberg News. What was it like for you to watch that happen? Oh wait. 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 maintains 17 national bureaus and 17 bureaus abroad. Current: Do you have any examples of how digital operations would be integrated into divisions throughout the organization? It might come from my journalistic roots, and I think other journalists would say the same thing, I deal [with] and honor the truth. It was about a $3 million cost to NPR for the fiscal year. 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. 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. Lansing has earned an advanced degree in political agility. 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. CEO John Lansing discusses NPRs diversity efforts, budget deficit and growing podcast competition. Government support for the public radio system isn't in any immediate jeopardy. 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. 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. 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. Current: NPRs budget also took a hit because of the pandemic. He soon made DEI the top priority at NPR. Lansing was most recently the CEO of USAGM, a $800 million dollar independent federal agency that operates on multiple platforms reaching an average weekly audience of 345 million in 61 languages. Well, I like NPR Politics a lot. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world. Lansing: Thats a great question. I had been gone for the better part of a year or so. Ever since you started, you've been very vocal about it. Current: NPR and a group of stations started a pilot project around collaborative fundraising in 2019. 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. 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. "During this period when rigorous, fact-based and context-rich . And so that was the way I looked at the future for me. NPR's search for a new CEO is finally over! 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 . Essentially, the success of the company falls in your hands. 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 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. What do you think are some characteristics of good leadership? "The result, I believe, is a war on truth. The ratings have tanked because all they talk about is race. That's something that perceptive journalists should be able to pick up pretty quickly. 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 Mohns health crises. He will now lead the nation's top audio producer and broadcaster. NPR has tapped longtime media executive John Lansing to become its next president and CEO. "Jarl would be the first to say that it is the area where he feels that his work was not complete," Sheikholeslami said. We established the top priority [a.k.a. Lansing describes himself as a citizen watching from the outside A private citizen? Did you know that one day you would become a CEO? But now were seeing authoritarian regimes expanding around the globe, with media repression in places like Turkey and Venezuela, Cambodia and Vietnam.. Current: NPR has helped stations during the pandemic by delaying planned changes to the dues they pay. While serving as chief operating officer, she took on a greater role during two of Mohns medical leaves and in the aftermath of the sexual harassment scandal. He took over a troubled organization beset by infighting and bureaucratic inefficiency. Way back when, I was a news cameraman. National Public Radio will reduce its workforce by 10 percent as it grapples with what CEO John Lansing says is a "sharp . 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 But mostly its targeted at marketing investments on social media platforms that are specifically reaching out to younger and more diverse audiences to see if we can drive sampling. Will there be another stimulus? Podtrac, which measures the audiences of podcast publishers, has consistently placed NPR at the top of its monthly rankings. When will that freeze be lifted? NPR faces financial pressures from two fronts. And weve seen that really help them grow. I got this part time job at a TV station to make a little money while I was going to college. ", He continued: "Citizens in countries from Russia to China, from Iran to North Korea, have been victimized for decades. 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. When you first got to NPR, what did you think? 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. Mohn fired head of news Michael Oreskes on Halloween 2017. It is our work. So its a constant commitment to communication, to training, to accountability. Lansing: You have to imagine a picture, if you will. The Lookout is a free, daily email newsletter with news and happenings from all over Colorado. Anyone can read what you share. He took over a troubled organization beset by infighting and bureaucratic inefficiency. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. Current: Is there a timeline for that process? Were working with them to do joint investigative reporting. So Im pleased to see that that short era is over. Lansing: I guess my head turns first to the journalism of our member stations. 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. 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 makes you so open and vocal about the need for diversity? 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. NPR Start Date: Mid October, 2020 And what a breath of fresh air Whitney brings into the organization. "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. For two years, he served as the president and CEO of a cable trade group called the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing. 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. But we made a firm commitment, as you know, to freeze station dues and fees. Vegas PBS General Manager, Tom Axtell, announces his retirement. 2023 Colorado Public Radio. Live from. Did you plan for this or did it kind of just happen? And theyre all expected to articulate a DEI goal thats measurable, actionable, and that they can be held accountable for and will be. Everybody at NPR knows exactly what you mean when you say, 'What's our North Star?' They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado. It really stretched me to understand that flexibility is a good thing. Michael was a senior marketing executive at Scripps for Food Network and HGTV and really brings a lot of media marketing expertise. Theres no question about it. This documentary-style series follows investigative journalists as they uncover the truth. 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 said he took pride in maintaining conventional broadcasts while appealing to new audiences, reaching about 25% more people each week. Our third pillar is to optimize content and meet audiences where they are. Mr. Lansing, who began his career as a teenage cameraman at a television station in Kentucky, spent two decades at Scripps Networks. That was revised as a result. At the US Agency for Global Media, Lansing championed a free press even as leaders of many nations move against it. 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. The ratings for our weekend magazine shows are actually slightly greater than they were a year ago pre-pandemic, so thats a bright spot. And as the year unfolded, we began to develop our three-year strategic plan. 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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. We had begun a lot of work under [Chief Diversity Officer] Keith Woods' leadership to really move us forward. John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. So we were pleased to see SAG-AFTRA join our efforts. 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. There were about 20, 25 different meetings in the course of about 45 days. The second pillar is to transform our workplace culture. 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. administration regarding the now former managers of his former place of employment (USAGM) but claims the mantle of private citizen to do so. June 1, 20203:52 PM ET. 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. Lansing: Were still working on it right now. 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. Current: How have your priorities for NPR changed since you became CEO? I'm from Minneapolis, and my parents are buried about six blocks from where George Floyd was killed. 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. Lansings tenure at the agency has not been without controversy. NPR takes only a few million dollars a year from federal sources for its programs. NPR, the public radio and podcasting giant, has a new leader after years of growth and internal turmoil. And I would do a board-level review for the donor or donors as to where the business was, the value of the work we were doing, the things we were adding in terms of covering the pandemic. Video Snippet Lansing said in an interview with Current Thursday that one of his first observations upon joining NPR was that we needed to double down our efforts in diversity, equity and inclusion. 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