john lansing npr political partyuss winston churchill commanding officer
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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. 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. Its not a sidebar. "Management is about committing to strategy, making tough decisions.". But were going to continue to follow up on that going into this year. Current: When was the climate survey conducted? Last year, the network booked $134 million in such corporate underwriting, a record built on strong growth in podcasting revenue in recent years. The ratings have tanked because all they talk about is race. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Board Member. Their editorial independence is enshrined in federal law, though it sometimes came under attack. So mentally, how do you manage that? Lansing: Lets go back in time. 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. For two years, he served as the president and CEO of a cable trade group called the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing. We can share resources and story ideas, and we can help organize and support those efforts. 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. It's not just what happened this week on the Hill, although that's important. 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, who is 62, is. It might come from my journalistic roots, and I think other journalists would say the same thing, I deal [with] and honor the truth. Our third pillar is to optimize content and meet audiences where they are. What steps does NPR still need to take in this area? Apple is reportedly building a podcast subscription service. It did not drive a lot of immediate donations, but there were some. That said, Mohn set higher annual expectations for the network in fundraising and agreed to be co-chairman of its 50th-anniversary capital campaign. 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. The union represents 570 people at NPR. Last year, President Trump appointed Michael Pack as USAGMs CEO. I just started in May. NPR has also been the nation's leading producer of podcasts since Podtrac started measuring audiences. Lansing, who is . And some stations who had a schedule to go down actually were allowed to go down. Prior to that, Lansing was VP and GM of Scripps ABC affiliates. Fear drives their path. Theres no question about it. And so that was the way I looked at the future for me. We established management commitments to the women of color so that we address specifically their concerns. All rights reserved. He made his mark in his current job with stirring defenses of journalism, free from government interference. "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.". This is an edited transcript of the conversation among Lansing, Current Reporter Tyler Falk and Digital Editor Mike Janssen. Well, what we're doing right now, I think communication. So we took that very, very seriously. The budget for the new fiscal year is set below last years actual based on our forecasts on continued downward pressure on corporate sponsorship. But thats our commitment. Pat O'Donnell, the executive director of the union's Mid-Atlantic unit, could not be reached for comment for this story. Scripps Networks September 5, 2019; Washington, D.C. - The NPR Board of Directors announced today that it. But now we're seeing authoritarian regimes expanding around the globe, with media repression in places like Turkey and Venezuela, Cambodia and Vietnam.". And as the year unfolded, we began to develop our three-year strategic plan. 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. While member stations on average receive about 10% of their funding from the federal government, fees from the stations make up a significant part of the NPR budget. The network's fight for listeners' time has become more feverish. "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. "I don't anticipate that it would be like a haircut across every division, because that's just not management," Lansing says. Lansing: I guess I would comment just as a citizen watching from outside. 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. Weve seen a gradual comeback. NPR stands stronger than it did at the outset of Mohn's five-year term in 2014. Scripps Co., says whenever an economic slowdown appears imminent, marketing budgets get slashed. Now with the magazine shows on weekdays were about 20% behind last year, which is a significant improvement over where we were about eight months ago. 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. NPR will cut 10% of its workforce, CEO John Lansing said Wednesday. ", Lansing, formerly a top television executive for the E.W. 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. An NPR spokeswoman said final decisions on which jobs will be eliminated should occur by the week of March 20. 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. 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. I, and the management team, all of us, we determined that was going to be a priority for the year 2021. NPR's chief executive announced the network would lay off roughly 10% of its . How has that effort been progressing? As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The emphasis, he says, must be on drawing in "the future audience to make NPR sustainable for the next 50 years. Pack then took a number of actions that raised fears about the independence of the agency, which includes Voice of America. 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. NPR Facebook Post with Comments. What was it like for you to watch that happen? "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. NPR's chief executive announced the network would lay off roughly 10% of its current workforce - at least 100 people - and eliminate most vacant positions. 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 . I just think we have a special and unique thing as a company. NPR maintains 17 national bureaus and 17 bureaus abroad. Lansing: They were for general. 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. Share Your Design Ideas, New JerseysMurphy Defends $10 Billion Rainy Day Fund as States Economy Slows, What Led to Europes Deadliest Train Crash in a Decade, This Week in Crypto: Ukraine War, Marathon Digital, FTX. Yet the tech and media industries' prospects stand at odds with a tight labor market and low unemployment more broadly. Sometimes you have to hear other people's truth and accept it for what it is, not translate it into your truth, therefore it's no longer what it is. I hear that all the time. 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. I think you have to be in front of your teams. 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. ", "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. Being a changemaker is awesome, but can have its own challenges as you're just trying to improve your career. That content executive position has not yet been filled; its creation led to the departure of then-NPR chief news executive Nancy Barnes. 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. 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. Current: With broadcast listening declining during the pandemic, what is NPR doing to address and adjust to those trends? Current: How else might NPR assist stations in the coming year? And as a CEO, and also as a white man, I want to know, how did you handle it when all eyes were on you? hide caption. Lansing's tenure at the agency has not been without controversy. NPR will cut 10% of its workforce, CEO John Lansing said Wednesday. Current: NPR and a group of stations started a pilot project around collaborative fundraising in 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. In a large part, the digital teams and the divisions will work together to reach a final model. 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. U.S. Agency for Global Media Lansing: Its on social media platforms or YouTube or through media partnerships. Lansing: I guess my head turns first to the journalism of our member stations. 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. Michael was a senior marketing executive at Scripps for Food Network and HGTV and really brings a lot of media marketing expertise. NPRs search for a new CEO is finally over! hide caption. NPR has a new CEO. Were working with them to do joint investigative reporting. There were about 20, 25 different meetings in the course of about 45 days. I can't speak for other people, CEOs. John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. Lansing: Generally, the numbers that we would like to see in terms of the diversity of our audience were still lagging. Mr. Lansing will start in October, replacing Jarl Mohn, who has run NPR since 2014. John Lansing , CEO of NPR NPR President John Lansing '09 is Bellarmine's 2021 commencement speaker, Honorary Degree recipient April 22, 2021 NPR P. NPR's president of operations, Loren Mayor, was the leading internal candidate for the chief executive position. 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. Mohn was pressed about his leadership in a tense NPR interview and later apologized to employees for not taking action sooner. 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. Current: How much were those anonymous gifts? As we moved through the summer, that deficit remained at about $25 million. Current: You recently made some changes to NPRs digital strategy by moving to integrate digital operations into divisions throughout the organization.This also includes eliminating the role of chief digital officer held by Thomas Hjelm at the end of February. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly. But also, what are the larger things that are happening? "We're not seeing signs of a recovery in the advertising market," Lansing says in an interview. 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. Experts say the behavior could have constituted insider trading. Were working with them to create regional newsrooms in Texas and California and the Midwest and in the Gulf. And it really opened the funnel. Were certainly not over, were not at a finish line. Anyone can read what you share. So it's kind of inseparable, that coming in as CEO of NPR, and then six months in having the coronavirus, followed by a major economic downturn in the country and for NPR, and then the reckoning that summer. It was hard for everyone. Mr. Lansing rejected that accusation, saying that the agency was independent by law. And weve seen some significant success with that. Mohn placed an emphasis on fostering a more collaborative dynamic with the public radio stations that NPR serves and was given credit for making progress on that score. Lansing, who is 62, is. Family Status: Married with 4 Children (Jean Rausch Lansing) So sad to lose an American institution to propaganda. And were pleased to work with them. It began to improve a little bit as we moved into August and September, as corporate sponsorships began to recover a little bit. Lansing: Thats a great question. Prior to joining USAGM, he served for two years as the President and CEO of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), an organization that facilitates collaborative marketing initiatives for its members. Age: 62, Born on July 31, 1957, in Minneapolis Podtrac, which measures the audiences of podcast publishers, has consistently placed NPR at the top of its monthly rankings. Lansing: Were still working on it right now. 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. Everybody at NPR knows exactly what you mean when you say, 'What's our North Star?' How do you think that the North Star, the strategic initiative, is going? And weve seen that really help them grow. 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. Others have waded into the podcast fray with a vengeance. 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. Current: Do you have any examples of how digital operations would be integrated into divisions throughout the organization? John Gibbs is an American far-right political commentator and politician. You can't escape that. The ratings for our weekend magazine shows are actually slightly greater than they were a year ago pre-pandemic, so thats a bright spot. 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. 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. We discovered in our most recent climate survey that that was an area that we needed to put more effort into. Lansing: Back in May and June, it was an alarming decline in radio ratings. How cool is it to be at. Vegas PBS General Manager, Tom Axtell, announces his retirement. Current: Companies like Spotify and Amazon have been pouring big money into podcasting. 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. Again, I think it's about getting it intertwined into everything we do. To be a part of creating the future of such an important institution is humbling, exciting, and a distinct honor.". 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. 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. I would enjoy being on a podcast talking about politics. I established DEI as our top priority on Jan. 5 of 2020. 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. There was one the year before I was here, then this was the follow-up. So at the end of the day, its a commitment, but this also has to be accountability. 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. Weve also seen very positive upticks in development. 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 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. And how's that being measured and accounted for? Why did you undertake this? 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. How are you working to shore up NPRs place in the podcasting landscape and compete with deep-pocketed tech companies? 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. Lansing 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. It's not an extracurricular activity; it's fundamental to our business. 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 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. August 20, 2022 August 20th is National Radio Day. Current: Did anything else stand out to you in that survey that you believe needed attention and needs attention? NPR's search for a new CEO is finally over! 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. Ever since you started, you've been very vocal about it. 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. "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. Lansing also spent almost 20 years working at Scripps, including eight years as President of Scripps Networks. 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. 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. But we felt like it was an important investment to make in our member stations to support them during the pandemic. And Im holding myself accountable with my board and Ive been and am holding my direct reports accountable to me. The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, eliminated its Sunday magazine and a handful of other jobs. That's the way I think about leadership here. 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. "And we finally got to the point where there was nothing really that we could cut big enough to fill a hole like that.". 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. Its not something weve baked and were just going to hand it down. National Public Radio will reduce its workforce by 10 percent as it grapples with what CEO John Lansing says is a "sharp . 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? CEO John Lansing cited the erosion of advertising dollars, particularly for NPR podcasts, and the tough financial outlook for the media industry more generally. So sad to me. The ratings for our weekend magazine shows are actually slightly greater than they were a year ago pre-pandemic, so thats a bright spot.. For the year that ended last September, NPR reported $241 million in expenses. Now, he says, it must drum up more creative income sources, like the licensing of the popular show How I Built This to Amazon's streaming services, which he says generates $8 million annually. 2017-2022. 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. 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. A member of the Republican Party, Gibbs was a software engineer and missionary before entering politics. At Colorado Public Radio, I think there was a $300,000 donation that came out of that. He also vowed to make sure job cuts do not fall disproportionately on employees of color. 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. 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. You have shows like All Things Considered and Morning Edition, which will continue to be broadcasting tent poles, Mr. Lansing said. 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. Were consulting with digital media, were consulting with the division heads, and were doing it as an all-hands project so that we get it right. hide caption. Were finishing up in the next two to three weeks the specific lists of actions and activities under these pillars. He served on the Bellarmine University Board of Trustees from 2010-2016 and was vice-chair 2014-2016. Disclosure: This story was reported by NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik under guidance from NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi. 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. And our number one goal is to improve our audience diversity. Its a real business with real market dynamics.. NPR's Michel Martin asks NPR's CEO, John Lansing, to respond to an All Things Considered interview with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. From 2015 to 2019, Lansing served as the CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the independent federal agency whose programming reaches an average weekly audience of 345 million people in 62 languages. So I would tell my younger self to be confident, calm down, it's all gonna work out. You go to college and all the sudden you're like 'wait a minute, I've got to do something when this is over.' When you first got to NPR, what did you think? 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. In late November, the network announced $20 million in cuts, including a near-freeze on hiring, elimination of most travel, and suspension of internships.