john lansing npr political party john lansing npr political party

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. I joined in October of '19. The network had run deficits in six of the seven previous years; under Mohn, it has achieved a slight surplus for each year during his tenure, even as the annual budget grew by more than 40%. I think there are interesting trends to follow and try to understand. So sad to lose an American institution to propaganda. We're funded by your subscriptions, your donations, advertising, and a generous grant from the Wyncote Foundation. 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 . NPR faces financial pressures from two fronts. And probably the most important accountability is that, first of all, I hold myself accountable with my goals that I report to the board. Last fall, when announcing the earlier cuts, Lansing said the network would have to make tough choices - and to "do less with less." Age: 62, Born on July 31, 1957, in Minneapolis It really stretched me to understand that flexibility is a good thing. "The result, I believe, is a war on truth. Our third pillar is to optimize content and meet audiences where they are. 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. It's not just what happened this week on the Hill, although that's important. This is an edited transcript of the conversation among Lansing, Current Reporter Tyler Falk and Digital Editor Mike Janssen. 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. administration regarding the now former managers of his former place of employment (USAGM) but claims the mantle of private citizen to do so. John Lansing - Quick Profile. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. Lansing: Thats a great question. My top goal is to support the women of color at NPR so that they feel like they have more upward mobility.. Current: Do you have any examples of how digital operations would be integrated into divisions throughout the organization? 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. 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. We still remain one of the top, if not the top, podcasters in America. He was promoted to news photographer after two years, then moved on to managing editor, news director, and leadership of commercial television affiliates around the country. John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. Four years ago, Lansing was named by President Barack Obama to be the first chief executive of the broadcasting outfit that was renamed the U.S. Agency for Global Media. John Lansing , CEO of NPR NPR President John Lansing '09 is Bellarmine's 2021 commencement speaker, Honorary Degree recipient April 22, 2021 NPR P. I think we're moving forward. What would you go back and tell your younger self? John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. ", "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. It began to improve a little bit as we moved into August and September, as corporate sponsorships began to recover a little bit. 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. 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. How is it a priority? Apple is reportedly building a podcast subscription service. But thats our commitment. It has become enshrined in our three-year strategic plan as the centerpiece of all of our work. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. Why did you undertake this? Everybody at NPR knows exactly what you mean when you say, 'What's our North Star?' Yet Lansing also takes over an institution riven by a scandal that hit its top reaches, with a chief news executive toppled over #MeToo complaints of inappropriate conduct toward female subordinates and colleagues. At the center of a graphic is our commitment to DEI, and all of our work in that circle is surrounded by four pillars. He served on the Bellarmine University Board of Trustees from 2010-2016 and was vice-chair 2014-2016. After becoming part of Warner Bros. 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. As we got to April of last spring, we saw a massive deficit develop for NPR on the order of about $25 million. So mentally, how do you manage that? We had begun a lot of work under [Chief Diversity Officer] Keith Woods' leadership to really move us forward. Current: What challenges have you faced in implementing your DEI plans? And I was very proud of the progress we were making. Lansing: About 11 months ago, in February, a pilot group of 15 stations got together and put together an 18-month plan to begin the process. And weve seen that really help them grow. So if you have leaders talking about DEI as a priority, well, then, show me. 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. John Lansing testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee in July. 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. Their editorial independence is enshrined in federal law, though it sometimes came under attack. 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 . And what a breath of fresh air Whitney brings into the organization. Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft have announced more than 50,000 job cuts combined in just the past few months. Every time I hear it, I think that's a success by itself because we all have that as our guiding light. Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan When you first got to NPR, what did you think? Last year, President Trump appointed Michael Pack as USAGMs CEO. 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. Under his leadership NPR has been reaching new audiences as the country's top podcast publisher and through platforms like smart-speakers and connected cars. And were pleased to work with them. 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. 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. Current: What are some of the highlights of that strategic plan? hide caption. 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 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. Its something that we certainly support. What steps does NPR still need to take in this area? 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 the work goes on. Lansing: Lets go back in time. This is just dishonest, especially since NPR became what amounted to a voice of the opposition in its coverage of this dysfunctional federal agency. 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. 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. As we moved through the summer, that deficit remained at about $25 million. On an annual budget of roughly $300 million, Lansing says, revenues are likely to fall short by close to $30 million, although that gap could reach $32 million. Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. The ratings for our weekend magazine shows are actually slightly greater than they were a year ago pre-pandemic, so thats a bright spot.. Pack then took a number of actions that raised fears about the independence of the agency, which includes Voice of America. And its where our focus needs to be right now. In setting NPR's earlier rounds of budget cuts a couple months ago, Lansing consulted ahead of time with leaders of the unions representing workers at NPR with an eye to avoiding any layoffs. At the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Lansing championed a free press even as leaders of many nations move against it. Lansing also spent almost 20 years working at Scripps, including eight years as President of Scripps Networks. So Im pleased to see that that short era is over. ", Lansing, formerly a top television executive 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. Just be tuned into our folks. 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. Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Acting Chief Business Editor Emily Kopp. Disclosure: This story was reported by NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik under guidance from NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi. At the same time, we have to think creatively. Yet Mr. Mohns tenure was also marked by a sexual harassment scandal involving a senior news executive whom he had hired and a labor clash with hundreds of union workers. "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. Lansing: Its on social media platforms or YouTube or through media partnerships. 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. 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. 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. 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. "Nothing is nailed down yet except the principles and what we know we have to reach.". No. Or 'How are we doing on the North Star?' So were now into the new fiscal year. New podcasts Up First, Consider This and State of Ukraine sit on both sides. 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. 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. 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. 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. Under standard procedures for reporting on NPR matters, NPR's corporate and news executives were not allowed to review the report until it was posted. That said, Mohn set higher annual expectations for the network in fundraising and agreed to be co-chairman of its 50th-anniversary capital campaign. Unlike some predecessors, Lansing doesn't face a particularly fraught political landscape. He also vowed to make sure job cuts do not fall disproportionately on employees of color. 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. All rights reserved. How are you working to shore up NPRs place in the podcasting landscape and compete with deep-pocketed tech companies? The network's fight for listeners' time has become more feverish. Government support for the public radio system isn't in any immediate jeopardy. "We were doing everything we could against the tide and couldn't keep clipping our costs as the revenue kept slipping," Lansing says. He will now lead the nation's top audio producer and broadcaster. NPR takes only a few million dollars a year from federal sources for its programs. 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. NPRs search for a new CEO is finally over! Lansing: We hope to have that completed within about eight to 10 weeks. It is our work our North Star and our work are the same thing. There are over 1000 NPR Member Station signals broadcasting across the United States 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. Lansing describes himself as a citizen watching from the outside A private citizen? 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. People, given the opportunity, will do the right thing in a way that hopefully makes them want to be here for a long time. 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. I am still morning the loss of an objective NPR. U.S. Agency for Global Media Follow Bloomberg reporters as they uncover some of the biggest financial crimes of the modern era. So we were pleased to see SAG-AFTRA join our efforts. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Lansing has earned an advanced degree in political agility. And I still think we have a long way to go. And some stations who had a schedule to go down actually were allowed to go down. We saw a lot of companies react to the [murder of] George Floyd and we did too. NPR Facebook Post with Comments. Our DEI efforts at the beginning of 2020 were not a project or an extracurricular activity; it really became our work. 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. Weve seen a gradual comeback. I'm just passionate about how good leadership can lead to good outcomes, and that led me here. Scripps Company, where he managed the company's portfolio of ten broadcast television stations across the country. 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. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion of advertising dollars, particularly for NPR podcasts, and the tough financial outlook for the media industry more generally. John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. At a young age, my biggest goal at the time was to someday be a news director for a local TV station. Board Member. In a large part, the digital teams and the divisions will work together to reach a final model. He will be the 11th permanent president or chief executive in the radio network's nearly 50-year history. Essentially, the success of the company falls in your hands. hide caption. 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. NPR, the public radio and podcasting giant, has a new leader after years of growth and internal turmoil. I thought, wow. Your email address will not be published. Current (https://current.org/2021/02/ceo-john-lansing-discusses-nprs-diversity-efforts-budget-deficit-and-growing-podcast-competition/). 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.. We'd like to revisit a story that first broke yesterday and . "When we say we are eliminating filled positions, we are talking about our colleagues - people whose skills, spirit and talents help make NPR what it is today," Lansing wrote in a memo to staff today. 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. 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. He joined NPR after serving as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Experts say the behavior could have constituted insider trading. "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. Video Snippet I established DEI as our top priority on Jan. 5 of 2020. Lansing will begin his term at NPR in October and will succeed Jarl Mohn, who has been Chief Executive Officer and President since 2014. Harvard Kennedy School. "What we've shown with podcasting is that we can take some of our core journalistic assets and we can create new formats and new programs around them and actually reach new audiences. We can share resources and story ideas, and we can help organize and support those efforts. "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. Lansing: We arent in a position to answer that until we know for sure when the pandemic is going to subside. But also, what are the larger things that are happening? Or persons of color who are in our organization that are hearing [about] a lot of activity but arent experiencing what they believe they should be experiencing in terms of a workplace where they feel like they can grow and improve their work and improve their careers. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. I'm from Minneapolis, and my parents are buried about six blocks from where George Floyd was killed. Its new president and chief executive is John Lansing, a former cable executive who for the last five years has run the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the federally funded organization behind. "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. And were happy to see SAG-AFTRA agree with us and to join up. So those are the four pillars that rotate around the centerpiece, we call it the North Star, of our commitment to DEI. In these comments, John Lansing slides by with a public swipe at the Trump John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. Copyright 2023. So we took that very, very seriously. Then I moved on to manage TV stations and cable networks. 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. 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. It was a reckoning for all of us together collectively at NPR. 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. That's the way I think about leadership here. I just started in May. Lansing, who is 62, is. But second, we're mission-driven, and I think everybody in the organization lives and breathes that mission. To be a part of creating the future of such an important institution is humbling, exciting, and a distinct honor.". During that financial crisis, NPR shut down shows and laid off scores of people. He was previously head of cable TV company Scripps Networks, where he sold $10 million in stock after the company became the target of an SEC probe that was not known to the public. For the year that ended last September, NPR reported $241 million in expenses. What advice would you give to young journalists of color when navigating these white spaces, but attempting to make a change? NPR Start Date: Mid October, 2020 The union represents 570 people at NPR. John Lansing is taking over for outgoing CEO Jarl Mohn, who has led the organization for . This time, Lansing says he is not confident the money will return anytime soon, so the network and its board have to plan more strategically. I had been gone for the better part of a year or so. 2016 John Lansing leading a moderated a discussion with the members of the International Media Coordinating Council (ICC) about a unified strategy for the future. 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. Arcbazar.com. Discovery, CNN cut hundreds of jobs and killed off its brand-new streaming service, CNN+. "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. Learn more at npr.org/about or by following NPR Extra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Will there be another stimulus? 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.