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. 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. It really stretched me to understand that flexibility is a good thing. When you first got to NPR, what did you think? It's not an extracurricular activity; it's fundamental to our business. 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. 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. I had been gone for the better part of a year or so. We'd like to revisit a story that first broke yesterday and . At the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Lansing championed a free press even as leaders of many nations move against it. Live from. 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. 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. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly. That's something that perceptive journalists should be able to pick up pretty quickly. 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. Were they targeted to specific spending areas or just for general costs? Its pretty clear to me that the ratings decline in radio is driven by commuting patterns. So if you have leaders talking about DEI as a priority, well, then, show me. 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. And probably the most important accountability is that, first of all, I hold myself accountable with my goals that I report to the board. John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. I am still morning the loss of an objective NPR. And were happy to see SAG-AFTRA agree with us and to join up. And its tied to the same variables you would know yourselves, which is, how fast can the vaccines be deployed? "We're not seeing signs of a recovery in the advertising market," Lansing says in an interview. I'd say if there's anything that I focused on, and still am focused on during the pandemic, it is to make sure that whatever the situation is, we are supporting staff to do their best work, supporting them when they're having other challenges and making sure that we're attentive and tuned in to employees that need help, that need a break, that need to be heard, whatever that may be. Lansing: Lets go back in time. Its not something weve baked and were just going to hand it down. You'll find out about what they do and what they're inspired by on the daily. Well, what we're doing right now, I think communication. Lansing: Were still working on it right now. NPR undertook a strategic reorganization last fall, reinstating the position of a chief content officer overseeing both the newsroom and the programming division. Lansing: You have to imagine a picture, if you will. But we felt like it was an important investment to make in our member stations to support them during the pandemic. 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. I think that's where we all wind up. NPR is funded by the CPB/PBS which are funded in part by the U.S. government. The work of those pillars will be done through the lens of improving our efforts on DEI. 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. Were finishing up in the next two to three weeks the specific lists of actions and activities under these pillars. Lansing: We arent in a position to answer that until we know for sure when the pandemic is going to subside. It is our work our North Star and our work are the same thing. 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. 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. NPR has a new CEO. NPR takes only a few million dollars a year from federal sources for its programs. Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Acting Chief Business Editor Emily Kopp. Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. Harvard Kennedy School. Apple is reportedly building a podcast subscription service. And were pleased to work with them. NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Current is an editorially independent, nonprofit service of the American University School of Communication. hide caption. 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. Government support for the public radio system isn't in any immediate jeopardy. So that would be mine. If it's not being solved from the top down, it shouldn't be a burden for people just trying to build their career. I established DEI as our top priority on Jan. 5 of 2020. 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. 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. Every time I hear it, I think that's a success by itself because we all have that as our guiding light. Tech companies that also rely heavily on advertising are undergoing layoffs too. My top goal is to support the women of color at NPR so that they feel like they have more upward mobility.. Lansing, who is . 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 . The ratings have tanked because all they talk about is race. Copyright 2023. 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. 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. "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. And be a good listener. 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. Lansing: Its on social media platforms or YouTube or through media partnerships. And for those stations that were scheduled to have a reduction, we allowed those reductions to go forward with a floor of 3% so that nobodys dues went up. "And I want to look for areas that I can provide leadership to bring resources together as needed strategically to find the right priorities that make the most sense for growing NPR this year and then into the future.". "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. 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. Your email address will not be published. "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. John Gibbs is an American far-right political commentator and politician. 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. Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan When you first got to NPR, what did you think? Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan Lansing, who is 62, is. Today, those individual situations are happening in the background when everybody's working, whether it's kids that are school age, or kids that are toddlers, or elder care, or spouses working in the same room or in the same apartment. "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. In these comments, John Lansing slides by with a public swipe at the Trump 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. 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? hide caption. 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 broadcasters like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Did you plan for this or did it kind of just happen? David Westin speaks with top names in finance about the week's biggest issues on Wall Street. John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. He took over a troubled organization beset by infighting and bureaucratic inefficiency. He is. 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 has become enshrined in our three-year strategic plan as the centerpiece of all of our work. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. And weve seen that really help them grow. Again, I think it's about getting it intertwined into everything we do. Weve seen a gradual comeback. 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. 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. Board Memberships & Affiliations. So were now into the new fiscal year. 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. Our DEI efforts at the beginning of 2020 were not a project or an extracurricular activity; it really became our work. 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. But were going to continue to follow up on that going into this year. 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. 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. NPR, the public radio and podcasting giant, has a new leader after years of growth and internal turmoil. We are not just putting out regulations or policies and paperwork. 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.. 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. "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. How is it a priority? 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. For the year that ended last September, NPR reported $241 million in expenses. NPR has tapped longtime media executive John Lansing to become its next president and CEO. He held off a push by House Republicans to spin off Voice of America into a nongovernmental broadcaster. Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnlansing. He was responsible for strategic and operational oversight and P&L of the $2.5 billion division of Scripps Networks Interactive, including the company's portfolio of six cable networks Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, DIY, Cooking Channel and Great American Country and the $100 million Scripps Networks Digital division. Lansing started his news industry career at age 17 as a studio technician and cameraman at WPSD TV, Paducah, KY, where he was promoted to news photographer after two years. NPR Were working with them to create regional newsrooms in Texas and California and the Midwest and in the Gulf. Its an inclusive process. John Lansing - Quick Profile. But we made a firm commitment, as you know, to freeze station dues and fees. 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. Lansing has earned an advanced degree in political agility. I just think we have a special and unique thing as a company. U.S. Agency for Global Media And I still think we have a long way to go. Then I moved on to manage TV stations and cable networks. So I would tell my younger self to be confident, calm down, it's all gonna work out. 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. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion. Learn more at npr.org/about or by following NPR Extra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Here's what to do in a worst case scenario. Lansing: Generally, the numbers that we would like to see in terms of the diversity of our audience were still lagging. NPR Press Release. Fearing a tepid economy, Lansing and his corporate team projected that revenue would stay flat for the fiscal year that began October 1. Video Snippet A later report commissioned by the NPR board found that questions had been raised about Oreskes' behavior even before his hiring and that concerns were raised throughout his tenure; the repeated and formal warnings by top executives (including Mohn) to Oreskes to stop the unwanted attention he paid to female colleagues proved ineffective. 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. What do you think are some characteristics of good leadership? Lansing: We hope to have that completed within about eight to 10 weeks. 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? NPR has also been the nation's leading producer of podcasts since Podtrac started measuring audiences. 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. Mr. Lansing, who began his career as a teenage cameraman at a television station in Kentucky, spent two decades at Scripps Networks. 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. Arcbazar.com. NPR will cut 10% of its workforce, CEO John Lansing said Wednesday. All rights reserved. But my goals also go to all of my direct reports. You go to college and all the sudden you're like 'wait a minute, I've got to do something when this is over.' John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. Within a few weeks, Lansing became convinced that projection would be unreachable. I think you have to be willing to take hard questions. I thought, wow. What was it like for you to watch that happen? The work theyve done during the pandemic has been nothing short of miraculous in many cases, particularly given the summer of racial reckoning, the most unusual presidential election in memory and everything thats gone on since. 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. Well, I like NPR Politics a lot. How do you think that the North Star, the strategic initiative, is going? Did you know that one day you would become a CEO? Lansing: I guess I would comment just as a citizen watching from outside. Amazon, Google, Meta and Microsoft have announced more than 50,000 job cuts combined in just the past few months.