john lansing npr political party john lansing npr political party

Lansing, who is 62, is. Podtrac, which measures the audiences of podcast publishers, has consistently placed NPR at the top of its monthly rankings. 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. 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. 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. 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. John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. Copyright 2023. NPR will cut 10% of its workforce, CEO John Lansing said Wednesday. Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. September 5, 2019; Washington, D.C. The NPR Board of Directors announced today that it selected John Lansing to become its next President and Chief Executive Officer. 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. So those are the four pillars that rotate around the centerpiece, we call it the North Star, of our commitment to DEI. Lansing: They were for general. Mr. Mohn was pressed about his leadership in a tense NPR interview and later apologized to employees for not taking action sooner. 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're funded by your subscriptions, your donations, advertising, and a generous grant from the Wyncote Foundation. At the U.S. Agency for Global Media, Lansing championed a free press even as leaders of many nations move against it. And I had a lot of interest in how my former team was being treated, but more importantly, just as an American citizen, how the work of USAGM through VOA [Voice of America] and RFE/RL [Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty] was threatening to undermine the interests of the United States government by politicizing journalism that was meant by law to be free of political interference. Disclosure: This story was reported by NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik under guidance from NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi. 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? What do you think are some characteristics of good leadership? 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. Did you know that one day you would become a CEO? In a memo to. 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. At a young age, my biggest goal at the time was to someday be a news director for a local TV station. I would enjoy being on a podcast talking about politics. 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 . Its an inclusive process. 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. 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. Lansing also spent almost 20 years working at Scripps, including eight years as President of Scripps Networks. Lansing: You have to imagine a picture, if you will. What steps does NPR still need to take in this area? Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan How is it a priority? Apple is reportedly building a podcast subscription service. Lansing: We arent in a position to answer that until we know for sure when the pandemic is going to subside. So if you have leaders talking about DEI as a priority, well, then, show me. And I still think we have a long way to go. The ratings for our weekend magazine shows are actually slightly greater than they were a year ago pre-pandemic, so thats a bright spot.. 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. He spent two decades at Scripps Networks, starting as a station manager in the Detroit, MI affiliate; eventually becoming President of Scripps cable networks company from 2005 to 2013. Its a real business with real market dynamics.. Board Member. Video Snippet Were working with them to do joint investigative reporting. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. When you first got to NPR, what did you think? So I wouldn't create a politics podcast because there are too many, and we have the best one of many already. 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. NPR is funded by the CPB/PBS which are funded in part by the U.S. government. 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. 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. In an interview on Friday, Mr. Lansing, 62, praised NPR as a home of high-quality journalism and audio production, and said that in addition to supporting traditional radio broadcasting he wanted to help NPR further its expansion into areas like podcasts, where the radio network has already been a leader. And weve seen that really help them grow. Everybody at NPR knows exactly what you mean when you say, 'What's our North Star?' Scripps Networks Vox Media cut jobs by 7%; Gannett and Spotify by 6%. NPR's president of operations, Loren Mayor, was the leading internal candidate for the chief executive position. Experts say the behavior could have constituted insider trading. Lansing: Lets go back in time. And be a good listener. Mr. Lansing, who began his career as a teenage cameraman at a television station in Kentucky, spent two decades at Scripps Networks. What makes you so open and vocal about the need for diversity? 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 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. A new chief content officer will oversee NPR's news and programming divisions, which have frequently collaborated and almost as frequently clashed over resources and . 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. I'm just passionate about how good leadership can lead to good outcomes, and that led me here. Will there be another stimulus? So I think that it has caused me to be more tuned in to hearing and understanding our employees. 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. John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. We can share resources and story ideas, and we can help organize and support those efforts. You have stated that DEI is your top priority at NPR. To be a part of creating the future of such an important institution is humbling, exciting, and a distinct honor.". 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. So its an ongoing effort. Current: NPR and a group of stations started a pilot project around collaborative fundraising in 2019. 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. Were they targeted to specific spending areas or just for general costs? . There was one the year before I was here, then this was the follow-up. NPR, the public radio and podcasting giant, has a new leader after years of growth and internal turmoil. Mr. Mohn led the push into podcasting and helped stabilize the organization after years of management turnover and budget deficits. Family Status: Married with 4 Children (Jean Rausch Lansing) John F Lansing, National Public Radio Inc: Profile and Biography - Bloomberg Markets Live Now Bloomberg TV+ Bloomberg Daybreak Middle East Bloomberg Daybreak Middle East. Lansing's tenure at the agency has not been without controversy. Were finishing up in the next two to three weeks the specific lists of actions and activities under these pillars. And now in our budgeting were shifting some revenue for Michael to use that to promote and support our podcasts as they compete, as you note, with other large commercial businesses. I thought, wow. "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.". But were going to continue to follow up on that going into this year. NPR's total workforce has grown by about 50 percent since before that crisis. In these comments, John Lansing slides by with a public swipe at the Trump Ever since I've started, I've noticed that you've been very vocal about the need for diversity. Current: NPRs budget also took a hit because of the pandemic. Lansing says even that proved overly optimistic. When will that freeze be lifted? 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. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images The other is the fight for donors. At the same time, we have to think creatively. And were happy to see SAG-AFTRA agree with us and to join up. 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. administration regarding the now former managers of his former place of employment (USAGM) but claims the mantle of private citizen to do so. 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. In recent remarks online, Johnson, who is Black, focused on a more competitive landscape for NPR journalists, including people of color. If you had to create a podcast, what would it be about? So we took that very, very seriously. I had no idea what was out there. But also, what are the larger things that are happening? Mohn will continue on as President Emeritus & Co-Chair of the 50th Anniversary Campaign. NPR plans to lay off about 10% of its current staff due to the soft ad market and a drop in revenue from corporate sponsors, as well as uncertainties in the global economy overall. Lansing: Generally, the numbers that we would like to see in terms of the diversity of our audience were still lagging. Pack then took a number of actions that raised fears about the independence of the agency, which includes Voice of America. 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. Current: NPR has helped stations during the pandemic by delaying planned changes to the dues they pay. That content executive position has not yet been filled; its creation led to the departure of then-NPR chief news executive Nancy Barnes. During the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic, NPR was at risk of laying off staff when sponsors canceled their spots on the network, said John Lansing, NPR's chief executive. And its tied to the same variables you would know yourselves, which is, how fast can the vaccines be deployed? I think there are interesting trends to follow and try to understand. And the work goes on. So its a constant commitment to communication, to training, to accountability. 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. Their editorial independence is enshrined in federal law, though it sometimes came under attack. NPR maintains 17 national bureaus and 17 bureaus abroad. Lansing: SAG-AFTRA came out with their letter around our September board meeting in 2020. I think there's an awareness, like in the way you asked the question about 'our North Star.' "Bloomberg Opinion" columnists offer their opinions on issues in the news. 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. So sad to lose an American institution to propaganda. Others have waded into the podcast fray with a vengeance. Current: You came to NPR after serving as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. 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. 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. I just think we have a special and unique thing as a company. 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. What would you go back and tell your younger self? That survey happened in the fall of 2020. You'll find out about what they do and what they're inspired by on the daily. 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. Scripps Networks September 5, 2019; Washington, D.C. - The NPR Board of Directors announced today that it. Last year, the network booked $134 million in such corporate underwriting, a record built on strong growth in podcasting revenue in recent years. Talk about a force of nature. 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. Vegas PBS General Manager, Tom Axtell, announces his retirement. NPR Start Date: Mid October, 2020 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. If it's not being solved from the top down, it shouldn't be a burden for people just trying to build their career. NPR takes only a few million dollars a year from federal sources for its programs. 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. Arcbazar.com. 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. The work of those pillars will be done through the lens of improving our efforts on DEI. Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Acting Chief Business Editor Emily Kopp. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly. 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. NPR's programming division, which produces its industry-leading podcasts, has more than doubled since 2019. Weve had a couple of significant anonymous gifts that have helped shore up our forecast for the coming fiscal year. NPR Start Date: Mid October, 2020 There were about 20, 25 different meetings in the course of about 45 days. 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. 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. 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. I hear that all the time. 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. 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. At Colorado Public Radio, I think there was a $300,000 donation that came out of that. 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. 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. hide caption. 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. It has become enshrined in our three-year strategic plan as the centerpiece of all of our work. I'm kind of a politics junkie. Lansing: Were still working on it right now. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. 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 you have to be willing to take hard questions. 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. He won praise for doing so and says he informed leaders of SAG-AFTRA on Tuesday about the impending job cuts. NPR strives to create a more informed publicone challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. 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. 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. This documentary-style series follows investigative journalists as they uncover the truth. It's not an extracurricular activity; it's fundamental to our business. It might come from my journalistic roots, and I think other journalists would say the same thing, I deal [with] and honor the truth. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Current is an editorially independent, nonprofit service of the American University School of Communication. (Former long time member). Why did you undertake this? "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. Theres no question about it. So that would be mine. And theyre all expected to articulate a DEI goal thats measurable, actionable, and that they can be held accountable for and will be. 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. I think you have to be in front of your teams. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion. 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. Were certainly not over, were not at a finish line. Pozen Fellow At the Shorenstein Center. That's the way I think about leadership here. 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.". 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 some stations who had a schedule to go down actually were allowed to go down. Being a changemaker is awesome, but can have its own challenges as you're just trying to improve your career. 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. He also vowed to make sure job cuts do not fall disproportionately on employees of color. Board Memberships & Affiliations. For July, NPRs 60 active shows among them Planet Money, Fresh Air and Wait Wait Dont Tell Me! were downloaded 141 million times and had nearly 21 million listeners in the United States, according to Podtrac. 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? It began to improve a little bit as we moved into August and September, as corporate sponsorships began to recover a little bit. NPR And as the year unfolded, we began to develop our three-year strategic plan. But my goals also go to all of my direct reports. Since then,. Lansing describes himself as a citizen watching from the outside A private citizen? And probably the most important accountability is that, first of all, I hold myself accountable with my goals that I report to the board. It was a reckoning for all of us together collectively at NPR. 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? Weve also seen very positive upticks in development. The second pillar is to transform our workplace culture. The last time NPR faced such stark choices, it was 2008. 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. 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 established the top priority [a.k.a. Current: How else might NPR assist stations in the coming year? Lansing, who is . 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. "The combination of his health issues plus the situation with Mike Oreskes did derail his plans.". And the pandemic hit six months later in March of '20. 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. 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. "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. NPR will cut 10% of its workforce, CEO John Lansing said Wednesday. I thought, wow. And how's that being measured and accounted for? There are over 1000 NPR Member Station signals broadcasting across the United States Let's say, I was walking out of high school into college, I had no idea what I was going to do.