America needs public radio more than ever. He is credited with restoring morale, in part by naming a noted journalist as head of the Voice of America: Amanda Bennett is a former top news executive at the Philadelphia Inquirer who previously held senior newsroom jobs at Bloomberg News and The Wall Street Journal. And what a breath of fresh air Whitney brings into the organization. Lansing: When we look at our strategic plan and our commitment to growing our audience of the future, its clear to us that every corner of NPR has a digital on-demand initiative thats critical to our success and that it makes more sense to have the digital assets closer to the work thats influencing our audiences and growing our audiences. Lansing describes himself as a citizen watching from the outside A private citizen? I hear that all the time. Weve had a couple of significant anonymous gifts that have helped shore up our forecast for the coming fiscal year. So sad to lose an American institution to propaganda. Current: How much were those anonymous gifts? It didnt begin in the summer it accelerated in the summer. 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. He served for four years as the SVP, Television for the E.W. Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News. 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. Current: Why are NPR and its partners looking to sell the Pocket Casts podcast app? Lansing: Thats a great question. Were working with them to create regional newsrooms in Texas and California and the Midwest and in the Gulf. 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. It's not an extracurricular activity; it's fundamental to our business. 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. But it was not from a standing start. What would you go back and tell your younger self? As we moved through the summer, that deficit remained at about $25 million. But were going to continue to follow up on that going into this year. I think you have to be in front of your teams. To be a part of creating the future of such an important institution is humbling, exciting, and a distinct honor.". I'm kind of a politics junkie. A graduate of Bellarmine University, he was named to the Bellarmine University Gallery of Distinguished Graduates in 2010. 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. Harvard Kennedy School. He is passionate about NPR's public service mission and the role of a free and independent media in a strong democracy. Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan When you first got to NPR, what did you think? Current: NPRs budget also took a hit because of the pandemic. 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. We couldnt be more proud of the quality and the depth of the journalism thats coming from the member stations, and it really has strengthened the entire system enormously. The network has won acclaim for its coverage of wars and disasters, yet suffered its own crisis and tragedy in 2016 when its David Gilkey and Zabihullah Tamanna were killed while on assignment in southern Afghanistan. We'd like to revisit a story that first broke yesterday and . And were pleased to work with them. John Lansing - Quick Profile. 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. Our DEI efforts at the beginning of 2020 were not a project or an extracurricular activity; it really became our work. This is an edited transcript of the conversation among Lansing, Current Reporter Tyler Falk and Digital Editor Mike Janssen. I'm just passionate about how good leadership can lead to good outcomes, and that led me here. Its not a sidebar. 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. 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. 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. David Westin speaks with top names in finance about the week's biggest issues on Wall Street. So those are the four pillars that rotate around the centerpiece, we call it the North Star, of our commitment to DEI. Were finishing up in the next two to three weeks the specific lists of actions and activities under these pillars. Last year, the network booked $134 million in such corporate underwriting, a record built on strong growth in podcasting revenue in recent years. Lansing says even that proved overly optimistic. 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. You'll find out about what they do and what they're inspired by on the daily. 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. "The result, I believe, is a war on truth. Mr. Mohn led the push into podcasting and helped stabilize the organization after years of management turnover and budget deficits. "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. We still remain one of the top, if not the top, podcasters in America. When you first got to NPR, what did you think? Its a real business with real market dynamics.. And the pandemic hit six months later in March of '20. I joined in October of '19. But second, we're mission-driven, and I think everybody in the organization lives and breathes that mission. And I was very proud of the progress we were making. But also, what are the larger things that are happening? The layoffs are in keeping with an increasingly grim landscape for media companies over recent months. My top goal is to support the women of color at NPR so that they feel like they have more upward mobility.. At Colorado Public Radio, I think there was a $300,000 donation that came out of 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. 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. 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. "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. 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. Lansing served for ten years as a visiting faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. 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. 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. 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. 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. But thats our commitment. Well, I'm fortunate that we have a terrific executive committee and leadership team, so we all share the daily ins and outs of managing a big organization. I had no idea what was out there. We went from about 900 people a day at headquarters down to about 80 and were virtually broadcasting from peoples homes and offices, in terms of the hosts, almost exclusively beginning in April. Lansing: Lets go back in time. 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. 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. The last time NPR faced such stark choices, it was 2008. Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. 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. NPR strives to create a more informed publicone challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. Vox Media cut jobs by 7%; Gannett and Spotify by 6%. He will now lead the nation's top audio producer and broadcaster. 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. ", "I am thrilled to work with NPR's exceptional management team, staff and journalists," said Lansing. One thing I would say is, research the places you're looking at to either begin your career or advance your career and understand where they are on these issues. He also vowed to make sure job cuts do not fall disproportionately on employees of color. 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 . NPR has tapped longtime media executive John Lansing to become its next president and CEO. I think there's an awareness, like in the way you asked the question about 'our North Star.' After Lansing hopped over to NPR from USAGM in 2019, NPR had to be prompted by outside critics to include disclaimers on its USAGM/VOA stories to note Lansings past USAGM role. Ever since I've started, I've noticed that you've been very vocal about the need for diversity. 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. Mr. Lansing will start in October, replacing Jarl Mohn, who has run NPR since 2014. At the U.S. Agency for Global Media known until last year as the Broadcasting Board of Governors he presided over 53 percent growth in the weekly audience for the agencys networks over the last three years, to 345 million. As we got to April of last spring, we saw a massive deficit develop for NPR on the order of about $25 million. Lansing: That was conducted back in September. Lansing: They were for general. Live from. There was one the year before I was here, then this was the follow-up. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Current is an editorially independent, nonprofit service of the American University School of Communication. 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. 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. Both Lansing and Sheikholeslami say he is adamant about pressing forward with reforms to the workplace culture at NPR that Mayor has already started to put in place. It might come from my journalistic roots, and I think other journalists would say the same thing, I deal [with] and honor the truth. 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. Way back when, I was a news cameraman. Unlike some predecessors, Lansing doesn't face a particularly fraught political landscape. That's the way I think about leadership here. 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. Did you know that one day you would become a CEO? So its an ongoing effort. 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. In 2017, Michael Oreskes, NPRs senior vice president for news, left after two women accused him of unwanted physical advances in the 1990s, when he was the Washington bureau chief of The New York Times. 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. And theyre all expected to articulate a DEI goal thats measurable, actionable, and that they can be held accountable for and will be. Last summer, we definitely had a racial reckoning. It is our work our North Star and our work are the same thing. New podcasts Up First, Consider This and State of Ukraine sit on both sides. 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. NPR's president of operations, Loren Mayor, was the leading internal candidate for the chief executive position. John Gibbs is an American far-right political commentator and politician. Lansing clearly had an ongoing interest in the USAGM story and the notion that that at some point along the line he did not provide his take, at minimum, to NPR reporting staff, on the story beggars belief. 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. So its a constant commitment to communication, to training, to accountability. But we made a firm commitment, as you know, to freeze station dues and fees. "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.". NPR has also been the nation's leading producer of podcasts since Podtrac started measuring audiences. Lansing: We arent in a position to answer that until we know for sure when the pandemic is going to subside. This is simply disingenuous. Oh wait. 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. 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. CEO John Lansing discusses NPRs diversity efforts, budget deficit and growing podcast competition. Just be tuned into our folks. Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Acting Chief Business Editor Emily Kopp. Lansing: We hope to have that completed within about eight to 10 weeks. So I would tell my younger self to be confident, calm down, it's all gonna work out. I think leaders are accountable for walking the walk, for doing what they say they're going to do. Government support for the public radio system isn't in any immediate jeopardy. 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. 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Were certainly not over, were not at a finish line. Applicants to this years fellowship see its cancellation as a setback for journalists of color who want to work in public radio. 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. Current: When was the climate survey conducted? 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. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. How does the economy react to all of that? NPR, the public radio giant that employs hundreds of journalists, is about to get a new chief executive. 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. 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. John Lansing, president and CEO Chair of the NPR Foundation John McGinn Public members of the board Carlos Alvarez, CEO, The Gambrinus Company Fred Dust, designer, speaker, and consultant Paul G. Haaga Jr., retired, Capital Research and Management Company - Chairman of the NPR Board of Directors We had begun a lot of work under [Chief Diversity Officer] Keith Woods' leadership to really move us forward. Lansing, who is . 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. Ever since you started, you've been very vocal about it. Current: What challenges have you faced in implementing your DEI plans? He is. "We're not seeing signs of a recovery in the advertising market," Lansing says in an interview. Everybody at NPR knows exactly what you mean when you say, 'What's our North Star?' NPR's search for a new CEO is finally over! 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. "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. 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. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly. Here's what to do in a worst case scenario. But we felt like it was an important investment to make in our member stations to support them during the pandemic. "I have been an avid fan of NPR for many years. You go to college and all the sudden you're like 'wait a minute, I've got to do something when this is over.'