john lansing npr political party john lansing npr political party

Current: Is there a timeline for that process? "Management is about committing to strategy, making tough decisions.". Way back when, I was a news cameraman. Copyright 2023. He served for four years as the SVP, Television for the E.W. And probably the most important accountability is that, first of all, I hold myself accountable with my goals that I report to the board. 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. 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. 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. NPR There was one the year before I was here, then this was the follow-up. 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. 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. 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 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. Others have waded into the podcast fray with a vengeance. You go to college and all the sudden you're like 'wait a minute, I've got to do something when this is over.' Such distinctions between news and programming are tricky, however, as programming oversees podcasts, including those that perform journalistic functions, such as Code Switch, It's Been A Minute, Planet Money, and Throughline. John F Lansing, National Public Radio Inc: Profile and Biography - Bloomberg Markets Live Now Bloomberg TV+ Bloomberg Daybreak Middle East Bloomberg Daybreak Middle East. 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? "North Star"] for NPR on my arrival as supporting the diversity, equity, and inclusion of our staff so that we could become more relevant to our audiences and grow the diversity of our audiences. CEO John Lansing discusses NPRs diversity efforts, budget deficit and growing podcast competition. 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. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion of advertising dollars, particularly for NPR podcasts, and the tough financial outlook for the media industry more generally. All rights reserved. The ratings have tanked because all they talk about is race. It was hard for everyone. 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. He made his mark in his current job with stirring defenses of journalism, free from government interference. How has that effort been progressing? At a young age, my biggest goal at the time was to someday be a news director for a local TV station. And so that was the way I looked at the future for me. "We were doing everything we could against the tide and couldn't keep clipping our costs as the revenue kept slipping," Lansing says. 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. 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Obviously, this job that you have as a CEO of NPR is a really huge responsibility. 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. "Governments around the world are increasingly cracking down on the free flow of information; silencing dialogue and dissent; and distorting reality," Lansing said in a speech he delivered in May to the Media for Democracy Forum. We still remain one of the top, if not the top, podcasters in America. 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. 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. But we made a firm commitment, as you know, to freeze station dues and fees. NPR has tapped longtime media executive John Lansing to become its next president and CEO. 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. Its not a sidebar. A graduate of Bellarmine University, he was named to the Bellarmine University Gallery of Distinguished Graduates in 2010. 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. I, and the management team, all of us, we determined that was going to be a priority for the year 2021. Mohn will continue on as President Emeritus & Co-Chair of the 50th Anniversary Campaign. Fearing a tepid economy, Lansing and his corporate team projected that revenue would stay flat for the fiscal year that began October 1. The emphasis, he says, must be on drawing in "the future audience to make NPR sustainable for the next 50 years. 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. For two years, he served as the president and CEO of a cable trade group called the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing. "The result, I believe, is a war on truth. Lansing, who is . 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. NPR undertook a strategic reorganization last fall, reinstating the position of a chief content officer overseeing both the newsroom and the programming division. 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. September 6, 2019. So its an ongoing effort. All of those underlying effects generally lead to whatever effects were going to have in corporate sponsorship. 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. Current: NPR has helped stations during the pandemic by delaying planned changes to the dues they pay. In late November, the network announced $20 million in cuts, including a near-freeze on hiring, elimination of most travel, and suspension of internships. 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. NPR Press Release. To be a part of creating the future of such an important institution is humbling, exciting, and a distinct honor.". Scripps Networks Current (https://current.org/2021/02/ceo-john-lansing-discusses-nprs-diversity-efforts-budget-deficit-and-growing-podcast-competition/). And some stations who had a schedule to go down actually were allowed to go down. I just think we have a special and unique thing as a company. And my top goal is to support, in particular, the women of color at NPR so that they feel like they have more upward mobility. Essentially, the success of the company falls in your hands. We established the top priority [a.k.a. NPR will cut 10% of its workforce, CEO John Lansing said Wednesday. I just started in May. NPR's rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans everydayon the air, online, and in person. Its something that we certainly support. The agency has an annual budget of $808 million. So I would tell my younger self to be confident, calm down, it's all gonna work out. 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. Lansing: Its on social media platforms or YouTube or through media partnerships. NPR maintains 17 national bureaus and 17 bureaus abroad. They lost their objectivity and are now just pushing leftist ideology. Board Memberships & Affiliations. "Nothing is nailed down yet except the principles and what we know we have to reach.". 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 . You have shows like All Things Considered and Morning Edition, which will continue to be broadcasting tent poles, Mr. Lansing said. Lansing: That was conducted back in September. The other is the fight for donors. 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. 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. Being a changemaker is awesome, but can have its own challenges as you're just trying to improve your career. Unlike some predecessors, Lansing doesn't face a particularly fraught political landscape. And our number one goal is to improve our audience diversity. But second, we're mission-driven, and I think everybody in the organization lives and breathes that mission. 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 advanced degree - political agility. I'm from Minneapolis, and my parents are buried about six blocks from where George Floyd was killed. Lansing served for ten years as a visiting faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. 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: When I came in in 2019, my earliest observation was that our biggest issue was the lack of diversity in our audience, and I felt that we needed to double down our efforts in DEI throughout our organization in order to fulfill the promise to reflect the entire American public in terms of what America looks like. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion. My top goal is to support the women of color at NPR so that they feel like they have more upward mobility.. Ever since you started, you've been very vocal about it. 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 . 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? Scripps Company, where he managed the company's portfolio of ten broadcast television stations across the country. 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. Lansing says even that proved overly optimistic. (Former long time member). 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? I joined in October of '19. And I think we have to extend that lead. John Lansing, the chief executive officer and director of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, will become NPR's CEO in mid-October. 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. "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.". It all goes back to our mission: serving the American public, recognizing the American public is a diverse mosaic that makes America great and strong, and making sure that we're building systems and content that resonates with all Americans. The only route to a successful engagement on this issue is to deal with it, to talk about it, and to take action. That said, Mohn set higher annual expectations for the network in fundraising and agreed to be co-chairman of its 50th-anniversary capital campaign. When asked about his priorities, Lansing invoked what he has called the network's "North Star'' since his arrival in the fall of 2019: a push to ensure the network has a bigger and broader audience base, rooted in younger and more diverse listeners, readers and consumers. An NPR spokeswoman said final decisions on which jobs will be eliminated should occur by the week of March 20. It has become enshrined in our three-year strategic plan as the centerpiece of all of our work. 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. He held off a push by House Republicans to spin off Voice of America into a nongovernmental broadcaster. And its tied to the same variables you would know yourselves, which is, how fast can the vaccines be deployed? Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Acting Chief Business Editor Emily Kopp. I'm sure that's true even today. "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. So I wouldn't create a politics podcast because there are too many, and we have the best one of many already. We can share resources and story ideas, and we can help organize and support those efforts. NPR Start Date: Mid October, 2020 This is simply disingenuous. NPR's president of operations, Loren Mayor, was the leading internal candidate for the chief executive position. In an email to the staff on Friday, John Lansing, who joined the nonprofit as chief executive in September, projected that NPR would fall $12 million to $15 million short of the amount it had . You hear me say fairly often it's not a thing that's going to end; it's really a new way of operating with an awareness of this weakness that we need to address and build upon and ensure that it lives on and continues to improve. Lansing: They were for general. He is a member of the Quinnipiac University School of Communications Advisory Board and the National Board of Advisors of George Washington University's School of Media & Public Affairs. 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'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. 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, who is 62, is. 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. Leading the organization through it all is CEO John Lansing, a longtime media executive who has been on the job since October 2019. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly. 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. 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. What was it like for you to watch that happen? Lansing: SAG-AFTRA came out with their letter around our September board meeting in 2020. So we took that very, very seriously. 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. "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. New podcasts Up First, Consider This and State of Ukraine sit on both sides. Were working with them to do joint investigative reporting. The roots of the VOA involved providing truthful reports to people under Nazi and Axis power rule during World War II. That was revised as a result. As we moved through the summer, that deficit remained at about $25 million. 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. 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. How cool is it to be at. "I have been an avid fan of NPR for many years. 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. 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. At the center of a graphic is our commitment to DEI, and all of our work in that circle is surrounded by four pillars. And our work began then. There were three of them, each for $1 million. Your email address will not be published. And what a breath of fresh air Whitney brings into the organization. So were now into the new fiscal year. Current: How else might NPR assist stations in the coming year? Doing that just requires that were putting more emphasis on the diversity of our decision makers, our leadership, our story selection, our source selection. hide caption. From 2015 to 2019, Lansing served as the CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the independent federal agency whose programming reaches an average weekly audience of 345 million people in 62 languages. We are different from other federal agencies, said Grant K. Turner, the agencys chief financial officer. Because when you're all at work, you're all at work, and you go home to your individual situations. Well, what we're doing right now, I think communication. Age: 62, Born on July 31, 1957, in Minneapolis 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 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 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 its where our focus needs to be right now. In a private meeting on Thursday President Biden informed Senate Democrats that he will not use his veto power to block a GOP-led effort to repeal D.C.'s new crime law. I think there are interesting trends to follow and try to understand. John Lansing will begin his term as President and CEO of NPR in October, 2019. 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 layoffs are in keeping with an increasingly grim landscape for media companies over recent months. Vox Media cut jobs by 7%; Gannett and Spotify by 6%. 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. 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. As we got to April of last spring, we saw a massive deficit develop for NPR on the order of about $25 million. I'm kind of a politics junkie. And it gives the lie to NPRs claim, through disclaimers, that it is simply reporting on its own the implication of the disclaimer being that there is no editorial control or direction from the CEO. hide caption. 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. I think you have to be willing to take hard questions. ", Lansing, formerly a top television executive for the E.W. Last year, President Trump appointed Michael Pack as USAGMs CEO. Theres no question about it. Its not something weve baked and were just going to hand it down. 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. How cool is it to be at NPR?