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. After becoming part of Warner Bros. That said, Mohn set higher annual expectations for the network in fundraising and agreed to be co-chairman of its 50th-anniversary capital campaign. 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. Lansing: I guess I would comment just as a citizen watching from outside. Government support for the public radio system isn't in any immediate jeopardy. 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: Thats a great question. Last summer, we definitely had a racial reckoning. Courtesy of Allison Shelley for 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. "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. Age: 62, Born on July 31, 1957, in Minneapolis 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. People, given the opportunity, will do the right thing in a way that hopefully makes them want to be here for a long time. Follow Bloomberg reporters as they uncover some of the biggest financial crimes of the modern era. Michael was a senior marketing executive at Scripps for Food Network and HGTV and really brings a lot of media marketing expertise. September 6, 2019. This documentary-style series follows investigative journalists as they uncover the truth. So that would be mine. 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. Oh wait. 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. 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. Bellarmine alumnus and former trustee John Lansing, a veteran cable television and government broadcast executive, is the new CEO of NPR. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion of advertising dollars, particularly for NPR podcasts, and the tough financial outlook for the media industry more generally. We are not just putting out regulations or policies and paperwork. NPR has a new CEO. I just started in May. NPR faces financial pressures from two fronts. It was hard for everyone. "The combination of his health issues plus the situation with Mike Oreskes did derail his plans.". Lansing has won plaudits from journalists for his rousing defense of a free press even while serving in the Trump administration, which has been notably hostile to traditional notions of the role of journalism in civic life. 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. So its a constant commitment to communication, to training, to accountability. 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 puts a filter on that helps us explain even unpopular decisions, how they link to our mission. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. He is. Mohn led NPR through five consecutive years of audience growth and budget surplus. The Washington Post, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, eliminated its Sunday magazine and a handful of other jobs. 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. I established DEI as our top priority on Jan. 5 of 2020. "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. What would you go back and tell your younger self? That's something that perceptive journalists should be able to pick up pretty quickly. Well, I like NPR Politics a lot. America needs public radio more than ever. 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. It has become enshrined in our three-year strategic plan as the centerpiece of all of our work. John Lansing is taking over for outgoing CEO Jarl Mohn, who has led the organization for . 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. "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. 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. Again, I think it's about getting it intertwined into everything we do. "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. There are over 1000 NPR Member Station signals broadcasting across the United States 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. Why did you undertake this? "Management is about committing to strategy, making tough decisions.". 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. My top goal is to support the women of color at NPR so that they feel like they have more upward mobility.. All of those underlying effects generally lead to whatever effects were going to have in corporate sponsorship. 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 guided the organization in becoming a leading developer of unique content across television, digital, mobile and radio platforms. We'd like to revisit a story that first broke yesterday and . Current (https://current.org/2021/02/ceo-john-lansing-discusses-nprs-diversity-efforts-budget-deficit-and-growing-podcast-competition/). 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. 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 will start in his new position in mid-October. NPR's rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans everydayon the air, online, and in person. Well, what we're doing right now, I think communication. 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. Faces Of NPR showcases the people behind NPR--from the voices you hear every day on the radio to the ones who work outside of the recording studio. Video Snippet So if you have leaders talking about DEI as a priority, well, then, show me. The ratings for our weekend magazine shows are actually slightly greater than they were a year ago pre-pandemic, so thats a bright spot.. 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. Will there be another stimulus? So sad to me. You go to college and all the sudden you're like 'wait a minute, I've got to do something when this is over.' 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. So we were pleased to see SAG-AFTRA join our efforts. 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. Current: With broadcast listening declining during the pandemic, what is NPR doing to address and adjust to those trends? hide caption. 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. The layoffs are in keeping with an increasingly grim landscape for media companies over recent months. 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 you have to be willing to take hard questions. Harvard Kennedy School. He made his mark in his current job with stirring defenses of journalism, free from government interference. So mentally, how do you manage that? In recent remarks online, Johnson, who is Black, focused on a more competitive landscape for NPR journalists, including people of color. 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. "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. I think there's an awareness, like in the way you asked the question about 'our North Star.' NPR will cut 10% of its workforce, CEO John Lansing said Wednesday. I think you have to be transparent and be able to explain what you're doing, even if it's unpopular. He also vowed to make sure job cuts do not fall disproportionately on employees of color. 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. NPR undertook a strategic reorganization last fall, reinstating the position of a chief content officer overseeing both the newsroom and the programming division. Live from. 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. 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.. Lansing, who is 62, is. He took over a troubled organization beset by infighting and bureaucratic inefficiency. Scripps Company, where he managed the company's portfolio of ten broadcast television stations across the country. So its an ongoing effort. I joined in October of '19. Mr. Lansings colleagues attribute the growth to his embrace of digital formats and the understanding of audiences that he gleaned from the private sector. 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. And theyre all expected to articulate a DEI goal thats measurable, actionable, and that they can be held accountable for and will be. Current: What are some of the highlights of that strategic plan? He will now lead the nation's top audio producer and broadcaster. NPR's Michel Martin asks NPR's CEO, John Lansing, to respond to an All Things Considered interview with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. But now we're seeing authoritarian regimes expanding around the globe, with media repression in places like Turkey and Venezuela, Cambodia and Vietnam.". Its an inclusive process. John Lansing, CEO, photographed for NPR, 22 January 2020, in Washington DC. So I think that it has caused me to be more tuned in to hearing and understanding our employees. "Jarl would be the first to say that it is the area where he feels that his work was not complete," Sheikholeslami said. Lansing has earned an advanced degree in political agility. How has that effort been progressing? Tech companies that also rely heavily on advertising are undergoing layoffs too. How is it a priority? 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. Were they targeted to specific spending areas or just for general costs? Let's say, I was walking out of high school into college, I had no idea what I was going to do. It's not just what happened this week on the Hill, although that's important. Lansing served for ten years as a visiting faculty member at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies. What makes you so open and vocal about the need for diversity? Lansing will begin his term at NPR in October and will succeed Jarl Mohn, who has been Chief Executive Officer and President since 2014. Last year, the network booked $134 million in such corporate underwriting, a record built on strong growth in podcasting revenue in recent years. That's the way I think about leadership here. Family Status: Married with 4 Children (Jean Rausch Lansing) That survey happened in the fall of 2020. hide caption. . NPR Facebook Post with Comments. Being a changemaker is awesome, but can have its own challenges as you're just trying to improve your career. In a memo to. He soon made DEI the top priority at NPR. So Im pleased to see that that short era is over. I can't speak for other people, CEOs. Current: How have your priorities for NPR changed since you became CEO? NPR's search for a new CEO is finally over! A graduate of Bellarmine University, he was named to the Bellarmine University Gallery of Distinguished Graduates in 2010. Did you plan for this or did it kind of just happen? Last year, President Trump appointed Michael Pack as USAGMs CEO. This is just dishonest, especially since NPR became what amounted to a voice of the opposition in its coverage of this dysfunctional federal agency. We discovered in our most recent climate survey that that was an area that we needed to put more effort into. Sometimes you have to hear other people's truth and accept it for what it is, not translate it into your truth, therefore it's no longer what it is. Lansing said he took pride in maintaining conventional broadcasts while appealing to new audiences, reaching about 25% more people each week. It was about a $3 million cost to NPR for the fiscal year. So sad to lose an American institution to propaganda. 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. And what a breath of fresh air Whitney brings into the organization. What we now call the North Star of our strategic plan is our DEI efforts as it filters through everything that we do with all of our work. 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. 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. (On NPR's radio side, advertising takes the form of underwriting, as corporate sponsors are not permitted to call for listeners to purchase goods or services.). Lansing, who is 62, is. The second pillar is to transform our workplace culture. CEO John Lansing discusses NPRs diversity efforts, budget deficit and growing podcast competition. 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. But we felt like it was an important investment to make in our member stations to support them during the pandemic. Lansing's tenure at the agency has not been without controversy. And its tied to the same variables you would know yourselves, which is, how fast can the vaccines be deployed? 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. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly. Your email address will not be published. Lansing blamed a slowdown in advertising dollars. 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. When you first got to NPR, what did you think? To be a part of creating the future of such an important institution is humbling, exciting, and a distinct honor.". 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. 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. Lansing, who is 62, is. 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. I think we're moving forward. 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. NPR Selects Voice of America Boss as Its New Leader, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/06/business/media/npr-john-lansing.html. And our number one goal is to improve our audience diversity. 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 our work began then. The other is the fight for donors. Instead, Whitney really helped us to buckle down with discipline, understand what's going on, and meet with women of color [in the organization], as we're doing tonight in our executive committee meeting, which we do regularly now. He held off a push by House Republicans to spin off Voice of America into a nongovernmental broadcaster. An NPR spokeswoman said final decisions on which jobs will be eliminated should occur by the week of March 20. At Colorado Public Radio, I think there was a $300,000 donation that came out of that. 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. In a large part, the digital teams and the divisions will work together to reach a final model. Theres no question about it. NPR's president of operations, Loren Mayor, was the leading internal candidate for the chief executive position. What is the outlook for the rest of the fiscal year? "A really important strategic vector that we'll be talking about more within the company going forward is maximizing the value of the content wherever it can live and wherever the audience demands it," NPR Chief Operating Officer Will Lee says in an interview. Lansing also spent almost 20 years working at Scripps, including eight years as President of Scripps Networks. "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. And so that was the way I looked at the future for me. Pat O'Donnell, the executive director of the union's Mid-Atlantic unit, could not be reached for comment for this story. 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. 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. Lansing: We arent in a position to answer that until we know for sure when the pandemic is going to subside. I hear that all the time. 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. Were working with them to create regional newsrooms in Texas and California and the Midwest and in the Gulf. Mike Morgan/Mike Morgan When you first got to NPR, what did you think? 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.
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