Ellen McDonnell
Executive Director of News Programming
Ellen McDonnell is NPR's Executive Director of News Programming, responsible for overseeing all of NPR's radio news programs: Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation, Tell Me More and Weekend Edition. She was previously director of morning programming.
From 1998-2007, McDonnell served as the Executive Producer of NPR's premier morning news magazine, Morning Edition. In that time she oversaw a major transformation and expansion of the 24-hour staff, and led the program into its current two host/two coast format. McDonnell also initiated and developed fresh and original approaches to news coverage on the show, including instituting seven hours of continual Morning Edition news updates each day.
Under McDonnell's leadership, Morning Edition has seen its audience grow to became the number one morning radio show in the U.S. In 1999, Morning Edition received the prestigious George Foster Peabody award for outstanding journalism.
Prior to her appointment as Executive Producer for Morning Edition, McDonnell served as Senior Producer for the program.
McDonnell joined NPR in 1979 after holding a number of news positions at various commercial and public radio stations throughout the country. She graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1976 with a degree in communications. She received a master's degree in public affairs journalism from American University in Washington, DC, in 1978.
She lives in Sandy Spring, Maryland, with her husband Craig and two daughters.
