NPR President and CEO John Lansing will retire at the end of the year
September 5, 2023; Washington, D.C. – NPR President and CEO John Lansing announced today that he will retire at the end of the year. The NPR Board of Directors will conduct a national search for NPR's next president and CEO. Lansing has agreed to remain in his current role as necessary to ensure a smooth transition.
"We have been through a lot together over the past four years, and you have made me proud every day. During the pandemic, we were there when America needed us most, reporting truthful life-saving information when disinformation was rampant. And we were there when America went through an overdue racial reckoning," Lansing said in a note to staff. "Our journalists did remarkable work covering the efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and when Russia launched its war against Ukraine. We were also there when our audiences needed joy, laughter and connection in those moments that felt so bleak. All of you — and I mean every person working in every role at every level of this company — played a role in serving our audiences and the public interest at a time of incredible need. You should all stand proud, and it has been the honor of my career to have you as colleagues."
"We are all immensely grateful to John for his principled and tenacious leadership through a turbulent time for NPR, our system and our nation," said NPR Board Chair Jeff Sine. "From developing pandemic protocols to sitting alongside President Biden at this year's White House Press Dinner, John has faced the highs and lows with grace and equanimity. He will remain in his leadership role throughout the upcoming search process as we find a worthy successor, so no time for goodbyes yet!"
Lansing became president and CEO of NPR in October 2019. He led NPR through the COVID-19 pandemic, which included implementing a task force that created NPR's first organization-wide hybrid and remote work policies. The main goal of his tenure was uniting NPR and Member stations under the "North Star" of diversifying the newsroom, content, and audiences. Under Lansing's leadership, NPR's executive team has evolved to include more than 40% people of color, from 9% in 2019. This is in addition to the appointment of a Chief Diversity Officer and the creation of NPR's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Representation of people of color at NPR also increased from 33% in 2019 to 42% in 2023, including greater representation in audience-facing and supervisory roles. NPR's DEI commitment also led to the development of programming, content, and campaigns focused on bringing new voices and diverse perspectives on important issues.
Under Lansing's leadership, NPR and Member stations strengthened their partnership through the NPR Network. This collaborative initiative delivers journalism, music, and cultural content from stations across America, while growing digital audiences and membership.
During Lansing's tenure, NPR was recognized with over 90 awards for its journalism, including Edward R. Murrow awards, a duPont-Columbia Silver Baton, the organization's first Pulitzer and recognition from the Radio-Television News Directors Association, White House Correspondents Association, White House News Photographers Association, the National Press Club Foundation and more.
Prior to joining NPR, Lansing was the CEO of United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) overseeing several global networks including Voice of America; a $800 million dollar independent federal agency that operates on multiple platforms reaching an average weekly audience of 345 million. He started his news industry career at age 17 as a studio technician and cameraman at WPSD TV, Paducah, KY. Lansing 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. 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.
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