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NPR cancels 4 podcasts in biggest wave of layoffs in decades

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NPR said it would stop production on a series of podcasts, including “Invisibilia,” an early hit, as part of a broad cutback it signaled was coming last month.
Faced with a projected $30 million decline in revenue, the Washington-based audio and digital-news organization began laying off about 100 employees, or 10 percent of its staff, this week — among the largest reductions in its 53-year history. Managers have set aside three days this week to notify those affected across a number of departments; Thursday was the newsroom’s turn to get the bad news.


The programming cutbacks disclosed Thursday appear to reflect NPR’s decision to protect its core news programs that remain highly popular on its national network of public-radio affiliates, including its two daily newsmagazines, “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”


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But it comes at the expense of its once-booming podcast arm, which until recently had been a growing source of ad revenue and the means for noncommercial NPR to attract new and younger listeners.
From 2020: Why your favorite new NPR show might sound a lot like a podcast
NPR said last month that it expected its overall ad revenue to fall about $30 million short of projections this year amid a general tightening of ad spending. Podcasting is the area that has seen the steepest revenue decline.
“Invisibilia,” which debuted with the advent of the podcast boom in early 2015, focused on psychology and the social sciences. At one point, it was the most popular podcast on the Apple Podcasts Charts, though it has slipped in more recent years with intensifying competition.

NPR said it would close out “Invisibilia” and the podcasts “Rough Translation” (which reported about foreign perspectives on common issues) and “Louder Than a Riot” (which explored hip-hop culture) when their current seasons end.


It will also stop production of “Everyone and Their Mom,” a humorous weekly program that debuted last year from the producers of NPR’s venerable weekend quiz program “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me.”
Officially, NPR said it was “stopping production” of the programs, rather than canceling them outright, a distinction that leaves open the possibility that the podcasts could be revived in some fashion.
“Unfortunately, NPR has had to take painful but necessary steps” to address its financial issues,” said Isabel Lara, its spokesperson. “We’ve tried as much as possible to retain industry-leading podcast portfolios and focus on key strategic priorities, daily habits and serving new audiences.”

NPR produces some of the most popular podcasts in the country, including “Fresh Air” and the daily news program “Up First.”


Underscoring its current financial plight, NPR chief executive John Lansing told managers on Thursday that if the organization hadn’t acted to reduce its overhead, it would have exhausted its resources shortly after 2025. He said NPR’s management is working with its charitable foundation to secure additional funds if a deficit continues to widen, according to Lara.
NPR tried to address its revenue issues with about $20 million in cuts in November, mainly through a hiring freeze and travel restrictions. But it said last month that those savings wouldn’t be enough.

“Unlike the financial challenges we faced during the worst of the pandemic, we project increasing costs and no sign of a quick revenue rebound,” Lansing wrote in a staff memo last month. “We must make adjustments to what we control, and that is our spending.”


NPR’s annual revenue is comprised of ad sponsorships (known as “underwriting” in public broadcasting), dues from its member stations, and donations. Contributions from the federally chartered Corporation for Public Broadcasting usually amount to less than 2 percent of its operating budget.
NPR reported revenue of $309.7 million and an operating surplus of $28.8 million in fiscal 2021, the most recent year figures are available. This was a sharp increase over its pandemic-beset fiscal 2020, when it recorded revenue of $275.4 million and a $13.6 million operating surplus.
But its new round of cost cutting reflects a stagnant ad market, which has prompted other media and entertainment companies to shed employees despite a tight labor market overall. News companies such as Vox Media, Gannett and The Washington Post have announced cutbacks in recent months, as have Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and tech giants Microsoft, Amazon and Google, among others.

 
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I occasionally listen to NPR when they have non-political stories or interviews which isn’t a great abundance. I turn it off when things eventually arrive at the slant of something is racist or bigoted which is quite frequently. Still better than that tripe that is conservative talk radio. Effing broken record.
 
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Jerry Seinfeld Popcorn GIF by Sheets & Giggles
 
ping72 said:
Nope. They’re to the right of CNN which isn’t all that far left.

When your point of view is from very far on the right (or left), everything in the middle appears skewed.
Click to expand...

Only recently has CNN been trying to veer back toward the middle of the road.

During the Trump years CNN was in the the ditch on the left side of the road.
 
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The time has come: Defund the hopelessly biased NPR​


When National Public Radio (NPR) was launched in 1971, part of its original mission was to “speak with many voices, many dialects,” which suggested that it would embrace the most important diversity of all: diversity of thought and speech.

Unfortunately, NPR has abjectly failed in this mission to the point where it’s difficult to distinguish NPR from MSNBC.

This begs two questions: Why does NPR still receive taxpayer funds from the government? And why did a country that ostensibly abhors government interference with the free press allocate money to a broadcast news outlet in the first place?

Take what happened on Independence Day as an example. NPR has aired a reading of the Declaration of Independence every July 4 going back 33 years.

But this year, it ditched this tradition and instead explored Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemmings, Jefferson’s slave, and the children born of that relationship. The reason for doing so was to examine Jefferson’s line in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal” and what it means in today’s America following the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“And many of our debates on this July 4th turn on what equality means. What voting rules really give equal access to the ballot? Do abortion laws give a woman equal control of her body?” host Steve Inskeep asked.

Instead of celebrating America by honoring the Declaration of Independence as arguably the most important document in American history, NPR attacked its author and somehow tied it all into abortion, “voting rights” and alleged suppression of minority voters.

For another example, consider how NPR covered former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro’s death in 2016.

“One of the most prominent international figures in the last half of the 20th century, Castro inspired both passionate love and hate. Many who later lost faith in him can remember how they once admired the man who needed just a dozen men to launch the Cuban Revolution,” it explained without using the word “dictator” to describe Castro.

But anyone who’s listened to NPR for more than five minutes scarcely needs to be convinced of its extreme liberal bias. It’s certain more than a few listeners (and former listeners) out there are thinking: Why am I helping to pay for this stuff?

Note: NPR does not receive any direct funding from the U.S. government, but it does get some funding in the form of dues from local member stations. And in many cases, those member stations receive federal funds from grants provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). In 2021 alone, CPB appropriated nearly $70 million in grants via member stations.

“Federal funding is essential to public radio’s service to the American public,” says NPR’s website. But is it really essential?

“Presently, NPR receives funding for less than 1 percent of its budget directly from the federal government, but receives almost 10% of its budget from federal, state, and local governments indirectly,” according to influencewatch.org, which rates NPR as a left-of-center outlet.

So, if that’s the case, why exactly are taxpayer dollars involved at all? NPR appears to be solvent without any help from Uncle Sam.

Thomas Jefferson wasn’t around for radio. But the forward-thinking author of the country’s most important document was prescient when he wrote: “To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagations of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical.”

In 2022, there are thousands of media outlets from which to choose. The media landscape has completely changed since 1967, the year the Public Broadcasting Act was first introduced, paving the way for NPR a few years later.

“The Congress hereby finds and declares that it is in the public interest to encourage the growth and development of public radio and television broadcasting, including the use of such media for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes,” the act reads.

This is clearly an antiquated document given all the choices the American news consumer now has.

According to Pew Research, the audiences of NPR and PBS are among the most liberal in America. Seventy-two percent of NPR’s audience describe themselves as “consistently liberal,” while 71 percent of PBS’s audience describe themselves that way. PBS also receives federal funding.

NPR remains “media for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes.” But it has clearly failed in its mission to “speak with many voices.”

Joe Concha is a media and politics columnist and a Fox News contributor.

thehill.com

The time has come: Defund the hopelessly biased NPR

NPR remains “media for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes.” But it has clearly failed in its mission to “speak with many voices.”
thehill.com thehill.com
 
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NorthernHawkeye said:

The time has come: Defund the hopelessly biased NPR​


When National Public Radio (NPR) was launched in 1971, part of its original mission was to “speak with many voices, many dialects,” which suggested that it would embrace the most important diversity of all: diversity of thought and speech.

Unfortunately, NPR has abjectly failed in this mission to the point where it’s difficult to distinguish NPR from MSNBC.

This begs two questions: Why does NPR still receive taxpayer funds from the government? And why did a country that ostensibly abhors government interference with the free press allocate money to a broadcast news outlet in the first place?

Take what happened on Independence Day as an example. NPR has aired a reading of the Declaration of Independence every July 4 going back 33 years.

But this year, it ditched this tradition and instead explored Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemmings, Jefferson’s slave, and the children born of that relationship. The reason for doing so was to examine Jefferson’s line in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal” and what it means in today’s America following the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“And many of our debates on this July 4th turn on what equality means. What voting rules really give equal access to the ballot? Do abortion laws give a woman equal control of her body?” host Steve Inskeep asked.

Instead of celebrating America by honoring the Declaration of Independence as arguably the most important document in American history, NPR attacked its author and somehow tied it all into abortion, “voting rights” and alleged suppression of minority voters.

For another example, consider how NPR covered former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro’s death in 2016.

“One of the most prominent international figures in the last half of the 20th century, Castro inspired both passionate love and hate. Many who later lost faith in him can remember how they once admired the man who needed just a dozen men to launch the Cuban Revolution,” it explained without using the word “dictator” to describe Castro.

But anyone who’s listened to NPR for more than five minutes scarcely needs to be convinced of its extreme liberal bias. It’s certain more than a few listeners (and former listeners) out there are thinking: Why am I helping to pay for this stuff?

Note: NPR does not receive any direct funding from the U.S. government, but it does get some funding in the form of dues from local member stations. And in many cases, those member stations receive federal funds from grants provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). In 2021 alone, CPB appropriated nearly $70 million in grants via member stations.

“Federal funding is essential to public radio’s service to the American public,” says NPR’s website. But is it really essential?

“Presently, NPR receives funding for less than 1 percent of its budget directly from the federal government, but receives almost 10% of its budget from federal, state, and local governments indirectly,” according to influencewatch.org, which rates NPR as a left-of-center outlet.

So, if that’s the case, why exactly are taxpayer dollars involved at all? NPR appears to be solvent without any help from Uncle Sam.

Thomas Jefferson wasn’t around for radio. But the forward-thinking author of the country’s most important document was prescient when he wrote: “To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagations of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical.”

In 2022, there are thousands of media outlets from which to choose. The media landscape has completely changed since 1967, the year the Public Broadcasting Act was first introduced, paving the way for NPR a few years later.

“The Congress hereby finds and declares that it is in the public interest to encourage the growth and development of public radio and television broadcasting, including the use of such media for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes,” the act reads.

This is clearly an antiquated document given all the choices the American news consumer now has.

According to Pew Research, the audiences of NPR and PBS are among the most liberal in America. Seventy-two percent of NPR’s audience describe themselves as “consistently liberal,” while 71 percent of PBS’s audience describe themselves that way. PBS also receives federal funding.

NPR remains “media for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes.” But it has clearly failed in its mission to “speak with many voices.”

Joe Concha is a media and politics columnist and a Fox News contributor.

thehill.com

The time has come: Defund the hopelessly biased NPR

NPR remains “media for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes.” But it has clearly failed in its mission to “speak with many voices.”
thehill.com thehill.com
Click to expand...
Wait… the stupid opinion piece states that NPR got away from its mission to speak with many voices. Then when they speak with a voice they didn’t like… they blast them for not serving it’s mission??
 
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NorthernHawkeye said:

The time has come: Defund the hopelessly biased NPR​


When National Public Radio (NPR) was launched in 1971, part of its original mission was to “speak with many voices, many dialects,” which suggested that it would embrace the most important diversity of all: diversity of thought and speech.

Unfortunately, NPR has abjectly failed in this mission to the point where it’s difficult to distinguish NPR from MSNBC.

This begs two questions: Why does NPR still receive taxpayer funds from the government? And why did a country that ostensibly abhors government interference with the free press allocate money to a broadcast news outlet in the first place?

Take what happened on Independence Day as an example. NPR has aired a reading of the Declaration of Independence every July 4 going back 33 years.

But this year, it ditched this tradition and instead explored Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemmings, Jefferson’s slave, and the children born of that relationship. The reason for doing so was to examine Jefferson’s line in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal” and what it means in today’s America following the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“And many of our debates on this July 4th turn on what equality means. What voting rules really give equal access to the ballot? Do abortion laws give a woman equal control of her body?” host Steve Inskeep asked.

Instead of celebrating America by honoring the Declaration of Independence as arguably the most important document in American history, NPR attacked its author and somehow tied it all into abortion, “voting rights” and alleged suppression of minority voters.

For another example, consider how NPR covered former Cuban dictator Fidel Castro’s death in 2016.

“One of the most prominent international figures in the last half of the 20th century, Castro inspired both passionate love and hate. Many who later lost faith in him can remember how they once admired the man who needed just a dozen men to launch the Cuban Revolution,” it explained without using the word “dictator” to describe Castro.

But anyone who’s listened to NPR for more than five minutes scarcely needs to be convinced of its extreme liberal bias. It’s certain more than a few listeners (and former listeners) out there are thinking: Why am I helping to pay for this stuff?

Note: NPR does not receive any direct funding from the U.S. government, but it does get some funding in the form of dues from local member stations. And in many cases, those member stations receive federal funds from grants provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). In 2021 alone, CPB appropriated nearly $70 million in grants via member stations.

“Federal funding is essential to public radio’s service to the American public,” says NPR’s website. But is it really essential?

“Presently, NPR receives funding for less than 1 percent of its budget directly from the federal government, but receives almost 10% of its budget from federal, state, and local governments indirectly,” according to influencewatch.org, which rates NPR as a left-of-center outlet.

So, if that’s the case, why exactly are taxpayer dollars involved at all? NPR appears to be solvent without any help from Uncle Sam.

Thomas Jefferson wasn’t around for radio. But the forward-thinking author of the country’s most important document was prescient when he wrote: “To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagations of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical.”

In 2022, there are thousands of media outlets from which to choose. The media landscape has completely changed since 1967, the year the Public Broadcasting Act was first introduced, paving the way for NPR a few years later.

“The Congress hereby finds and declares that it is in the public interest to encourage the growth and development of public radio and television broadcasting, including the use of such media for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes,” the act reads.

This is clearly an antiquated document given all the choices the American news consumer now has.

According to Pew Research, the audiences of NPR and PBS are among the most liberal in America. Seventy-two percent of NPR’s audience describe themselves as “consistently liberal,” while 71 percent of PBS’s audience describe themselves that way. PBS also receives federal funding.

NPR remains “media for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes.” But it has clearly failed in its mission to “speak with many voices.”

Joe Concha is a media and politics columnist and a Fox News contributor.

thehill.com

The time has come: Defund the hopelessly biased NPR

NPR remains “media for instructional, educational, and cultural purposes.” But it has clearly failed in its mission to “speak with many voices.”
thehill.com thehill.com
Click to expand...
Interesting jingoism--let's defund NPR because it's not American enough.
 
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ping72 said:
Wait… the stupid opinion piece states that NPR got away from its mission to speak with many voices. Then when they speak with a voice they didn’t like… they blast them for not serving it’s mission??
Click to expand...
Their middle of the road rating ONLY encompasses online content; NOT the other outlets. Would never contribute to their leftist schtick
 
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Why are professional writers allowed to get away with "begs the question" abuse? This is not the same thing as adding "not literally" as an alternate definition for literally. Begging the question is an important logical concept and I think clarity is important if you're going to be paid to write.
 
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NorthernHawkeye said:
One can Google this to their heart's content. Numerous articles and pieces that speak to NPR's leftwing tilt.

I listen to NPR/IPR regularly and it's not even debatable.
Click to expand...
Well...I hope the Google machine turns up better examples than NPR not being patriotic enough and not using the word "dictator" when describing Castro's reign
 
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NorthernHawkeye said:
One can Google this to their heart's content. Numerous articles and pieces that speak to NPR's leftwing tilt.

I listen to NPR/IPR regularly and it's not even debatable.
Click to expand...
They for sure are left of conservative media and slightly left of legacy broadcast networks. I would say they are about as left wing as Amazon allows them to be.
 
This isn't really earth shaking for NPR content, they're cutting a few podcasts from their lineup, and instead focusing on their strength which is factual news reporting. They have opinion shows/segments but that's not what I'm tuning in to NPR for. I do love many of their programs including Science Friday, All Things Considered, This American Life, The Moth Radio Hour, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!, Fresh Air, BBC World Service, Travel with Rick Steves, Splendid Table. I could go on and on, I have NPR on quite a bit.

I'm a fairly frequent NPR listener and those particular podcasts being cut I've never heard of or sought out a single one of them. I doubt they will be missed by very many listeners.
 
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