NPR To Lay-Off About 10 Percent of Its Workkforce

NPR's chief executive announced the network would lay off roughly 10% of its current workforce – at least 100 people – and eliminate most vacant positions. CEO John Lansing cited the erosion of advertising dollars, particularly for NPR podcasts, and the tough financial outlook for the media industry more generally.

"When we say we are eliminating filled positions, we are talking about our colleagues - people whose skills, spirit and talents help make NPR what it is today," Lansing wrote in a memo to staff today. "This will be a major loss."

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.

"We're not seeing signs of a recovery in the advertising market," Lansing says in an interview. "Nothing is nailed down yet except the principles and what we know we have to reach."

NPR's programming division, which produces its industry-leading podcasts, has more than doubled since 2019. 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.

Lansing says he does not yet know who within NPR will be affected, but said the job cuts would not fall evenly across the organization. He vowed to make sure job cuts do not fall disproportionately on employees of color.

An NPR spokeswoman said final decisions on which jobs will be eliminated should occur by the week of March 20.

The organization said it already cut $14 million expenses through a hiring freeze, suspended internships and fellowships, as well as restricted travel. Lansing said 65% of the organization’s budget goes toward personnel, which can hover around 1,100 positions.

NPR earlier expected to have a $20 million shortfall in sponsorship revenue for the fiscal year, and, when it announced its near hiring freeze last year, said a major portion of its revenue comes from corporate sponsorships, which are typically sensitive to slowdowns in the broader economy. This recent memo again points to those sponsors’ spending reductions and a shaky economic outlook.