Last month, NPR announced two private gifts totaling $113 million — among the largest donations it’s received in its history. The $80 million donation, from philanthropist Connie Ballmer, is specifically for “ensuring NPR transforms its technology to meet the needs and serve the interests of public media audiences on whatever platforms or devices they may seek it.”
The second donation of $33 million, from a donor who chose to remain anonymous, is meant to “build and acquire tools and services that will be shared with public media organizations across the nation.”
The network has also been flooded with member donations in the wake of federal defunding. NPR has to “fill a gap of $8 million in its $300-million annual budget,” Folkenflik reported. Without member donations, the network had “initially estimated it would come up $30-45 million short.”
Major gifts and member donations will not, however, prevent layoffs. NPR announced Monday that it’s restructuring and offering buyouts, in addition to beginning that technological transformation. NPR CEO Katherine Maher sent a memo to staff laying out the changes, and NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik has more details.
Three hundred staffers, “mostly within newsgathering desks in the newsroom,” will be offered buyouts with the goal of 30 people accepting by May 26; if they don’t, “more targeted layoffs would ensue,” Folkenflik writes. (NPR currently has 425 newsroom employees.) Some other bits from the piece:
— There are a few details on tech:
The network plans to overhaul its app and reshape its user experience across platforms to enrich the experience for listeners, readers and even viewers of its digital and streamlining products. And NPR’s senior corporate leaders — some of whom have deep roots in the world of tech — are pivoting from the mantra of “reaching people wherever they are” to encouraging people to use NPR on its own platforms.
— The network projects it will see $15 million less in member station dues this year. From Maher’s memo:
Federal defunding has hurt public media, and many of our Member stations are no longer able to pay fees at prior levels. NPR’s new Membership model incorporates a $15 million reduction in fees, based on our projections of station capacity. Meanwhile, economic uncertainty, a tough newscycle, and softness in radio listening has led to lower projections in sponsorship revenue.
— Several desks are merging:
NPR’s National and General Assignments desks next month will merge with a focus on deep dives, natural disasters, and news deserts. NPR’s regional bureau chiefs will become part of a new desk that works closely with member station journalists.
Beyond that, Evans says he is merging NPR’s desks covering culture, education, religion, addiction and sports to make a society-and-culture desk. He is unifying science and climate coverage in a single desk. And he plans to fold the global health team — now part of the Science desk — into the International desk….
NPR’s Washington desk will expand to include the states team and NPR reporters who focus on power and money. The new desk on power and policy would take in developments on the local, state, regional and national level.
