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Being in the news

by on March 9th, 2011

A rule of thumb for news organizations: cover the news, don’t be in the news. The point being that journalists should not be the story. (Obviously, there are exceptions, for example when a news entity does something noteworthy, like NCPR signing on a new transmitter or winning an award.)

I was on the NPR Board two years ago when Vivian Schiller was hired as the new CEO. I thought we made a good hire. Vivian is bright, energetic, has a clear sense of the challenges public radio faces, and is enthusiastic about the possibilities for our industry. But, once too often in recent months, NPR–and to some extent Vivian herself–has been the object of problematic news stories. Finally, after the “sting” video featuring NPR VP Ron Schiller (no relation to Vivian) making some injudicious comments, it was one too many episodes of  NPR-as-news-story, and the Board accepted Vivian’s resignation.

The buck does have to stop at the CEO’s desk. Yes, Vivian herself made one or two of the mistakes covered in the news, but more importantly, there is a perception that NPR is a bit in disarray. Who is taking care of the details? Who is taking care of the big issues–like basic guidelines for all employees vis-a-vis public statements?

Part of the problem may stem from repeated leadership turnover at NPR in recent years. In the past four years, NPR went from CEO Kevin Klose, to Ken Stern, to an interim leader, to Vivian Schiller. Over the past seven years, NPR has had four different News Division Executive Vice Presidents. Change is great, but too much of a good thing is not great. In this case, I believe excessive turnover has been destabilizing.

I’m saddened by Vivian’s departure from NPR. I think she has some important strengths. I wish her luck in her next position and hope she stays in the public media sector.

As NPR searches for both a new CEO and News Division Executive VP, I hope we find people who embrace the work and mission of public radio and want to dig in and make difference.

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4 Comments on “Being in the news”

  1. Jacqueline Altman says:
    March 9, 2011 at 11:08 am

    OY! I met Vivan a little over a year and a half ago at the NCPR roundtable at which she spoke in Saranac Lake. I thought at the time she would indeed guide NPR further into the digital age with it’s unique possibilities and her forward thinking, given her experience with developing the New York Times on-line presence. Hopefully NPR will come out of this stronger and with a clarified sense of mission and how things are done.

  2. Pete Klein says:
    March 10, 2011 at 11:07 am

    Ellen I would vote for you but I don’t want you to leave.

  3. Ellen Rocco says:
    March 10, 2011 at 4:55 pm

    Thanks, Pete. Don’t worry. A) No one is going to offer me the job. B) They couldn’t pay me enough.

    Right now I just want NPR to get some good people in the key positions recently vacated–CEO, News VP, Development VP. The sad thing in all of this is that NPR is doing some of its best work ever in recent years. This is all such a distraction of the real business at hand: providing the American public with solid news and information.

  4. Louise Mccarren says:
    March 10, 2011 at 5:09 pm

    Ellen:

    My check to NCPR is in the mail. From my perch, both the way Juan was fired and this episode show either a lack of sophistication or judgement or both.

    That said we all need to rally around NCPR

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