National Public Radio News (NPR)

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 11:11pm on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

National Public Radio CEO Vivian Schiller talked to Newsweek about NPR's new website and the media business. The story was published on July 27, 2009:

"As senior vice president and general manager of the NYTimes.com, Vivian Schiller presided over one of the industry's best-read Web sites. But six months ago, Schiller stunned media watchers when she defected from the financially troubled Times to become CEO of National Public Radio. With the relaunch of NPR.org, today is a kind of coming-out party for Schiller. The renovated Web site, featuring a cleaner look and easier navigation—is the linchpin, she explained to NEWSWEEK last week, of a strategy to transform NPR into the No. 1 destination for free news on and beyond the radio. "We have to be a multiplatform play," she said. For Schiller, that means building on NPR's reputation as a broadcaster of national and international news, by extending its reach into local news. She plans on relying more on local member stations to fill what she sees as a "scary" void in local coverage as hometown daily newspapers fold.

Schiller spoke to NEWSWEEK's Johnnie L. Roberts about why newspapers shouldn't become not-for-profit ventures, why she believes its' "delusional" to charge readers for online news, and the "slippery slope" that the Times would embark upon were it to seek philanthropic support for news-gathering."

The full story:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/208703/

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 1:21am on Thursday, July 9th, 2009

Glenn Greenwald wrote about the NPR "torture" controversy on July 2, 2009:

"There are several noteworthy developments since I wrote on Tuesday about the refusal of NPR's Ombdusman, Alica Shepard, to be interviewed by me about NPR's ban on using the word "torture" to describe the Bush administration's interrogation tactics. Given the utter vapidity of her rationale ("there are two sides to the issue. And I'm not sure, why is it so important to call something torture?"), I was momentarily amazed to learn that she actually teaches "Media Ethics" to graduate students at Georgetown University (my amazement quickly dissipated once I recalled that this is the same institution that, until last year, paid Doug Feith -- Doug Feith -- to teach students "national security policy" and that Berkeley Law School has John Yoo "teaching law" to its students; next semester at Georgetown: Karl Rove teaches Civility in a Post-Partisan Age, Bill Kristol lectures on Accountability in Punditry, while David Gregory examines The Role of Intellect in Adversarial Questioning)."

The full story:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/07/02/npr/

Eric Kallgren    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 12:21pm on Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

NPR promoted Ellen McDonnell from director of morning programming to executive director of news programming, effective June 1, 2009.

Also, Dick Meyer is being promoted from editorial director of NPR Digital to executive editor for NPR News and Stuart Seidel from supervising senior editor to deputy managing editor.

Eric Kallgren    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 11:34pm on Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

NPR's Michele Norris was named "journalist of the year" by the National Association of Black Journalists on April 28, 2009. NABJ specifically recognized Norris for her coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign:

"The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) named National Public Radio host Michele Norris Journalist of the Year at its spring Board of Directors meeting in Tampa.

"Michele had the best year hands down, one full of accomplishments," said NABJ President Barbara Ciara. "Journalists should look to people like Michele Norris, who shows that through determination, intelligent analysis and careful investigation come journalism's highest level of respect."

Michele Norris's recognizable voice as host of NPR's "All Things Considered" became ever-present during the network's election coverage. Her reporting was crisp, bold, assertive and heart-warming. Her insight and sensitivity to the African-American experience brought to the mainstream candid discussions about race and the impact of Barack Obama's election on the nation.

One of Norris' most successful 2008 election projects was her own idea to have Americans of different races sit down over a meal and have a comfortable, honest conversation about race. In more than 15 hours of conversations throughout the fall election season, voters in York, Pa. shared candid and revealing thoughts that were aired in six segments on "All Things Considered" and "Morning Edition."