Schiller’s Resignation Causes Concern Over Possible NPR Retrenchment
Vivian Schiller resigned Wednesday as NPR CEO. Her decision to step down follows the resignation of former NPR Foundation President Ron Schiller, who said that NPR “would be better off in the long run without federal funding.” Ron Schiller’s statements could undermine efforts to maintain funding, some public media leaders said. Without Vivian Schiller at the helm, the organization’s initiatives toward mobile and online advancements could be hindered, they said. The former executives are not related.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
"I think the real problem is the tendency will be to retreat and retrench, and all the innovation and experimentation is going to be scaled back in protecting the existing broadcast assets,” said Jessica Clark, director of the Future of Public Media project at the Center for Social Media. Vivian Schiller “seemed to very much embrace innovation and [to be] very open to bringing in new partners and working with the broad public media community,” said Craig Aaron, incoming president of Free Press. “I'm sure there are people there now who are focused on that” but “certainly, leadership at the top matters,” he said.
Vivian Schiller’s resignation raises some concern about the fate of digital initiatives, said WAMU Radio General Manager Caryn Mathes. “Without the backing of a CEO at a company, there are projects that can languish.” The very worst case scenario “would be that the NPR board would have a knee-jerk reaction” and hire someone who isn’t focused on being on the cutting edge of technology, she said. “That won’t happen if NPR remains true to its strategic objective of developing new technology and helping us take our place in the digital realm.” Vivian Schiller’s resignation is of great concern, said Charlie Kravetz, general manager at WBUR(FM) in Boston. However, “I'm confident that the direction that Vivian laid out around the digital environment at NPR will continue,” he said.
Ron Schiller’s remarks were captured on video during a lunch meeting with two people posing as members of a Muslim group, offering $5 million to NPR. He called the tea party movement “really xenophobic” and “racist, racist people.” In a statement, Vivian Schiller called Ron Schiller’s remarks “contrary to what NPR stands for and deeply distressing.” However, the remarks and the October firing of Juan Williams “became such a distraction to the organization that in the board’s mind it hindered Vivian Schiller’s ability to lead the organization going forward,” NPR Board Chairman Dave Edwards said in an NPR newscast.
Ron Schiller’s statement about federal funding “could flip senators who might otherwise support public media,” said Kevin Howley, associate professor of communication at DePauw University in Indiana. “When the budget ax is falling, this is just the sort of comment that could provide politicians with all the cover they need to defund public broadcasting."
The concern of affiliates is understandable, Aaron said. But “I hope their reaction wouldn’t be to try to appease or placate those who are trying to attack and destroy them,” he said. If the Ron Schiller incident results in “larger bloodletting at NPR or the cutting of funds, that would be a really unfortunate outcome of a political attack,” he added.
The NPR board will create a transition committee to find a new president, NPR said in a press release. Joyce Slocum, general counsel, will serve as interim CEO. NPR did not respond to requests for further comment.