• Former CEO of NPR John Lansing died Wednesday, Aug. 14, at his lakefront home in Wisconsin, just six months after leaving the station and just two weeks after turning 67. His cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Lansing retired last spring after four and a half tumultuous years at NPR, during which he led the company through a global pandemic, weathered fierce social headwinds, oversaw an ambitious expansion of digital ambitions and steered NPR through what he called an “existential” financial crisis. “John was a true friend who lived a life of integrity and love,” said Keith WoodsNPR’s Chief Diversity Officer. “He made me want to share his beliefs and his special ability to put the things that really mattered – his family, his friends, the people he served as a journalist and a leader – at the center of his universe.”
Before joining NPR in 2019, Lansing was CEO of the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) and oversaw several global networks, including Voice of America. He began his career in the news industry at age 17 as a studio technician and cameraman at WPSD-TV/Paducah, KY He then spent two decades at Scripps Networks, where he rose to become president of Scripps’ cable networking company from 2005 to 2013.
In a message to employees, Lansing’s successor, NPR CEO Katherine Maher said she met Lansing only once. “We shared a meal together and I peppered him with my rudimentary questions,” she said. “He was generous with his insights and optimistic about our future. Later, when things got difficult early in my tenure, he made an effort to cheer me on. It meant a lot to hear from someone who had been in the chair before, and I wish we had had more time together.”
Lansing leaves behind his wife Jeanand their children Alex, Jackson, NicholasAnd JenniferNPR has more details about Lansing’s life and career.
