NPR President and CEO Jarl Mohn announced on Tuesday that he will be stepping down when his five-year contract expires on June 30, 2019. Mohr will be given the title of President Emeritus. He will continue to be an NPR Foundation board member and co-chair NPR’s 50th anniversary capital campaign. The NPR Board will conduct a national search for NPR’s next CEO.
Mohn became president and CEO of NPR in 2014. A company press release says Mohn led NPR through more than four consecutive years of audience growth and budget surpluses. “During his tenure, NPR’s news magazines attained their highest ratings in the network’s history and NPR is reaching new audiences as the top podcast publisher, and through platforms like smart speakers and connected cars. Under Mohn’s leadership, NPR and member stations have come together in a renewed spirit of partnership, creating new, high-quality content for all the ways audiences are consuming media. Today, NPR and member stations are developing new and better ways of collaborating in newsgathering and presentation.”
Mohn told the NPR staff, “My wife Pam and I are more committed than ever to helping NPR and public radio achieve long-term financial stability, particularly at a time when journalism is under economic and political pressures. We are so confident in the future of this organization that we are announcing our personal donation of $10 million to NPR as well as our long-term personal commitment to the organization. We invite others who care about quality journalism and public service to join us in investing in this remarkable institution and its journalists.”
As President Emeritus, Mohn will focus on building relationships with donors who believe in the importance of NPR’s journalism and want to invest in the next chapter in the network’s history.
