The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has awarded a $1.9 million grant to NPR to enhance its editorial operations and support the production of 24/7 news content across multiple platforms with eleven new positions.
The funding will support a team of seven editors to provide an extra layer of expert review, ensuring content meets rigorous journalistic standards before distribution. Additionally, two supervising editors will join the editorial standards team to guide on ethics and policies, while two content strategy analysts will focus on data to optimize content production and impact.
The grant will also support regular editorial briefings with experts to ensure NPR’s journalism provides a continued public service.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting President and CEO Patricia Harrison said, “Misinformation and disinformation are threats to our democracy. The American people place great trust in public media’s informational and educational content. We are proud to support NPR’s commitment to maintaining that trust by increasing its editorial oversight, transparency, and inclusion of diverse perspectives across its content.”
The grant comes at a time when NPR is trying to strengthen itself from within, despite shrinking funding from outside sources.
CPB’s first post-pandemic State of the System report found a decline in public media employment, with job openings dropping from 4,020 in 2022 to 3,317 in 2023, and hires decreasing from 2,469 to 2,048. Public radio was particularly affected, with larger grantees reporting a net loss of 57 employees in 2023, consistent with recent sector-wide layoffs.
