NPR may be flush with gifts to transform its tech, but it still has to cut jobs

NPR received two private donations totaling $113 million, including an $80 million gift from Connie Ballmer to transform technology for public media audiences across platforms and devices. A second $33 million anonymous gift will build and acquire tools and services shared with public media organizations nationwide. NPR also received increased member donations after federal defunding to help fill an $8 million gap in a $300 million annual budget, though it previously expected a $30–45 million shortfall without member support. Major gifts and member donations will not prevent layoffs. NPR is restructuring, offering buyouts to 300 newsroom staff, mostly in newsgathering desks, with targeted layoffs if enough buyouts are not accepted by May 26. NPR plans to overhaul its app and user experience across platforms and shift leadership strategy toward encouraging use of NPR’s own platforms.

"The $80 million donation, from philanthropist Connie Ballmer, is specifically for "ensuring NPR transforms its technology to meet the needs and serve the interests of public media audiences on whatever platforms or devices they may seek it.""

"The second donation of $33 million, from a donor who chose to remain anonymous, is meant to "build and acquire tools and services that will be shared with public media organizations across the nation.""

"NPR has to "fill a gap of $8 million in its $300-million annual budget," Folkenflik reported. Without member donations, the network had "initially estimated it would come up $30-45 million short.""

"Three hundred staffers, "mostly within newsgathering desks in the newsroom," will be offered buyouts with the goal of 30 people accepting by May 26; if they don't, "more targeted layoffs would ensue," Folkenflik writes. (NPR currently has 425 newsroom employees.)"

Read at Nieman Lab