NPR newsroom chief Edith Chapin says she’s leaving the network. She made the announcement just days after Congress voted to strip public broadcasting of all federal funding.
NPR’s editor in chief and acting chief content officer Edith Chapin told colleagues Tuesday morning that she has decided to step down.
The veteran news leader’s announcement comes just days after the Republican-led Congress, driven largely by President Trump’s claims of liberal bias at NPR, voted to strip public broadcasting of all federal funding.
Chapin says the choice was hers and not driven by the action in Congress. In a brief interview, she says she surprised NPR CEO Katherine Maher with her decision two weeks ago.
„I have had two big executive jobs for two years and I want to take a break. I want to make sure my performance is always top-notch for the company“, Chapin says. She says she expects to stay at NPR until September or October.
In a note to staff, Maher thanked Chapin for her work. „Edith has been an indispensable partner during my first year at NPR, a steady leader for a large part of this organization, and a fantastic collaborator as a member of the executive team“, she wrote. She did not offer any details about transition planning and interim leadership, saying she would share more once she had it.
Chapin joined NPR from CNN in 2012 as chief international editor and rose in the ranks of newsroom leadership. She was promoted to lead the newsroom on a day-to-day basis, and was subsequently elevated to senior vice president of news and editor in chief over the entire division.
In 2023, then-NPR CEO John Lansing united reporting, shows and podcasts. He named Chapin to temporarily hold the new role of chief content officer overseeing the new division.
