Bob CollinsThe big media recession hit National Public Radio today. Two shows — News & Notes and Day to Day — are being dropped and 7 percent of NPR’s staff is being laid off.
It’s the organization’s first widespread layoffs in 25 years, the Washington Post says.
NPR had hoped News & Notes would attract more African Americans to its audience. The Post says the cuts represent a retreat from NPR’s goal to diversify its audience:
Combined with the elimination of “Day to Day” and “News & Notes” the cutbacks constitute a retreat from NPR’s efforts to reach new listeners, especially young people and members of minority groups who are not part of NPR’s “core” audience. The diversification effort started in 2002 with the opening of NPR West, the organization’s first major production facility outside of Washington and New York. The facility will remain open after the cutback, but with about half of its 60 employees.
