US’s National Public Radio lays off 100 employees

National Public Radio (NPR), a Washington-based nonprofit media organisation, has begun to sack 10 per cent of its staff or about 100 employees, and stopped production of four acclaimed seasonal podcasts, as it struggles with financial woes.

“We literally are fighting to secure the future of NPR at this very moment by restructuring our cost structure. It’s that important. It’s existential,” said NPR chief executive John Lansing.

Most affected NPR employees will stay on until April 28.

NPR aims to cut back its workforce from approximately 1,200 to about 1,050 employees.

Last month, the global media outlet announced plans to lay off about 10 per cent of its current workforce, as its financial outlook has “darkened considerably over recent weeks.”

According to NPR, its financial woes can be traced mainly to advertisers’ growing reluctance to spend money, particularly on podcasting, in an uncertain economy.

Other media outlets, including Gannett, CNN and Vox Media, and tech powerhouses such as Amazon, Google and Meta also have had layoffs in recent months.

Several veteran NPR staffers like Karen Grigsby Bates and Sylvia Poggioli announced her retirement on social media.

The layoffs also affected people who work behind the scenes to produce shows and podcasts, design visual elements for the web, and conduct audience research.