NABJ Statement in the Wake of Vivian Schiller's Resignation as President and CEO of NPR

NABJ Statement in the Wake of Vivian Schiller's Resignation as President and CEO of NPR

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was issued today by National Association of Black Journalists:

Dear NABJ Members and Friends:

The National Association of Black Journalists is very concerned about
NPR's commitment to diversity in the wake of Vivian Schiller's
resignation as President and CEO and Cheryl Hampton's departure as
Director of News Staff Development. When Schiller arrived at NPR in
2009, she inherited a culture that was dismissive of diversity. NPR
Senior Vice President of Communications Dana Davis Rehm said
Schiller identified transforming NPR's diversity as a top priority.

Following several critical letters from NABJ, Schiller met with
NABJ's president and vice-president of broadcast in 2009. She
committed to creating a more diverse work force. Within days of the
meeting, Schiller announced the hiring of Keith Woods as Vice
President of Diversity, News. Over the next few months, Jeff Perkins
was hired as Vice President of Human Resources and Chief People
Officer, and former Radio One executive Deborah Cowan was hired as
Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Under
Schiller's direction, NPR created two new positions related to
diversity: a senior editor to diversify the voices heard on NPR and
the sources used by NPR and a diversity correspondent to cover race,
ethnicity, community, and culture.

In addition, long-time NABJ member Teshima Walker, who spent several
years as a senior producer of "Tell Me More with Michel Martin," was
promoted to executive producer on January 13.

Hampton is a familiar face at NABJ's career fair, manning NPR's booth
for a number of years. She was responsible for recruiting a number
of NPR employees from NABJ, including current congressional reporter
Audie Cornish.

Debra Delman, NPR's Senior Vice President for Strategic Operations
and Finance, said the commitment to diversity will not end with
Schiller's departure.

"Our priorities in diversity and in digital media will not stop," she
told NABJ on Wednesday. "I am personally committed to our diversity
goals as are my colleagues on the executive team."

Delman's words are encouraging, but they are not consistent with the
company's actions in changing the reporting structure -and thereby
the priority and prominence -of the journalism recruiting role in a
company where half the employees are journalists. NABJ is greatly
concerned that this change, combined with the expertise lost with
Hampton's departure on Friday, will prove a setback to NPR's
progress.

NABJ challenges NPR to go beyond the relationship we had with
Schiller and make a commitment to diversity at the highest level.

Yours in service,

Kathy Y. Times
NABJ President

SOURCE National Association of Black Journalists

National Association of Black Journalists

CONTACT: Irving Washington, +1-301-405-7520

Web Site: http://www.nabj.org/

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