Empty Talk at NPR

Dear Morning Edition listener:

Thank you for your e-mail. My inbox at NPR is full of messages from listeners
like you. The decision to change Bob Edwards' role has surprised and upset some
of you. I understand that Bob has been there for you every morning, and you've come
to rely on him. I write to explain the reasons for this change.

I have a long history with Morning Edition and NPR, extending back almost to
the beginning of the network over 30 years ago. As a founding producer of
Morning Edition, I was part of the team that produced the show and
individual stories with Bob every day for five years.

At NPR, Bob defined the role of the studio-host, supported by a team of
producers, writers and editors to bring reports that were often more topical
than immediate. He has performed that role memorably.

Four years ago, in response to the sudden intensification of news and the
swifter pace of great and often troubling events, I initiated a wide-ranging
assessment of our core programs to insure that they will meet the challenges
of the new era. As millions of new listeners have come to us to understand
these events and our changing world, we have recognized a new challenge for
NPR: to make our programming even more timely as well as increasingly
thoughtful and in-depth.

Since then, we have introduced new hosts to three of our signature
programs: All Things Considered, Talk of the Nation, and Weekend All Things
Considered. Our news programming is now stronger and deeper than even just
a few years ago - more varied and richer in voices, perspectives, and scope.

Critical to these programs' development has been the arrival of hosts with
wide, fresh experience as NPR producers and correspondents in the field.
They have reported live from near and far - from Bosnia to Baghdad, from
Afghanistan to Allentown. They've reported moving, gripping stories from
well beyond the walls of NPR studios.

Experienced both in covering news events as they happen and in NPR's
remarkable long-form radio journalism, they have brought unique freshness
and spontaneity to their NPR hosting. With their leadership, we are
embracing the challenges of our new era: to bring to you both context and
depth as only NPR can and to do so in a way that matches the pace of news.

As a Senior Correspondent, Bob will join a truly great company of his NPR
colleagues: Susan Stamberg, Linda Wertheimer, Noah Adams, and Juan
Williams. Each has been a host in other times; each is making irreplaceable
contributions to NPR today. You will continue to hear Bob, not only on
Morning Edition, but also on other NPR programs.

We deeply appreciate that you care so much; without passion such as yours,
public radio would not succeed. Thank you for listening.

Jay Kernis
Senior Vice President for Programming



Statement by Bob Edwards
3/26/2004

I am delighted that NPR and I have agreed on all of the details of my
new duties as a senior correspondent. My new role will allow me to
continue serving NPR listeners and will include profiling interesting
and noteworthy people from all walks of life.

I plan to be here at NPR for the long haul. I am leaving a post that I
have loved and have given my heart to. I now look forward to the new
challenges ahead of me and continuing to be a significant part of NPR
and the amazing program lineup.

Morning Edition will continue to be my first source for news. I
encourage all of its listeners to stay with the program. It will
continue to bring them the most in-depth and thoughtful journalism in
broadcasting. I hope you continue to listen and support your public
radio station.

April 1, 2004

Dear Morning Edition listener:

I have heard from many of you over the past few days about our decision to
reassign Bob Edwards to a new role as senior correspondent for NPR News. By
the responses we are receiving, it is clear many questions remain-we didn't
do a very good job of explaining something so important. For that reason,
we've compiled the most frequently asked questions and I've tried to answer
them below. I am also hoping that you will join me in a live online web
chat on Monday, April 5 at 1 PM (EDT), when I'll be talking with listeners
about Morning Edition and any other part of our programming that you'd like
to discuss. This will be the first of several opportunities to talk about
these issues directly with us. For more information about how to join the
discussion, go to www.npr.org/morningeditionchat.

We've seen references by NPR management that the decision to move Bob
Edwards to a senior correspondent position was about the need to "evolve,"
and "refresh" Morning Edition. What does that mean?

Over the past three years we've been engaged in an intensive process of
reviewing all of our programming with three questions in mind: How can we
continue to improve and deepen our coverage of the critical stories of the
day? How can we better tell powerful stories from around the world and from
all over the U.S. in the way only NPR can? And how can we enhance our on-air
diversity? The changes we're making in Morning Edition - and the changes
we've made in many other areas - are part of our answer to those questions.

Three years ago, we looked at the rest of the broadcast world and saw only
retreat: fewer reporters in the field, less international coverage, less
diversity of views and voices. NPR made a clear and conscious decision to
move in the opposite direction. We opened two more foreign bureaus, opened
a production facility called NPR West in Los Angeles, and added field
reporters in communities around the United States. We launched new shows,
like the Tavis Smiley Show and Day to Day, to expand our range and bring new
voices to public radio. We made major changes to All Things Considered,
Talk of the Nation and Weekend All Things Considered. These changes in their
entirety have improved and deepened our programming, allowing us to provide
the broadest range of ideas, sounds, and stories.

We believe, and listeners have told us, that these changes have brought real
improvements to our programming, and we're confident the same will be true
for Morning Edition.

So, why are you moving Bob out as host of Morning Edition?

Morning Edition is our most important show, and we wouldn't make changes
without a lot of planning and discussion. More than 18 months ago, we began
a careful series of discussions about the program with Bob, stations, and
NPR staff.

Twenty-five years ago, Morning Edition was created with a single, in-studio
host. That model is no longer sufficient to bring the weight of credible, in-
depth reporting that we are demanding of ourselves. In the last year, we
have experimented with a different model: two hosts (one in DC and one in
Los Angeles) for the show, both capable of providing unique reporting from
the field, and of working in tandem to carry the show forward during even
the most pressing news events. We believe this is the right model for
Morning Edition in the years to come. In making this change, we don't mean
to diminish Bob's remarkable career at NPR, and we know that he will
continue to make an extraordinary contribution in his new role.

Are you doing this because you're trying to attract a younger audience?

We don't program to one audience - but to everyone who wants in-depth,
intelligent news and information. Over the last two years, we have hired at
least six new hosts at NPR - Michele Norris, Alex Chadwick, Tavis Smiley,
Melissa Block, Neal Conan and Steve Inskeep. They range in age from the mid
30s to the late 50s, they are white and black, male and female, east coast
and west coast. They are threaded together only by their excellence of
craft, love of radio and dedication to the highest standards of journalism.


Why now? Why not wait till Bob's 25th anniversary in November?

We made the difficult decision to replace Bob as host early this year, at
the end of an extensive process lasting more than 18 months. Given the
length of time, we did not believe it appropriate to wait another nine
months before making this change. Having made the decision, we also felt
that it would be unfair to withhold the information from Bob or, having told
him, to ask many people to hold this announcement for an extended period of
time. All that being said, we deeply regret that many have understood this
to be disrespectful of Bob. We intended nothing of the kind.

Is this decision a reflection of a dumbing down of NPR - what we see in the
commercial broadcasting world?

No. We are working hard to move in the opposite direction: expanding our
reporting staff and adding thought-provoking new shows. In the coming year,
with the proceeds from the historic bequest from the late Joan Kroc, we will
expand our reporting staff, enhance our ability to do investigative
reporting and increase our capacity to tell the stories no one else can.
Last month we hired Bill Marimow, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and one
of the most distinguished journalists in America, as a new managing editor
for NPR News. We have also committed to adding three new producers and
editors to Morning Edition to ensure that the quality of the show will only
grow. These hires are emblematic of our specific goal to enhance quality,
diversity and excellence at NPR News.

Morning Edition's audience has been growing dramatically over the last few
years. If it ain't broke, why are you fixing it?

You're right, it isn't broken; it's a great show. If we were a commercial
outfit where decisions are profit driven, we probably wouldn't make any
changes. But we're not. We're driven by a mission to provide the highest
quality journalism to our listeners. We have asked ourselves hard questions,
and we're acting on our answers to make Morning Edition even better. Our
goals are to take the show to more places, with hosts as reporters going
into communities, giving it more depth, flexibility and responsiveness.

Unless you bring back Bob, I'm going to stop giving to my local NPR station.


Public radio has been built on listener support, which is the largest source
of funding for local, independent member stations. They rely on the public's
support to bring each community the best news and information daily. Holding
back your contribution will only penalize your local station for a decision
made by NPR management.

Is there a chance you will change your mind and bring back Bob?

The changes we are making are part of a multi-year effort to expand our
reach, to enhance our diversity, to tell stories from your community and
abroad, and to be able to react to the immediacy of news across the day. We
have worked hard to make this happen and believe that you are already
hearing the benefits of these ideas. We are deeply aware that this is a
listener-supported network and we are grateful for all the expressions of
love and support for Bob. But in the end, this is about our broad
commitment to delivering the kind of high-quality in-depth coverage that
makes our reporting remarkable. We do not plan to deviate from that
commitment.

As a senior correspondent, Bob will be an important part of our plans going
forward. He is an extraordinary storyteller and writer and we expect him to
tell the most vivid stories of artists, thinkers and leaders. We look
forward to hearing him on all of our programs.

Again, thank you for your comments about Morning Edition. I do hope that
you will choose to join us at the online chat on Monday.

Sincerely,

Jay Kernis
Senior Vice President for Programming