July 22 (UPI) — NPR’s Editor-in-Chief Edith Chapin said Tuesday she’s leaving the news agency after nearly 13 years just days after congressional Republicans axed federal funding for public broadcasting.
“It’s not a good time to do it, but it’s never a good time,” Chapin told NPR of her decision to step down from her editor role and the position of acting chief content officer, admitting her choice was not driven by recent events in Congress.
Chapin, who joined NPR in 2012 from CNN, said she informed NPR CEO Katherine Maher about two weeks ago and broke the news Tuesday to colleagues.
She plans to stay until September or October, but “needed to pick a date and share my decision.”
“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,” Maher wrote in a staff memo thanking Chapin for her work.
The recently passed GOP-led rescission bill supported by U.S. President Donald Trump took back some $9 billion in federal funds that drastically reduced foreign aid. It reclaimed more than $1 billion for public broadcasting entities NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Meanwhile, reports suggest the pending Republican cuts to public broadcasting entities is already hurting largely rural U.S. regions.
Chapin was given the acting role of NPR’s new chief content officer in 2023 by then-NPR CEO John Lansing after it combined its reporting, shows and other podcast series.
“I have had two big executive jobs for two years, and I want to take a break,” Chapin stated Tuesday. “I want to make sure my performance is always top-notch for the company.”