NPR CEO Katherine Maher Discusses Recent Restructuring and Adapting to Federal Defunding
In the fourth episode of the State of Local News Podcast, host Tim Franklin—Professor, John M. Mutz Chair in Local News, and founding director of the Medill Local News Initiative—speaks with Katherine Maher, President and CEO of NPR.
Maher joins Tim Franklin on the State of Local News Podcast to discuss the rapidly shifting landscape of public media amid federal funding cuts, audience fragmentation, and technological disruption. Maher outlines NPR’s restructuring efforts, the importance of strengthening the local-public media network, and the organization’s investments in digital transformation, video storytelling, and regional newsroom collaborations. The conversation also explores how public radio can evolve from a traditional broadcast model into a digitally integrated, community-centered network—while continuing to serve as one of the most trusted sources of local and national news in the United States.
This Q&A transcript captures their conversation on the future of public media, local journalism, AI and how NPR is adapting to technological and financial transformation. It has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Related Knowledge Center: State of the business model
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