National Public Radio to cut jobs and overhaul newsroom amid $8M funding gap and changing audience behavior

National Public Radio in Washington, DC, has announced a major newsroom restructuring as it confronts an $8 million annual budget gap driven by the elimination of federal funding for public media stations and declining corporate sponsorship revenue. The organization is offering buyouts to roughly 300 employees, with as many as 30 expected to be accepted, with subsequent targeted layoffs to follow as needed. Even as NPR received record private gifts totaling $113 million, largely directed toward technological innovation, the network will merge reporting desks and streamline coverage to preserve its core journalism capacity as the organization refocuses on digital platform growth to strengthen long-term sustainability and adapt to ongoing changes in audience behavior