March 10, 2011

Romenesko Misc.
In a letter to NPR listeners and supporters, NPR employees say the comments by former fundraising exec Ron Schiller “have done real damage to NPR. But we’re confident that the culture of professionalism we have built, and the journalistic values we have upheld for the past four decades, will prevail.” The full note is after the jump.

An Open Letter from Journalists at NPR News…..

Dear Listeners and Supporters,

We, and our colleagues at NPR News, strive every day to bring you the highest quality news programs possible. So, like you, we were appalled by the offensive comments made recently by NPR’s now former Senior Vice President for Development. His words violated the basic principles by which we live and work: accuracy and open-mindedness, fairness and respect.

Those comments have done real damage to NPR. But we’re confident that the culture of professionalism we have built, and the journalistic values we have upheld for the past four decades, will prevail. We are determined to continue bringing you the daily journalism that you’ve come to expect and rely upon: fair, fact-based, in-depth reporting from at home and around the world.

With your support we have no doubt NPR will come out of this difficult period stronger than ever.

Thank you,

Robert Siegel

Michele Norris

Melissa Block

Renee Montagne

Scott Simon

Liane Hansen

Guy Raz

Michel Martin

Neal Conan

Susan Stamberg

Nina Totenberg

Linda Wertheimer

Daniel Zwerdling

John Ydstie

Richard Harris

Tom Gjelten

Howard Berkes

Mike Shuster

Laura Sullivan

Lynn Neary

Jacki Lyden

Mara Liasson
Cokie Roberts

———

Why no mention of ex-CEO Vivian Schiller? Daniel Zwerdling responds to my inquiry:

We’re not trying to weigh in on management, in terms of which executive should or shouldn’t hold this or that position. We do want to weigh in on what one executive, Ron Schiller, said: we’re appalled by it. And we want to remind folks that NPR is not about management coming and going, but about the terrific journalism the staff produces every day .

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From 1999 to 2011, Jim Romenesko maintained the Romenesko page for the Poynter Institute, a Florida-based non-profit school for journalists. Poynter hired him in August…
Jim Romenesko

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