NPR news chief says she’s leaving, days after federal funding cuts

Edith Chapin, the top editor at NPR, is leaving the public media outlet at the end of the year. The move marks a major change ahead of the public broadcaster’s next chapter, without the federal funding that Congress has provided to it and its member stations for decades.

In a Tuesday morning email to staff obtained by The Washington Post, NPR chief executive Katherine Maher wrote that Chapin’s decision came two weeks ago ahead of the U.S. Senate’s vote to pass President Donald Trump’s rescission bill, which stripped the Corporation for Public Broadcasting of $1.1 billion for NPR, PBS and member stations over the next two years.

“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. “She didn’t bat an eye when I walked in the door, and has shown me the ropes around this place with patience and sincerity. When it comes to steely fortitude in service of the mission, I sure wouldn’t want anyone else in our foxhole.”

Maher also shared a memo from Chapin. “Two years with two big executive jobs has been a comprehensive assignment,” Chapin wrote. “I love journalism, it has been my life for more than 35 years, and I will keep championing it for many more years. I will reset after a few months of a career break.”

Chapin has been the top editor at NPR since 2023. She previously served as vice president and executive editor at large, executive editor and senior supervising editor for the international desk. She joined NPR in 2012 after 25 years at CNN, where she rose from intern to vice president and deputy bureau chief of CNN’s Washington bureau.

In a statement to The Post, Maher wrote: “Edith laid the foundation for a stronger public radio, and set us on a solid path with her expert navigation. She has led with conviction, clarity, and compassion — always putting the public’s interest first.”

Chapin’s last day has not been determined. “I’ll be here for a while,” she wrote in her memo. She said she wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible and would continue to run the newsroom until an interim editor is selected.