NPR news chief Edith Chapin, who has served as chief editor since 2023, will step down by year’s end, according to an email to staff.
“Two years with two big executive jobs has been a comprehensive assignment,” Chapin wrote in a memo on her resignation. “I love journalism, it has been my life for more than 35 years, and I will keep championing it for many more years.”
Chapin, who’s been with NPR since 2012, told staff she plans to “reset after a few months of a career break,” though no exact end date was given. CEO Katherine Maher said Chapin made the decision about two weeks ago.
“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 to NPR staff informing them of her decision. “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.”
This comes as NPR faces a major shift, with both NPR and PBS set to lose taxpayer funding under President Trump’s rescission bill, approved by the GOP-led Senate in a 51–48 vote. Long seen as left-leaning critics of the Republican agenda, NPR and PBS are now caught in Trump’s push to cut public spending and “drain the swamp” in Washington.
BREAKING: Edith Chapin, the Editor in Chief of NPR, to RESIGN after Congress voted to cut their funding.
Goodbye 👋🏻 pic.twitter.com/DhmMZIespi
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 22, 2025
