NPR Appoints CNN Alum Thomas Evans Editor in Chief (original) (raw)

NPR appointed Thomas Evans, a nearly 22-year veteran of CNN who formerly served as its London bureau chief, as editor in chief.

Evans takes over the role from Edith Chapin, NPR’s previous editor in chief and acting chief content officer, who is leaving the organization amid the U.S. government’s axing funding for public media led by the Trump administration.

NPR also announced Marta McLellan Ross will assume the role of chief of staff. Since 2021, she has led NPR’s Policy and Representation team, which advocates for public media and freedom of the press to federal, state and local lawmakers.

The pair of appointments, NPR said, “further strengthen[s] the organization’s leadership team as it builds the future of public media in America.”

NPR, along with PBS, are reeling after the federal government canceled funding for the public media entities, with Trump and other Republicans alleging they have a pronounced left-wing bias. Last month, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting shut down after Congress in mid-July approved Trump’s rescission package, which cut $1.1 billion in funding for CPB over the next two years that had previously been approved.

As editor in chief, Evans will oversee NPR’s global newsroom across broadcast, digital and emerging platforms. He joined NPR in September 2024 as managing editor of editorial review, where he led a program aimed at bolstering newsroom workflows and strengthening “editorial output,” including by adding a “backstop” process that “ensures every NPR story receives an independent internal editorial review,” the org said.

Before joining NPR, Evans spent nearly eight years as VP and London bureau chief at CNN, capping off more than two decades with the news network. As London bureau chief, he oversaw CNN International’s operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, managing 17 bureaus and about 500 employees. Prior to that, he had a long tenure at CNN as an award-winning field producer, specializing in challenging environments such as war zones, and he ran CNN’s bureaus in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“NPR’s mission is as important today as it ever has been,” Evans said in a statement provided by the broadcaster. “Its value is built on the finest journalists in the nation, and I am proud to have been asked to lead this newsroom at this crucial time as we continue to serve our listeners and the pursuit of truth.”

Evans holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from New York’s University of Rochester, and a master of science degree in international politics of Africa and Asia from SOAS University of London.

McLellan Ross, in her new role as chief of staff, will work closely with NPR CEO Katherine Maher and other senior execs “to drive strategic initiatives, strengthen collaboration and support the organization’s long-term goals,” the org said. NPR said she has “an exceptional breadth and depth of knowledge of NPR and the NPR Network, particularly the vital work of public radio stations across the country in service to local communities.”

Before NPR, McLellan Ross previously was director of legislative affairs at the Pentagon‘s Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and acting director of congressional affairs at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which also has been gutted by the Trump administration.

“NPR and public radio play a vital role in American public life,” McLellan Ross said in a statement. “I look forward to supporting the organization in transforming its service to the public and connecting more people to its trusted work.”

Meanwhile, others leaving NPR include Ari Shapiro, co-host of “All Things Considered,” and Susan Stamberg, a 54-year veteran of the broadcaster who retired earlier this month.