Microsoft · The Verge
Ballmer gives $80M to NPR, with strings attached
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 outlet. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
Connie Ballmer, wife of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and cofounder of the Ballmer Group, has given $80 million to NPR.
Key facts
- News Policy $113 million in total new donations won’t save existing jobs, apparently. $113 million in total new donations won’t save existing jobs, apparently
- Connie Ballmer, wife of former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and cofounder of the Ballmer Group, has given $80 million to NPR
- That’s roughly seven years’ worth of government funding ($11.2m) after Trump and Congress cut funds for public media, but only a fraction of NPR’s full annual budget of $300 million
- I support NPR because an informed public is the bedrock of our society, and democracy requires strong, independent journalism,” wrote Ballmer, for NPR’s press release
Summary
News Policy $113 million in total new donations won’t save existing jobs, apparently. $113 million in total new donations won’t save existing jobs, apparently. NPR may still cut jobs because the money has strings attached. NPR journalist David Folkenflik writes that this donation, and another $33 million from an anonymous donor, “were intended for specific purposes, not to build the endowment or to expand news coverage.” It sounds like NPR president and CEO Katherine Maher is expecting to lay off staff despite the additional money.