National Public Radio, on a quest for happier news stories that give listeners a break from coverage of seemingly endless wars and hyper-partisan politics, is getting some help.
A report by Bloomberg says the public broadcaster has appointed a “joy czar” to help find more uplifting stories. The “joy czar” will be embedded in NPR’s Washington, D.C. newsroom and will work to “ratchet up our ‘joy’ quotient across platforms,” according to an internal memo cited by Bloomberg.
The news comes against the backdrop of tough times over the last couple of years at NPR, which has endured layoffs, podcast cancellations and challenging financial times.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg also reported on a separate memo sent by Edith Chapin, NPR’s acting Chief Content Officer, suggesting that the broadcaster is trying to grow its radio listener base while simultaneously retaining the existing audience.
