Ari Shapiro, one of the core voices of NPR, will depart the network in late September, the latest major exit from the outlet since Congress stripped federal funding for public broadcasters.

In a Tuesday morning memo to staffers, NPR news chief Edith Chapin announced that Shapiro will host his final edition of “All Things Considered” on September 26 — around the time he celebrates the 10-year mark hosting the flagship daily afternoon news program.

“Several months ago,” Chapin wrote, “Ari came to us to say that the milestone was an amazing capstone to his career here, and it felt like the right time for him to try something new.”

In a Substack post, Shapiro wrote that his departure after 25 years at NPR “has nothing to do with the challenges facing public radio, the news media, or the country.”

He added: “Those are real and profound, and I plan to continue engaging with them in meaningful ways. But they aren’t informing this transition.”

“Working at NPR has been a wild privilege,” Shapiro continued. “Since I became a host of All Things Considered, I’ve kept the original 1970 mission statement from founder Bill Siemering taped in view of my desk. I especially love the part that says we ‘will encourage a sense of active constructive participation rather than apathetic helplessness.’”

Following his exit, Shapiro said, he will go on tour with the multi-genre band Pink Martini. He’s been a guest singer with the band for almost 20 years.

Shapiro is the latest high-profile staffer to announce their exit from NPR. In late July, just days after Congress voted to kill funding for public broadcasters, Chapin announced she’d step down in the fall. And last week, one of NPR’s “founding mothers,” Susan Stamberg, announced her retirement, starting September 1.

In her memo on Wednesday, Chapin wrote that she and Shapiro have “discussed keeping the door open for any opportunities to work together on specific projects in the future.”

She added that “next steps” to fill Shapiro’s host chair will likely be announced next week.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the length of time Ari Shapiro has worked at NPR. He has been at NPR for 25 years and hosted “All Things Considered” for 10 years.

Veteran NPR host Ari Shapiro is saying goodbye to the network and All Things Considered, the latest high-profile departure following the move by President Donald Trump administration’s to defund public media.

But the move to kill federal funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting isn’t the reason Shapiro said he leaving the network he has called home for 25 years.

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“My decision to move on has nothing to do with the challenges facing public radio, the news media, or the country. Those are real and profound, and I plan to continue engaging with them in meaningful ways,” Shapiro wrote on Substack. “But they aren’t informing this transition.”

Edith Chapin, a senior vice president at National Public Radio and the network’s acting chief content officer, said in a memo to staff Shapiro made the decision “several months ago” and plans to offer updates on who will fill the vacant chair on All Things Considered.

“We’re excited to see what Ari does next as he embarks on creating more of his own work,” Chapin wrote. “We’ve also discussed keeping the door open for any opportunities to work together on specific projects in the future.”

» READ MORE: The future of two Philly music stations unclear after Republicans defund NPR and PBS

Chapin is also stepping down from her role as an NPR executive, announcing her departure just days after Congress voted to strip all federal funding from public broadcasting.

Shapiro has spent the last decade hosting All Things Considered, NPR’s popular afternoon news show, which airs on WHYY in Philadelphia and on nearly every NPR station across the country. His final show will be Sept. 26.

He said he viewed the role “like inheriting a family heirloom,” with his main goal not to break the show “until it’s time to hand it off to the next generation.”

“Working at NPR has been a wild privilege,” Shapiro wrote. “The work of public radio is more important today than it has ever been. I plan to keep supporting it, and I hope you will too.”

Susan Stamberg, one of NPR’s “Founding Mothers” and a former All Things Considered host, announced her retirement from the station last week. Her final day at the network will be Sept. 1.

» READ MORE: A beloved Lehigh Valley radio station fears going silent after federal cuts

A bridge fund to help rescue struggling public media stations

In June, leaders of about 25 philanthropic foundations met at WXPN-FM (88.5) headquarters in Philadelphia to plan for a worst-case scenario that ultimately happened — Republicans slashing all federal funding for public media.

What they came up with was the idea of the Public Media Bridge Fund to help support about 115 rural public media stations that rely most on federal funding (more than 30% of their annual budget) to keep their operations running.

That fundraising is underway, with a goal of amassing $100 million to help support local stations over the next two years. So far, they have received commitments from the Knight Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and others totaling about $36 million, according to Tim Isgitt, the head of Public Media Co., which will ultimately manage and distribute the funds.

That $100 million is a drop in the bucket compared with the more than $1.1 billion the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was slated to receive over the next two years, but it represents enough to help struggling stations keep their lights on and their antennas broadcasting, at least in the short term.

“We’re working under the assumption federal funding is not coming back and, therefore, how do we secure local service for as many Americans as possible?” Isgitt told The Inquirer.

Isgitt said the plan is to publish grant guidelines for struggling stations by the end of the month and to distribute funds before November, when federal funding will run out.

“The thing we’re worried about is the closure of public media organizations at scale, and that’s what we’re trying to prevent happening,” Isgitt said.

Ari Shapiro is set to leave NPR after 25 years and a decade as host of “All Things Considered.”

The radio journalist announced he will depart from the public radio station at the end of September in an Instagram post on Wednesday. The news comes after the Trump administration cut funding for NPR and PBS in July, but Shapiro insisted that his decision was made separate from these budget cuts.

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“It has been a wild privilege to spend 25 years at NPR. After a decade as host of ‘All Things Considered,’ I’ve decided to move on at the end of September,” his statement read. “I have more to say over at arishapiro.substack.com. For now, let me just express what a joy it has been to share stories and conversations with you.”

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“The work of public radio is more important today than it has ever been,” Shapiro added. “I intend to continue supporting it, and I hope you will too. Thank you for listening.”

In a longer retrospective on his Substack, Shapiro called hosting “All Things Considered” a dream job and noted that he gave himself a self-imposed timeline to host the show for a decade.

“I’m proud to say I’ve never missed a deadline in my career,” he wrote, setting his last episode of “All Things Considered” for Sept. 26. “And as I mark a decade as an ATC host, it feels right to stick to this one.”

Shapiro further specified that his decision to move “has nothing to do with the challenges facing public radio, the news media or the country.” In July, the Senate voted to remove $1.1 billion from public media spending, passing the cuts with two Republicans voting against the measure.

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“Public radio’s ability to evolve and change without sacrificing that unshakable mission of public service is NPR’s greatest strength,” he shared. “As I start the next chapter of my own professional evolution, I can’t imagine an organization more uniquely prepared to deliver the kind of illumination, understanding and joy that I have treasured my entire life — and that I will continue to depend on as a listener.”

As for Shapiro’s next steps, the radio host said he will answer fan questions soon in a live Q&A set to happen in the coming days. After his final “All Things Considered” show, he will go on tour with Pink Martini as a guest singer.

Shapiro added that he does not plan to use his Substack newsletter as a forum for news analysis, but rather for personal commentary — like updates on his garden.

The post Ari Shapiro to Exit NPR at End of September After 25 Years appeared first on TheWrap.

Ari Shapiro will step down as co-host of NPR’s “All Things Considered” on September 26.

Shapiro joined NPR in 2001 and held roles as International Correspondent based in London, White House Correspondent, and Justice Correspondent prior to joining All Things Considered in 2015.

In a memo to staffers, NPR Senior Vice President/Editor in Chief and acting Chief Content Officer Edith Chapin said, “Ari Shapiro, co-host of All Things Considered and Consider This, has decided to step away from the host chair and daily news coverage at NPR.

This fall, Ari will mark 10 years as an ATC host, a truly remarkable achievement. Several months ago, Ari came to us to say that the milestone was an amazing capstone to his career here, and it felt like the right time for him to try something new.

During his time at ATC, he conducted hundreds of unforgettable interviews, anchored hours and hours of live special coverage, and reported from around the world. He even found time to write a best-selling memoir, sing on stage at some of the country’s iconic venues, and host a season of The Mole on Netflix.

Ari began his career at NPR as an intern for Nina Totenberg. He went on to be an International Correspondent, a White House Correspondent and a Justice Correspondent. His journey became a marquee example of the value and possibility of NPR’s internship program, and an inspiration to countless interns who have since sought a chance to get their start here.

Ari has won a shelf full of awards honoring his journalism, including three national Edward R. Murrow awards and the Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists’ Journalist of the Year in 2023 (just to name a few).

In the newsroom, Ari has been a thoughtful and generous colleague. He is quick with a kind word or a compliment. He has also always been both gracious and firm in advocating for his team if something wasn’t going as well as it could. If you’ve ever been to station visits or public events with Ari, it is always a joy to see how listeners embrace and admire him. He is ever willing to talk with a local reporter or snap a photo with a fan.

I personally loved working with Ari during his assignment in London. He was eager to go anywhere and everywhere. He reported on the drama that led to Brexit, but also went to Ukraine and Israel and Scotland where he found a distillery cat that briefly became world famous. I also especially enjoyed the “Play it Forward” series, born of Ari’s host duties on Thanksgiving afternoons, where he was able to spin his own deep appreciation of music into a series of love letters from one artist to the next.

Ari will be leaving NPR at the end of September. His final show will be September 26, and we’ll toast him in the newsroom after the show wraps. We’re excited to see what Ari does next as he embarks on creating more of his own work. We’ve also discussed keeping the door open for any opportunities to work together on specific projects in the future. We will follow up soon, likely next week, with more about our next steps to fill the ATC host chair after Ari leaves. With great appreciation for Ari and his work,”

Shapiro added, “Working at NPR has been a wild privilege. Since I became an ATC host, I’ve kept the original mission statement from founder Bill Siemering taped in view of my desk. I especially love the part that says we “will encourage a sense of active constructive participation rather than apathetic helplessness.” Our ability to evolve and change without sacrificing that unshakable mission of public service is NPR’s greatest strength.

As I start the next chapter of my own professional evolution, I can’t imagine an organization more uniquely prepared to deliver the kind of illumination, understanding, and joy that I have treasured my entire life — and will continue to depend on as a listener. This has been the second-longest relationship of my adult life (after my marriage), and I am both deeply grateful and exceptionally proud to have become the journalist — and the person — I am because of NPR.

Thank you for everything you’ve given me over the last 25 years, and thank you in advance for the important work ahead.”

Shapiro wrote more about his exit on his blog.

In a surprising announcement, Ari Shapiro, the beloved co-host of NPR’s flagship afternoon newsmagazine All Things Considered, announced on Instagram he will leave the public broadcaster at the end of September 2025, concluding a remarkable 25-year tenure. Shapiro’s exit follows President Donald Trump’s successful efforts to defund public media, a move that has sparked widespread debate about the future of outlets like NPR. The veteran journalist shared the news in a heartfelt Substack post, reflecting on his career and expressing gratitude to listeners.

“It has been a wild privilege to spend 25 years at NPR,” Shapiro wrote. “After a decade as host of All Things Considered, I’ve decided to move on at the end of September. The work of public radio is more important today than it has ever been. I intend to continue supporting it, and I hope you will too. Thank you for listening.”

Shapiro, who joined All Things Considered as a host in 2015, has become a household name in public radio, known for his incisive interviews and evocative storytelling. His career at NPR spans roles as diverse as White House Correspondent during the Obama administration, International Correspondent based in London, and Justice Correspondent under President George W. Bush. Shapiro’s reporting has taken him from the Arctic Circle to Air Force One, covering wars in Iraq, Ukraine, and Israel, as well as pivotal domestic stories like the life and death of Breonna Taylor and the Trump administration’s asylum policies.

His work has earned him three national Edward R. Murrow Awards, including one for a groundbreaking series linking climate change, migration, and far-right political movements. Other accolades include the Columbia Journalism Review’s laurel for his investigation into veterans’ disability benefits, the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel for exposing flaws in Louisiana’s detention system post-Hurricane Katrina, and the inaugural American Judges’ Association American Gavel Award. At just 25, Shapiro won the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize for his investigation into methamphetamine use and HIV transmission. In 2023, he was named Journalist of the Year by NLGJA, the association of LGBTQ+ journalists.

Beyond journalism, Shapiro has carved out a unique presence as a performer, frequently singing with the eclectic “little orchestra” Pink Martini, appearing on their albums in multiple languages. He also co-created the stage show Och and Oy: A Considered Cabaret with Tony Award winner Alan Cumming, performing to sold-out audiences across the U.S., including a two-week run at New York’s Café Carlyle.

Shapiro’s departure comes at a turbulent time for NPR, as Trump’s defunding measures threaten the organization’s financial stability. While Shapiro has not detailed his next steps, he hinted at future projects in his Substack post, directing readers to arishapiro.substack.com for more. His exit follows a trend of high-profile media departures, such as the Duffer Brothers’ recent move from Netflix to Paramount, signaling a shifting landscape for creators in media and entertainment.

As Shapiro prepares to leave, his fans and colleagues alike are reflecting on his legacy. “Ari’s voice has been a guiding light for millions,” said NPR colleague Audie Cornish. “His ability to connect with listeners through stories of humanity and justice is unmatched.” For now, Shapiro remains focused on his final weeks at NPR, continuing to deliver the thoughtful journalism that has defined his career.

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