The headquarters for National Public Radio, or NPR, are seen in Washington, DC, September 17, 2013; co-host of NPR's 'All Things Considered' Ari Shapiro is seen arriving to his show, 'Och and Oy! A Considered Cabaret' on October 17, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
National Public Radio mistakenly advised Ari Shapiro, the longtime gay host of All Things Considered, to skip a corporate Pride event, before reversing course, Semafor reports. In an embarrassing lapse, the initial email to Shapiro, was sent to a group email by mistake, notifying most of the NPR editorial staff of its recommendation.
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“The guidance in our ethics handbook is to ‘avoid appearances at private industry or corporate functions,’” Tony Cavin, NPR’s managing editor for standards and practices, wrote on Wednesday in an email to Shapiro and seen by Semafor.
“Because this is a closed corporate event I think it would be best to politely decline,” Cavin recommended.
Shapiro immediately questioned the recommendation, noting he had previously spoken at Pride events with the approval of management. He also noted that Cavin had sent the message to an editorial group rather than Shapiro individually, and that the message “went to pretty much everyone in the newsroom.”
Following publication of the story by Semafor, a spokesperson for NPR said Shapiro was free to attend the event without objection from management.
“This decision was made shortly after the original email thread,” NPR said.
NPR has been under renewed threats from Republicans to eliminate its funding. Shortly after Trump’s inauguration, the Federal Communications Commission announced it was investigating the network for potentially violating its charter by running commercials for sponsors. In February, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Defund Government Sponsored Propaganda Act, which, if passed, would end federal taxpayer funding for NPR and the Public Broadcasting System.
Shapiro has been with the network since 2001 when he interned for the network’s Morning Edition. He later worked as a reporter in Atlanta and Miami and covered the White House. In 2015, he became the co-host of the network’s flagship afternoon news program, All Things Considered. He also regularly performs as a guest singer in the band Pink Martini. In 2019 he appeared with Alan Cummings in the cabaret Och & Oy! A Considered Cabaret, which had performances in Fire Island and Provincetown. He’s also the host of The Mole on Netflix and the best-selling author of The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a life spent listening.
