Ellen Weiss is out as Senior Vice President of News at National Public Radio. Weiss had been a fixture at NPR since 1982.  Before serving as Senior Vice President of News, Weiss was the executive producer of NPR’s flagship news program All Things Considered.

The news was handed down by NPR President and CEO Vivian Schiller, who had this to say about Weiss’ tenure: 

Over her decades at NPR, Ellen has made meaningful and lasting contributions to the evolution of NPR and our newsroom. She is a strong journalist who has brought her considerable talents to how NPR covers the world and meets the ever-increasing expectations of today’s audiences. Ellen exemplifies journalistic professionalism and integrity. I’m grateful to her for what she has accomplished at NPR.

Weiss and NPR came under fire for the handling of the Juan Williams controversy. Margaret Low Smith will temporarily step into Weiss’ position. Low Smith is currently the VP of Programming for NPR.

Ellen has always been a friend to WBEZ. We are sad to see her go.