Ellen Weiss, an award-winning broadcast news executive who has served as head of the NPR News National Desk and Executive Producer of the top-rated daily NPR News magazine All Things Considered, moved into NPR’s top news management position in April 2007.
In this role, Weiss oversees NPR’s worldwide journalism operations, including 19 domestic and 17 foreign bureaus; more than 400 staff members; more than 40 hours of news programming weekly; and NPR’s award-winning investigations, longform series and other special reporting.
Weiss joined NPR News in 1982. For 12 years, she was Executive Producer of the daily NPR newsmagazine All Things Considered. She was responsible for its broadcasts from around the U.S. and the world — including Berlin during the fall of communism, San Francisco after the 1989 earthquake, L.A. in the midst of the 1992 riots and Jerusalem during the 1996 elections. Weiss has also served as a senior producer, editor, field producer and director at NPR News.
From 2001 to 2006, she was Senior Editor of the National Desk, managing 80 reporters, editors and producers covering all national issues including politics, business, religion, education, immigration, police and prisons. She oversaw coverage of major national events; among them, NPR News’ critically-acclaimed work covering 9/11, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the 2002 and 2004 elections. Weiss also edited many of NPR News’ investigations including Daniel Zwerdling’s award-winning coverage of the use of dogs in detention centers, Carrie Kahn’s report on mercy killings at New Orleans hospitals during Hurricane Katrina and John McChesney’s investigation into the final hours of the only Abu Ghraib detainee whose death was ruled a homicide.
She has been part of the NPR News teams that have received such honors as Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, George Foster Peabody Awards, Investigative Reporters and Editors Awards, Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, Overseas Press Club Awards and American Women in Radio and Television Awards.
Weiss is a graduate of Smith College with a B.A. in international relations. She and her family live in Washington, D.C.