NPR has announced the appointment of Nadine Zylstra as its new Chief Content Officer. Zylstra joins the organization at a critical moment for public media, arriving with a mission to build on the best of NPR’s world class journalism and storytelling while developing and leading new strategies to serve the public in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
“To meet the evolving needs of our audiences, we knew we needed a visionary leader who understands both the responsibility of our public service mission and the dynamic strategies required to serve audiences in a crowded ecosystem,” said Katherine Maher, President and CEO of NPR. “Nadine brings an extraordinarily rare blend of creative foresight, business acumen, and deep personal commitment to mission-driven storytelling. She is the right leader at the right time to ensure NPR’s journalism and cultural programming find new ways of serving and enlivening American discourse.”
“I am honored to serve NPR as its new Chief Content Officer,” said Zylstra. “I feel like I have been in training for this role my whole career. At Sesame Street, I learned how content can change the way people understand the world around them. At YouTube I learned to put the user at the center of the storytelling. Finally, at Pinterest I learned that there is a business to build around positivity. I am humbled by the work NPR journalists and storytellers do and eager to learn all the ways in which I can help move our mission forward.”
As Chief Content Officer, Zylstra will be responsible for developing and driving NPR’s content strategy, leading a collaborative organization of more than 600 journalists and storytellers that include news, arts and cultural programming, podcasts, and NPR Music. She will focus on aligning NPR’s expansive content portfolio with future audience needs and distribution opportunities. Zylstra is tasked with executing a transformative vision that expands the reach of NPR’s journalism, as well as NPR’s footprint in entertainment and culture, and accelerating experimentation and innovation.
Zylstra brings a unique blend of leadership experience that bridges the worlds of mission-driven media and new technology platforms. She comes to NPR having previously served as Global Head of Programming and Originals for Pinterest, overseeing the editorial voice for the visual inspiration platform that serves more than 631 million active users every month. At Pinterest, she launched their first linear streaming series, spearheaded partnerships with public figures, inked strategic deals with publishers like Conde Nast, Dotdash Meredith, Rolling Stone and Billboard and built their originals division from the ground up. Prior to Pinterest, Zylstra held top leadership roles at YouTube, including as Global Head of YouTube Originals and Head of Kids and Learning Originals. During her tenure, she launched more than 100 original series that amassed billions of views. During the pandemic, she partnered with leading educators and universities to meet surging global demand for digital learning content.
Zylstra’s foundation in public-interest media was built during a distinguished decade-plus tenure at Sesame Workshop. As Vice President and Supervising Producer for Sesame Street, she expertly navigated complex organizational shifts, uniting global linear and digital production teams and spearheading a historic format overhaul that modernized the iconic show for new generations. She is a passionate advocate for the power of media to drive positive change in the world.
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