Susan Stamberg: NPR’s Founding Mother on the Birth of Public Radio, a Career Built on Voice and Curiosity
Summary: Susan Stamberg, a longtime NPR icon and one of its self-styled “Founding Mothers,” recalls shaping All Things Considered from its infancy, the challenges of building a new national radio identity, and her lifelong love of reporting culture and art. From the early days of NPR to Mama Stamberg’s cranberry relish and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, Stamberg offers a candid, affectionate look at public radio’s past, present, and future.
In a conversation drawn from decades of experience, Susan Stamberg reflects on her life in broadcasting—from Newark-born beginnings to becoming NPR’s first female host of a national news program, All Things Considered, and a driving force behind NPR’s distinctive voice. Born in 1938 in Newark, New Jersey, Stamberg grew up in New York City and built an education that blended public schooling, Barnard College, and a brief stint at Brandeis before gravitating to radio. Her entry into public radio came through WAMU in Washington, DC, where the station was just getting started and would grow into one of the network’s most important outlets.
Becoming a foundation for NPR
Stamberg played a pivotal role in defining NPR’s early sound. In those early days, the fledgling network had five reporters and a 90-minute flagship program, All Things Considered. The challenge was not just coverage but identity: a new kind of news magazine that could compete with established outlets. Stamberg recalls that the atmosphere was exhilarating but daunting: “we had to fill 90 minutes with five reporters,” she notes. The work was immense, yet the potential was limitless—the sense that NPR could become “the New York Times of radio” animated everyone involved.
Bill Siemering, NPR’s first program manager, helped shape the program’s voice. He encouraged Stamberg to shed the stiff, imitative style many women in radio were taught to use and to “Be yourself.” That advice, Stamberg says, had a transformative effect on her delivery and on NPR’s overall sound. The result was a more relaxed, natural style that helped NPR distinguish itself in a male-dominated media landscape.
Pioneering two-way reporting and global reach
From the start, NPR leveraged partnerships to expand its reach. Stamberg describes the network’s arrangement with the Christian Science Monitor, which allowed NPR reporters to speak with Monitor correspondents abroad when news broke in foreign countries. That “two-ways” approach—interviews and direct connections with foreign reportage—became a hallmark of NPR’s early reporting and a model for how a small network could punch above its weight internationally.
Public radio’s evolving ecosystem also demanded a new kind of collaboration with member stations, many of which were classical music outlets with limited experience in news. Stamberg watched as the network’s training of station teams, and the creation of a shared “NPR sound,” helped stations file their own stories and participate more fully in national coverage. It was a formative period, with roughly 68 member stations—each one a building block for a national conversation.
A career rooted in culture and storytelling
Beyond All Things Considered, Stamberg helped shape NPR’s culture beat and later contributed to Morning Edition and Weekend Edition. She found ongoing motivation in the medium itself—the microphone as a “magic wand” that could cut through silence and confusion—and she remained drawn to the arts, culture, and human stories that give radio its intimate power.
Her approach to reporting on art and culture underscored a pragmatic craft: read deeply about the artist or work, visit the exhibit, and listen intently to curators and biographers. “I listen really hard; that prompts follow-up questions,” she explains. The shift to using online images later on also liberated her storytelling, allowing listeners to imagine the work while she described it in detail on the radio.
Iconic moments and personal anecdotes
Stamberg’s career is filled with memorable moments. She recalls interviewing President Jimmy Carter in the Oval Office as a centerpiece of public radio’s access and conversation with national leaders, and she cherishes the Clinton era’s support for public broadcasting as evidence of NPR’s resonance beyond its core audience. The network’s reach into places often overlooked by broader media—“news deserts,” as some would call them—was amplified by a robust roster of local stations whose reporting connected communities to global events.
Her career also includes lighter, endearing anecdotes that illustrate public radio’s unique culture. One famous bit involved a dark closet, Lifesavers, and Ira Flatow—a humorous science segment that captured the playful, exploratory spirit of NPR’s early days. Another long-running emblem of Stamberg’s public persona is Mama Stamberg’s cranberry relish—a recipe she shared on air beginning in 1971. The dish, famous for its bright pink hue and bold horseradish kick, became a national Thanksgiving staple and a symbol of NPR’s enduring mix of tradition and curiosity. Stamberg later learned the recipe was originally clipped from the New York Times by a relative, but she embraced the story and kept sharing it with audiences who loved the flavor of the dish and the warmth of the broadcast moment.
Hollywood glory and family legacy
In 2020, Stamberg was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a recognition she described with equal parts pride and playful humility. The ceremony, held outdoors on Hollywood Boulevard, included introductions by peers such as Annette Bening. Stamberg’s son, Josh Stamberg, an actor known for roles in projects like Wandavision, attended and shared in the moment with his mother.
The conversation also touches on Stamberg’s family—her daughters and granddaughters—and the pride she takes in their support and involvement in her life’s work. The star’s unveiling became a family affair, underscoring how Stamberg’s professional identity intertwines with a broader, multi-generational legacy in the arts.
Facing challenges and a hopeful future
Stamberg has weathered NPR’s financial and organizational trials, including the 1983 funding crisis in which NPR leadership reshuffled to stabilize the organization. Today she emphasizes the importance of resilience in public radio’s model: a mix of listener support, underwriters, and the essential role of member stations, which, in her view, keep NPR’s reporting grounded in local life while connecting audiences to world events. She recognizes the intense competition in today’s media landscape—podcasts, streaming services, and AI-driven platforms—but remains convinced that the human voice and storytelling will endure.
Her outlook on the future blends realism with optimism. Public radio’s strength, she says, lies in its tradition of long-form, thoughtful conversation and in its ability to adapt—whether through podcasts or other formats—to meet listeners where they are. While the medium’s path may continue to shift, Stamberg believes the core mission remains: tell compelling stories that matter, in voice that listeners trust.
A lasting influence and practical wisdom
Looking back, Stamberg offers both personal guidance and broader counsel for aspiring broadcasters. Her career embodies a straightforward principle—be yourself—and a reminder of radio’s intimate power: “The microphone is a tool for communication,” she says, one that opens doors and creates connection. For those entering the field, she also notes the importance of asking questions with clarity, avoiding artificial delivery, and letting conversation unfold in real time.
For readers and listeners, Stamberg’s story is a testament to public radio’s resilience and a reminder of the human connections at the heart of good journalism. Her journey—from a public-schooled, art-loving student to NPR’s pioneering host and cultural correspondent—highlights a career built on curiosity, authenticity, and a lot of listening.
Final thoughts
As Stamberg continues reporting and sharing cultural stories, she remains a cornerstone of public radio’s tradition and innovation. Her decades-long work demonstrates how radio can still influence national conversation, preserve important local voices, and foster a sense of shared experience—even as the media landscape grows more fragmented. Her hopeful view—that radio’s human voice will endure alongside podcasts and other formats—offers a grounded perspective for listeners and for a public radio ecosystem that continues to evolve while staying true to its core mission: meaningful storytelling, well told.
Additional context for readers
– Stamberg’s approach to interview craft—listening first, then following up with informed questions—helps explain why many listeners find her work so engaging and trustworthy.
– Her note about the ongoing value of local stations reinforces the public-radio model: national programs rise from community reporting, which in turn informs and enriches national dialogue.
– The “Founding Mothers” label, which Stamberg helped popularize, reflects the collaborative, nonhierarchical spirit that characterized NPR’s early days and continues to influence its culture today.
If you’d like more on Stamberg’s views on the current state of public radio, or a deeper dive into Mama Stamberg’s cranberry relish and its cultural footprint, I can add that as well.