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Reported speech imperative

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Reported Speech Imperatives

Reported speech imperatives differ in structure to other reported speech sentences.

Imperatives are:

• Commands: Keep quiet!
• Requests: Please close the window
• Advice: Go and lie down
• Suggestions: Take the test next year instead

This is the structure that we use:

Structure: reporting verb (e.g. ask, tell)   + noun/pronoun +  to infinitive 

Example: She asked me   to come  later

Here are some further examples using the imperative sentences above, showing them in direct speech and indirect speech.

Direct Speech:

• She said, "Keep quiet!"
• "Please close the window", the teacher said
• He told her, "Go and lie down"
• She said, "Take the test next year instead"

Reported Speech:

• She instructed me to keep quiet
• The teacher asked me to close the window
• He told her to go and lie down
• She advised them to take the test next year instead

Reporting Verbs for Imperatives

In normal reported speech, the common reporting verbs are said and told . For instance:

• She said she was tired
• He told me I should come tomorrow

There are many more, however, that are used with reported speech imperatives. Some are for orders while others are for polite requests.

Polite Request

Here are some more examples of reported speech imperatives using these verbs:

Polite Requests

• My doctor  advised  me to sleep more
• The government  urged  the people to use less water
• She asked me to join her on holiday
• They  reminded  us to put our seat belts on
• He  requested  the guests to vacate their rooms
• He begs her to stay
• John told his brother to change direction
• My boss  orders  me to work harder
• She instructed them to learn the alphabet
• The general  commanded his  soldiers to obey
• The sign  forbade  them to enter

Suggest / demand / insist as Reported Verbs

Suggest  / demand / insist can be used as reported verb for imperatives; however, they do not follow the same pattern as above. That is because the structure for using them is as follows:

• Suggest  /  demand / insis t  + that + someone

So this is how reported speech with these verbs will look:

• Direct Speech: She said, "Study harder to pass your test"
• Reported Speech: She suggested that I study harder to pass my test
• Direct Speech:  He said, "Take a taxi home"
• Reported Speech:  He insisted that we take a taxi home

You can't say:

• She suggested me to study harder X
• He insisted us to take a taxi home X

Negative Imperatives in Reported Speech

When we want to make an imperative reported speech sentence negative, we simply add in not before the ' to infinitive ': 

Negative Imperatives in Reported Speech

Structure: reporting verb  + noun/pronoun + not +  to infinitive 

Example: She advised me   not  to come late

Here are some examples of direct speech changed into indirect speech using negative imperatives.

• She said, "Don't keep talking!"
• "Please don't study too hard", the teacher said
• He told her, "Don't wait up for me"
• The doctor said, "Don't over eat" 
• She instructed us not to keep keep talking
• The teacher asked them  not to study to hard
• He urged me not to wait up for him
• The doctor advised me not to over eat

More on Reported Speech:

Direct and Indirect Speech: The differences explained

Direct and indirect speech are different because in direct speech the exact words said are spoken, but in indirect or reported speech, we are reporting what was said, usually using the past tense.

Reported Speech Quiz - Practice forming indirect speech

This reported speech quiz gives you the chance to practice converting direct speech to reported speech, also known as indirect speech. This involves backshifting with the tenses.

Reported Speech Tenses Chart: How to convert tenses

Reported speech tenses may differ from the tense of the direct speech. The general rule for tenses in reported speech is that it changes to the past tense. This is called backshifting.

Examples of Direct and Indirect Speech

In these examples of direct and indirect speech you are given a sentence in direct speech which is then connected to indirect speech.

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Reported Speech: Imperatives

Imperatives in reported speech are a little different than sentences. Imperatives can be used when we give orders and we can also use them to make requests.

For imperatives, we use “ask/tell somebody to do something”.

Compare these two sentences and how they are used in reported speech.

Statement: “It is good.”

Reported Speech: He said that it is good.

Imperative: “Come here.”

Reported Speech: She told me to come here.

So, we use “ask/tell + to + verb” to report a command or imperative.

• “Be quiet.” The teacher told the students to be quiet.
• “Sit down.” My boss told me to sit down.
• “Wake up early.” She told me to wake up early.
• “Please stop it.” He asked her to please stop it.
• “Bring it, please.” He asked her to bring it, please.

Note: Use “tell” for orders and use “ask” for polite requests.

For negative imperatives, we use “not to + verb”. However, you will often hear native speakers say “to + not + verb”.

• “Don’t do that.” She told me not to do that.
• “Do not talk.” She told us not to talk.
• “Please do not be late.” She asked me not to be late.
• “Don’t be noisy.” I told her not to be noisy.

Note: Did you see the difference with negative imperatives with adjectives? Look at the last two examples. We leave out the verb “do”.

Make sure that you understand this English grammar well. It is important to know if you want to speak English fluently.

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• Jun 25, 2023

Understanding Modals and Imperatives in Reported Speech: A Simple Guide

Reported speech is an essential aspect of English communication, allowing us to convey what someone else said. To accurately report what was said, we sometimes need to make changes to modals and imperatives from what was originally said.

In this blog post, we will explore the transformation of modals (such as "can," "could," and "may") and imperatives in reported speech. We will provide clear explanations and numerous examples to help you grasp these concepts effortlessly. Let's get started!

Part one: Modals in Reported Speech:

Modals are auxiliary verbs that express abilities, possibilities, or permissions. When reporting speech, we often need to change these modals to reflect the speaker's perspective.

Let's look at some examples:

1) "Can" in Reported Speech:

Direct speech: "Can you help me with my homework?"

Reported speech: She asked if I could help her with her homework.

Direct speech: "Can we go to the park?"

Reported speech: They asked if they could go to the park.

**can here is changed to “if” but it is not our only option, we can also say “they asked whether or not they could go to the park.”

2) "Could" in Reported Speech:

Direct speech: "Could you lend me some money?"

Reported speech: He asked if I could lend him some money.

Direct speech: "Could I use your phone?"

Reported speech: She asked if she could use my phone.

3) "May" in Reported Speech:

Direct speech: "May I open the window?"

Reported speech: He asked if he could open the window.

Direct speech: "May we leave early?"

Reported speech: They asked if they could leave early.

Part two: Imperatives in Reported Speech:

Imperatives are verb forms used to give commands, instructions, or advice. When reporting an imperative, we need to rephrase it accordingly.

Let's examine a few examples:

Positive Imperatives in Reported Speech:

Direct speech: "Clean your room."

Reported speech: She told me to clean my room.

Direct speech: "Be careful while crossing the road."

Reported speech : He advised me to be careful while crossing the road.

Negative Imperatives in Reported Speech:

Direct speech: "Don't touch the hot stove."

Reported speech: She warned me not to touch the hot stove.

Direct speech: "Don't forget to lock the door."

Reported speech: He reminded me not to forget to lock the door.

Polite Requests in Reported Speech:

Direct speech: "Please pass me the salt."

Reported speech: She politely asked me to pass her the salt.

Direct speech: "Kindly wait for your turn."

Reported speech: He requested that I kindly wait for my turn.

Mastering the transformation of modals and imperatives in reported speech is crucial for clear and accurate communication. By understanding how to change words like "can," "could," "may," and imperatives, you can effectively report what others have said. Remember to pay attention to the changes in verb forms and politeness levels. With practice, you'll become more confident in using reported speech in various contexts. Keep exploring and improving your language skills!

I hope this guide has provided you with a solid foundation for understanding the changes in modals and imperatives in reported speech. Practice using these transformations in your conversations and writing, and you'll soon become proficient in accurately reporting what others say. Happy learning!

Rewrite the following sentences in reported speech, changing the modals as necessary.

Direct speech: "Can you help me with this assignment?"

Direct speech: "May I use your phone?"

Direct speech: "Could you please pass me the salt?"

Direct speech: "You must finish your homework by tomorrow."

Direct speech: "She said, 'I can attend the meeting.'"

Rewrite the following sentences in reported speech, changing the imperatives as necessary.

Direct speech: "Clean your room!"

Direct speech: "Be quiet during the exam."

Direct speech: "Don't forget to call me."

Direct speech: "Open the window, please."

Direct speech: "The teacher said, 'Don't be late.'"

Combine modal verbs and imperatives in reported speech to rewrite the following sentences.

Direct speech: "You can go to the party, but don't stay out too late."

Direct speech: "Please could you bring me a glass of water?"

Direct speech: "You must apologize for your mistake."

Direct speech: "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Direct speech: "She said, 'You may leave early if you finish your work.'"

Reported speech: She asked if I could help her with that assignment.

Reported speech: She asked if she might use my phone.

Reported speech: She asked if I could pass her the salt.

Reported speech: She said that I had to finish my homework by the next day.

Reported speech: She said that she could attend the meeting.

Imperatives

Reported speech: She told me to be quiet during the exam.

Reported speech: She reminded me not to forget to call her.

Reported speech: She asked me to open the window, please.

Reported speech: The teacher told us not to be late.

Mixed Modals and Imperatives

Reported speech: She said, "You can go to the party, but don't stay out too late."

Reported speech: She asked, "Could you please bring me a glass of water?"

Reported speech: She told me that I had to apologize for my mistake.

Reported speech: She told me not to worry, and that everything would be fine.

Reported speech: She said, "You may leave early if you finish your work."

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Imperatives in Reported Speech

Reported speech - lesson #4.

• "Be quiet." The teacher told the students to be quiet.
• "Sit down." My boss told me to sit down.
• "Wake up early." She told me to wake up early.
• "Please stop it." He asked her to please stop it.
• "Bring it, please." He asked her to bring it, please.
• "Don't do that." She told me not to do that.
• "Do not talk." She told us not to talk.
• "Please do not be late." She asked me not to be late.
• "Don't be noisy." I told her not to be noisy.

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Reported Speech Imperatives Exercise

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• Reported Speech /

Imperative Reported Speech with Examples & Practise Exercises

• Updated on  
• Jan 9, 2024

Imperative Reported Speech: When studying English grammar , the candidate needs to have all the knowledge about imperative reported speech. By doing so, they will be able to construct sentences in a much better way. Imperative sentences in reported speech are used to give commands. In this blog, you will read about imperative reported speech which will help you learn about this concept. 

This Blog Includes:

What is an imperative sentence, what is imperative reported speech, imperative reported speech with verb from direct to indirect speech, imperative reported speech exercise 1, imperative reported speech exercise 2.

An imperative sentence is a type of sentence that gives commands or makes requests. These sentences usually take the form of the subjectless verb. The tone is often forceful, commanding and direct. 

Also Read: Imperative Sentence Passive Voice

Imperative in reported speech is a little bit different from regular sentences. They are generally used when one gives orders and we can also use them to make requests. 

In imperatives, we use “ask/tell somebody to do something.”

Reported speech imperatives differ in structure from other reported speech sentences. Some imperatives including examples are given here:  

Commands : Keep low!

Requests : Please close the gate

Advice : Move and lie down

Suggestions : Take the pill the next day instead

Below given examples below show how imperative is used in reported speech.

Imperative: “Come here.”

Reported Speech: She told me to come here.

Also Read: Active and Passive Voice: Rules, Examples & Exercise

An imperative sentence always indicates a command, advice or a request. Therefore, we must use appropriate verbs according to advice, command or request. Here is a list of verbs used to change direct speech into indirect speech as provided in the table below:

Another main key point in ‘tell’ is often used to express a ‘command’, ‘order’ or ‘request’. Therefore, it is safe to use ‘tell’ in the indirect form when there is doubt about a proper word to introduce a reported speech. 

Change the following sentences into indirect speech.

• My brother said, “Would you like to have tea with me?”
• He said to his teacher, “Please explain this poem to me.”
• “Come quickly”, he shouted, “and help me as I am in grave danger.”
• The saint said to the pupils, “Be quiet and listen to me carefully.”
• “Be punctual from tomorrow,” my teacher said, “otherwise I will complain to the Principal.”

Also Read: Tenses Rules: Charts, Examples, Types [PDF Available]

Rewrite each sentence into reported speech.

• Grandma said to me, “Please fetch my glasses.”
• The librarian said to us, “Return the books in a month.”
•  I said to the agent, ”Please book two tickets for America.”
•  Andrew said, ”I’ll have a chicken sandwich and some coffee.”
• He said, ”Fasten your seat belts.”

Check Your Answers:

• Grandma asked me to kindly fetch her glasses.
• The librarian told us to return the books in a month.
• I requested the agent to book two tickets for America.
• Andrew asked for a chicken sandwich and some coffee.
• He asked us to fasten our seat belts.

Also Read: Direct and Indirect Speech Exercises For Class 8 

More Blogs on Reported Speech!

An example of an imperative in a reported speech are: He instructed me to keep quiet. The driver asked me to close the window of the bus.

To report an imperative, one can do so by using an infinitive along with a reporting verb. These will include tell, order instruct, win or direct.

In imperative speech, the sentence that expresses an advice, request or order is called an imperative speech.

To advance your grammar knowledge and read more informative blogs, check out our Learn English page and don’t forget to follow Leverage Edu .

Malvika Chawla

Malvika is a content writer cum news freak who comes with a strong background in Journalism and has worked with renowned news websites such as News 9 and The Financial Express to name a few. When not writing, she can be found bringing life to the canvasses by painting on them.

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• Reported Speech (Imperatives) Quiz

Try this quiz to test your understanding of reported speech of imperative sentences.

Choose the best answers to complete the following sentences.

Download quiz with answers in printable PDF.

More resources on the Site:

Reported Speech (Statements) Quiz

Reported Speech (Questions) Quiz

Reported Speech

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Reported Speech

Perfect english grammar.

Reported Statements

Here's how it works:

We use a 'reporting verb' like 'say' or 'tell'. ( Click here for more about using 'say' and 'tell' .) If this verb is in the present tense, it's easy. We just put 'she says' and then the sentence:

• Direct speech: I like ice cream.
• Reported speech: She says (that) she likes ice cream.

We don't need to change the tense, though probably we do need to change the 'person' from 'I' to 'she', for example. We also may need to change words like 'my' and 'your'. (As I'm sure you know, often, we can choose if we want to use 'that' or not in English. I've put it in brackets () to show that it's optional. It's exactly the same if you use 'that' or if you don't use 'that'.)

But , if the reporting verb is in the past tense, then usually we change the tenses in the reported speech:

• Reported speech: She said (that) she liked ice cream.

* doesn't change.

• Direct speech: The sky is blue.
• Reported speech: She said (that) the sky is/was blue.

Click here for a mixed tense exercise about practise reported statements. Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

Reported Questions

So now you have no problem with making reported speech from positive and negative sentences. But how about questions?

• Direct speech: Where do you live?
• Reported speech: She asked me where I lived.
• Direct speech: Where is Julie?
• Reported speech: She asked me where Julie was.
• Direct speech: Do you like chocolate?
• Reported speech: She asked me if I liked chocolate.

Click here to practise reported 'wh' questions. Click here to practise reported 'yes / no' questions. Reported Requests

There's more! What if someone asks you to do something (in a polite way)? For example:

• Direct speech: Close the window, please
• Or: Could you close the window please?
• Or: Would you mind closing the window please?
• Reported speech: She asked me to close the window.
• Direct speech: Please don't be late.
• Reported speech: She asked us not to be late.

Reported Orders

• Direct speech: Sit down!
• Reported speech: She told me to sit down.
• Click here for an exercise to practise reported requests and orders.
• Click here for an exercise about using 'say' and 'tell'.
• Click here for a list of all the reported speech exercises.

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Worksheets - pdf exercises.

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• Mixed reported speech 1
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• Reported speech 1 
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• Reported speech - worksheet 
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• Reported speech exercise
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• International
• Foreign affairs

Report by the Head of OSCE Mission to Moldova, April 2024: UK response

Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown commends the work of the OSCE Mission, particularly during a critical year for Moldova.

Thank you Chair, and thank you Ambassador Keiderling for your report,

Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine continues to present challenges for Moldova. Moldova’s choice to pursue a bold reform agenda, diversify its energy sector and strengthen its European ties, all whilst providing courageous support for its neighbours in Ukraine, is commendable. I pay tribute to both Chisinau and Tiraspol for their efforts to maintain calm, avoid provocation and deny those who would seek to escalate the conflict for their own ends.

To this end, we reaffirm the UK’s enduring commitment to the OSCE Mission to Moldova and its objective of supporting the sides to work toward a peaceful, comprehensive, and sustainable settlement to the Transnistrian conflict based on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Moldova within its internationally recognised borders. It is imperative then that Moldova’s wish to return the Mission to full and uninterrupted 12-month renewals must be respected.

Furthermore, we express concern for the reported incidents. We believe the Mission must be granted unfettered access to the Security Zone to continue its vital monitoring work. We renew our call for all parties to observe strict compliance with the rules established by the Joint Control Commission.

The human rights situation in Transnistria remains a source of concern and we commend the Mission for its role in empowering the Ombudsperson’s Office to monitor and investigate human rights abuses. We support your ongoing work to ensure timely access to justice for victims of gender-based violence, including human trafficking and other serious and organised crime.

Ambassador, we note with regret that Russian troops are still present on Moldovan sovereign territory in flagrant violation of international law. Russia must remove its forces immediately, conform with international law and allow for the orderly withdrawal and destruction of dangerous ammunition stored at Cobasna which remains a clear and present threat to citizens, in accordance with the 1999 Istanbul Declaration.

2024 stands as a critical year for Moldova. The importance of upcoming Presidential elections and a referendum on Moldova’s EU ambition have attracted the attention of hostile actors. The UK is stepping up its support to Moldova on cyber security and institutional resilience to counter this threat and safeguard the democratic choices of its people. We welcome the European Council’s decision in December to formally open accession negotiations with Moldova. A significant step on Moldova’s sovereign choice to build its future in Europe.

In closing Ambassador, we are grateful for the work of the Mission and for this insightful report. It is crucial that Chief Negotiators on both sides of the Nistru maintain their commitment to peaceful dialogue and continue to work toward a negotiated settlement.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

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FSU police, sprinklers put damper on Pro-Palestinian student protest, occupy Landis plans

As Pro-Palestinian student protests intensify on college campuses across the nation, about 40 Florida State University students set up an encampment on Landis Green early Thursday morning.

But the Occupy Landis movement was short-lived.

Campus police made the students — members of Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society — take down a handful of tents that were set up for a mere five minutes on the grassy space predawn due to FSU regulation 2.007 , which prohibits camping on university lands, according to a university spokesperson.

“As an educational institution, Florida State University welcomes free inquiry, diverse thought and rigorous debate,” FSU spokesperson Amy Farnum-Patronis said. “However, these expressions must comply with university regulation and the law.”

FSU protest comes amid a wave of campus demonstrations

A wave of pro-Palestinian encampments and protests have recently spread on college campuses around the country including Yale University, the University of California in Berkeley, Emerson College, the University of Texas at Austin and Columbia University in New York City — where over 100 people have been arrested and protesters face a deadline to end the encampment.

Students at the University of Florida also stood ground on an eight-hour occupation of the university’s Plaza of the Americas Wednesday.

“These college and university administrations are treating protesting as if it is a crime,” said Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society Vice President Tavyon Dorsey, an FSU student. “We’re seeing increased police and national guard presence in places like Columbia and UT-Austin, but in the face of that, they keep fighting and they’re not leaving. We’re not going to leave either.”

Despite the encampment setback, the FSU students continued to rally in solidarity with Gaza as the latest war between Israel and Hamas continues six months after a Hamas attack that left hundreds dead.

During the protest, student speakers also expressed how FSU has not acknowledged Arab-American Heritage Month this April or shared any statement to show support to Arab and Muslim students of the university.

Besides the Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society — which is not affiliated with FSU as a student group — other local organizations at the protest were the Freedom Road Socialist Organization , the Tallahassee Community Action Committee and the Tallahassee Dissenters, an anti-imperialist youth-led group.

FSU law enforcement stayed around to monitor the gathering.

“I have never in my life been seen as a Palestinian in the way that you all have allowed me to be seen,” FSU student Jayci Kapri, a member of the Tallahassee Dissenters, said as she expressed her gratitude toward the group for their pro-Palestinian support.

Lawn mowing, sprinklers interrupt protesters' plans

Even as the running engines of lawn mowers on Landis Green drowned out the protesters’ chanting voices and water sprinklers unexpectedly turned on with full force, dampening protest signs, the students continued to rally. They accused the university of purposely putting the maintenance tasks in place to discourage their efforts.

A university spokesperson said "work on our grounds happens throughout the day."

With the university’s Strozier Library right across from Landis Green, a frustrated FSU student came out of the building at around 10 a.m. and asked the students to move as their loud chants and speeches could be heard indoors during a time when many students are studying for finals this semester.

But the student protesters kept going.

“We’re building a movement that started with thousands of people protesting and has now escalated to encampments at multiple universities,” said FSU alumna Delilah Pierre, president of the Tallahassee Community Action Committee. “We’re fighting for basic humanity and for the oppressed people of the world.”

'Gotta make sure it's safe for everybody': Barricades keep protesters and counter-protesters apart

By 4:30 p.m. about 20 pro-Israel counter protesters were also on the green as about a half dozen police officers monitored the situation.

As the protest grew louder with demonstrators yelling and chanting at each other, police put down barricades on either side of the sidewalk to keep the two sets of protesters apart.

"Gotta make sure it's safe for everybody," an FSU Police officer said.

The Pro-Palestinian student protesters say they will be staying on campus for “as long as we can."

Earlier in the day, the students provided participants with coffee and snacks and spread out their deflated tents across the area despite being restricted from setting them up.

“FSU has had a longstanding prohibition of camping on campus, for health and safety reasons, and any encampments installed on the campus will be removed,” FSU Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel Carolyn Egan said in a prepared statement.

“With important rights come substantial responsibilities, and it is imperative that members of our campus community understand free speech as well as its limits and the consequences for conduct that exceeds these boundaries.”

FSView editor Benjamin Taubman contributed to this story. Contact Tarah Jean at  [email protected]  or follow her on X:  @tarahjean_ .

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Inside the Crisis at NPR

Listeners are tuning out. Sponsorship revenue has dipped. A diversity push has generated internal turmoil. Can America’s public radio network turn things around?

Credit... Doug Chayka

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By Benjamin Mullin and Jeremy W. Peters

• Published April 24, 2024 Updated April 25, 2024

NPR employees tuned in for a pivotal meeting late last year for a long-awaited update on the future of the public radio network.

After many tumultuous months, marked by layoffs, financial turbulence and internal strife, they signed in to Zoom hoping to hear some good news from NPR’s leaders. What they got instead was a stark preview of the continued challenges ahead.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

“We are slipping in our ability to impact America, not just in broadcast, but also in the growing world of on-demand audio,” Daphne Kwon, NPR’s chief financial officer, told the group, according to a recording of the meeting obtained by The New York Times.

For the past two weeks, turmoil has engulfed NPR after a senior editor assailed what he described as an extreme liberal bias inside the organization that has bled into its news coverage. The editor, Uri Berliner, said NPR’s leaders had placed race and identity as “paramount in nearly every aspect of the workplace” — at the expense of diverse political viewpoints, and at the risk of losing its audience.

The accusations, leveled in an essay published in an online publication, The Free Press, led to a deluge of criticism from conservatives, including former President Donald J. Trump, who called for the network’s public funding to be pulled. The essay also generated vociferous pushback internally, with many journalists defending their work and saying Mr. Berliner’s essay distorted basic facts about NPR’s coverage.

But NPR’s troubles extend far beyond concerns about its journalism. Internal documents reviewed by The Times and interviews with more than two dozen current and former public radio executives show how profoundly the nonprofit is struggling to succeed in the fast-changing media industry. It is grappling with a declining audience and falling revenue — and internal conflict about how to fix it.

NPR’s traditional broadcast audience, still the bulk of its listenership, is in long-term decline that accelerated when the pandemic interrupted long car commutes for millions of people. The network has begun to sign up digital subscribers who pay for ad-free podcasts, but that business has lagged far behind that of its competitors.

While NPR still has an audience of about 42 million who listen every week, many of them digitally, that is down from an estimated 60 million in 2020, according to an internal March audience report, a faster falloff than for broadcast radio, which is also in a long-term decline.

A yearslong push to diversify NPR’s staff, in part to lure listeners beyond its aging and predominantly white audience, hasn’t generated the listenership boost some executives had hoped for. But the effort, which NPR’s former chief executive called its “North Star,” had been a point of contention within the organization long before Mr. Berliner published his essay this month.

Making matters more complicated: NPR’s unusual leadership structure. NPR’s reach is the result of its hundreds of member stations around the country, many of which both pay NPR for its shows and produce their own. But the leaders of those member stations — who control NPR’s board — often have conflicting priorities and compete with the network for donors, making changes more difficult.

Together, the challenges raise questions about the long-term vitality of NPR, one of the country’s most storied and far-reaching media organizations. More than 98 percent of the U.S. population lives within listening range of at least one of the more than 1,000 public radio stations that carry NPR programming, including longtime staples like “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.” Legions of die-hard listeners proudly carry tote bags emblazoned with the nonprofit’s three signature letters.

“I believe that public radio has five to seven years to reimagine itself before it’s simply unsustainable,” said Eric Nuzum, a former NPR executive and co-founder of the audio consulting and production company Magnificent Noise. “And they can’t take two or three years of that time debating a business model.”

An NPR spokeswoman, Isabel Lara, said in emails to The Times that the organization had confidence in many of its recent initiatives, including its podcast subscription business, its push to diversify its staff and its efforts to reach listeners digitally. Ms. Lara said three of NPR’s podcasts — “Up First,” “Fresh Air” and “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” — were in Apple’s top 10 subscriber podcasts.

“Our focus on the North Star has led to increased diversity in our content: the voices on the air, the sources our journalists go to, the broader range of topics and issues discussed in our shows,” Ms. Lara said. “We want to reach people where they are.”

The organization is now led by Katherine Maher, who started as NPR’s chief executive last month after leading the Wikimedia Foundation, which supports the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Ms. Maher had no professional experience in the news industry. In a January news release announcing her hire, NPR’s board said Ms. Maher would help the network “reach audiences on new and existing platforms.”

Ms. Maher was criticized this month for social media posts she published before joining NPR, including one from 2018 that called Mr. Trump a racist and expressed support for numerous progressive causes, including Black Lives Matter. NPR has said that she wrote those posts as a private citizen expressing her free speech rights, and that she oversees the organization’s business, not its editorial product.

In a statement, Ms. Maher said NPR was not alone in facing a challenging media environment and pledged to use its distinctions to its advantage.

“Its differences — as a broadcaster, a nonprofit, a federated network — serve both as unique challenges and remarkable differentiators,” Ms. Maher said. “The obstacles we face are real, but the quality of the programming and the integrity of the mission are also indisputable. They offer a strong basis from which to build our future.”

First Expansion, Then Declines

NPR sprang up in Washington in 1970 as an alternative to commercial media, less than three years after former President Lyndon Johnson signed a bill that created the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a taxpayer-funded organization that partly funds both a nonprofit radio network, NPR, and a nonprofit TV network, PBS.

The founding documents of NPR stipulated that its board of directors would include many representatives from member stations, along with the general public. The goal was to ensure that the board always had the best interests of its local stations at heart.

A network of 88 charter stations banded together to bring listeners across the United States stories including the Senate hearings on the Vietnam War. NPR began making “newsmagazines” for member stations — starting in 1971 with the first broadcast of “All Things Considered” — and received grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Before long, NPR exploded. By 1983, it had nearly 300 stations and about eight million listeners. Today, more than 1,000 people work at NPR, and its audience of millions makes it one of the most influential media companies in the world.

But that growth has reversed course in recent years.

“News fatigue, digital transformation and increased competition continue to drive audience declines across platforms,” the report said.

Conflicting Priorities

To some degree, those recent declines have been balanced out by the emergence of a relative bright spot: the rise of podcasting.

Public radio podcasts, with their distinct blend of reporting and narrative, quickly won over millions of listeners and pioneered a new format. “Serial,” a gritty whodunit from the makers of the public radio show “This American Life,” became a breakout hit, leading to spinoffs and illustrating the promise of podcasting for nonprofit radio organizations.

Today, NPR is the fourth most popular podcast publisher globally, according to Podtrac, with nearly 113 million downloads in March alone. But it also faces many new competitors, including The Times, which bought “Serial” in 2020 to bolster its own growing audio business.

Corporate sponsorships — public radio speak for advertisements — grew nearly 70 percent in the five years before 2022, according to filings from NPR, generating more than $135 million that year. The vast majority of that growth comes from podcasting, which allows NPR to tap into a younger and expanding audience.

But that business took a major hit last year in an uncertain advertising market. In 2023, NPR generated $101 million in corporate sponsorship revenue, a decrease of about 25 percent from the previous year.

The growth of NPR’s podcast business has also led to tension with its member stations. If local advertisers can reach public radio listeners directly through a podcast, why would they pay for a sponsorship on a member station? In 2022, a group of executives at member stations sent a letter to NPR’s chief executive at the time, John Lansing, expressing concern that the organization’s growing portfolio had “caused distress on local stations’ sponsorship revenue.”

“If unaddressed, it will continue to impact the health of stations in an increasing way,” said the letter, which was signed by executives at many of the biggest NPR stations.

Adoption of NPR’s podcast subscription bundle, NPR+, has also lagged behind competitors’ subscription businesses. According to internal documents obtained by The Times, about 51,000 people subscribed to NPR+ as of early March, and the product has generated about $1.7 million in revenue since it was introduced in November 2022. Users can pay $8 monthly for a bundle of podcast extras or subscribe to individual shows for $2.99 per month.

In late 2022, NPR began selling fewer sponsorships, part of an overall downturn in the ad market. So, for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Lansing and his team planned for NPR’s revenue to remain flat in 2023. He wasn’t prepared for what happened next. When January arrived, the “bottom just fell out” of the digital ad market, he said in an interview. Sponsorships fell $34 million compared with the previous year.

“That’s 10 percent of our revenue, and you can’t go back and get it,” Mr. Lansing said. “It’s like an airplane that takes off with half the seats sold — once it’s gone, it’s gone. ”

The scope of the shortfall became apparent early in 2023, when NPR’s leadership decided to cut about 100 positions to help make up for a $30 million budget deficit.

An Uncertain Future

In May 2022, the board met to discuss taking a big step: an ambitious membership effort that it hoped would be a big part of NPR’s future.

The nonprofit was planning to create the NPR Network, a service that would allow listeners across the United States to donate directly to NPR. In doing so, the board was wading into an issue that had generated tensions between NPR and its member stations for decades: fund-raising.

For years, NPR’s rules restricted the ways it could ask listeners for money directly. Those solicitations were supposed to be done with participation from local member stations.

Now, the board planned to suspend that rule so that NPR could ask avid public radio listeners to donate directly to the NPR Network.

There was some initial disagreement on the board over the NPR Network, according to people familiar with the meeting. Some of the directors said NPR needed to do a better job of reaching listeners directly. Others urged caution, warning that the proposal could interfere with fund-raising efforts at local stations.

After much back and forth, the board held a special session in June for a formal vote on whether to remove the rule. Ultimately, the board voted to suspend the rule, but agreed to revisit the decision in the coming years, setting up yet another debate.

‘The North Star’

Like many companies that committed themselves to confronting racial inequality in recent years, NPR put an ambitious action plan in place. Its commitment to diversity — which Mr. Lansing called NPR’s “North Star” — would be not only a moral imperative but a foundation of its business strategy.

NPR’s leaders redoubled their efforts to diversify their audience and work force and closely tracked metrics for each. They added podcasts aimed at people of color and younger listeners. They promoted people of color to high-profile reporting and hosting jobs. All of these moves were meant to ensure the nation’s public radio network would remain competitive as the country’s population continued to grow more diverse.

So it came as a disappointment to some people on NPR’s board last fall when they were presented with new internal data showing their efforts hadn’t moved the needle much with Black and Hispanic podcast listeners.

Black listeners made up roughly 11 percent of NPR’s audience in the second quarter of 2023, unchanged from the same period in 2020, according to the data. The data further showed that the share of Hispanic listeners went up only two percentage points since 2020, to account for 16 percent of the total audience. One 2020 survey , from the Pew Research Center, found that of the people who named NPR as their main source for political and election news, 75 percent were white, more than any other outlet except Fox News.

NPR’s efforts to diversify itself and its audience didn’t always live up to the expectations of the people who worked there. During a round of layoffs last year, NPR cut “Louder Than a Riot,” a hip-hop podcast that examined Black and queer issues. After that decision, the show’s editor, Soraya Shockley, who had previously worked at The Times, grilled Mr. Lansing during an employee question-and-answer session about why the show had no dedicated budget, pointing out the lack of resources supporting content that furthered diversity, equity and inclusion, or D.E.I.

“How are we supposed to support diverse programming — actually commit to D.E.I., and make it not a folly — when this company seems scared to talk about money when it is not a $30 million deficit?” Shockley asked. In a statement, NPR said the second season of “Louder Than a Riot” had comparable marketing support to other podcasts at the network; Shockley said they were never shown a marketing budget.

Later on the call, after Mr. Lansing urged employees to be more mindful of “civility” in their questions, an NPR employee wrote in an instant-messaging chat accompanying the conversation that the word “civility” is often used as a cudgel against people of color, calling the language choice “racist.”

After the meeting, Shockley filed a human resources complaint against Mr. Lansing, saying his remarks about civility amounted to “dog-whistle racism,” according to a person with knowledge of the exchange. The complaint against Mr. Lansing was referred to an outside law firm, which did not recommend any punitive action.

Mr. Lansing, who announced his retirement last fall, declined to comment on the interaction.

Still, some critics of NPR believe NPR’s “North Star” strategy has failed for a completely different reason: It has not taken ideological diversity into account. Tim Eby, who was the general manager of St. Louis Public Radio until 2020, said in an interview that while it made sense for NPR to seek an audience that looked more like the country, he wasn’t sure its approach was the right one. And its story selection has on occasion left it open to criticism that its focus on race and identity has affected its news judgment. There have been stories, for instance, on how to “ decolonize your bookshelf ” and “ thin privilege .”

“The demographics of the country being what they are, it goes without saying that if you want to have a sustainable business going forward, you have to reach new audiences,” he said. “I think the question is how you’re doing that. I think they’ve overcompensated on attempts to reach audiences that are not going to listen,” he added.

(Mr. Eby has a personal stake in the debate. An anonymous post on the Medium website accused him of presiding over a workplace that was unfair to employees of minority groups. The station replaced him. He has denied those claims and is suing for defamation.)

Mr. Berliner’s criticism this month of NPR’s North Star strategy hasn’t swayed the network’s leaders. In a statement, NPR said it was committed to a more diverse staff and on-air voices. The network pointed to its large audiences on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube as bright spots.

Many employees also pushed back against the claims in Mr. Berliner’s essay, both in public and internally. The staff of “Morning Edition” set aside more than a half-hour of one daily meeting to discuss his remarks.

Bill Siemering, an early leader at NPR who wrote a statement of purposes in 1970 that the nonprofit continues to use, said in an interview that NPR’s mission was as important today as when he first put pen to paper.

“There’s a place in society for a independent source of information that reflects the culture in a meaningful way where all the voices are heard, and where there is intentional programming to help solve some of the most critical problems facing America,” Mr. Siemering said.

Read by Benjamin Mullin

Audio produced by Jack D’Isidoro .

An earlier version of this article misidentified Soraya Shockley’s role on the show “Louder Than a Riot.” Shockley was the editor, not a senior producer.

How we handle corrections

Benjamin Mullin reports on the major companies behind news and entertainment. Contact Ben securely on Signal at +1 530-961-3223 or email at [email protected] . More about Benjamin Mullin

Jeremy W. Peters is a Times reporter who covers debates over free expression and how they impact higher education and other vital American institutions. More about Jeremy W. Peters

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