Tough Choices   

National Public Radio cuts investigative reporter Daniel Zwerdling's job in a money-saving move.

National Public Radio eliminates award-winning senior correspondent Daniel Zwerdling 's job as it cuts nine positions from its staff of 700. "Bruce Drake, the vice president of the news division, told me that in these tight fiscal times...they have to make some tough choices. They need to cut my investigative job in order to protect NPR's core mission, which he then described as being coverage of daily news," Zwerdling says. "I'm...deeply, deeply saddened to think that NPR's top management might not see the kind of independent and investigative reporting I do as part of NPR's core mission." NPR spokeswoman Laura Gross says Zwerdling's job was cut when the network decided to end its investment in American RadioWorks, a joint documentary project with Minnesota Public Radio that included his position. "This is not a choice between different types of reporting," Gross says. "It's not going to change what NPR does or how we do it. These are hard times, and this was a hard choice." Though he has been offered three other jobs, Zwerdling says two are short-term and the third involves a substantial pay cut. He says he hopes NPR executives rethink their decision. Zwerdling, 53, joined the network in 1980 and, except for six years hosting "Weekend All Things Considered," has reported extensively on health and environmental issues, especially those related to globalization.