Willamette Week Starts a Chain?

Some says print news is dead, but when it comes to industry business and gossip it’s only getting hotter: Is the Oregonian going to go to mostly online and publishing only three days a week as Willamette Week speculated recently? Is the Register-Guard going to replace any of the reporters that have left for other jobs? (No positions are currently listed on the website). Is Willamette Week starting a chain?

The Association of Alternative Newsmedia is reporting that in addition to owning Portland’s Willamette Week and the Sante Fe Reporter of New Mexico, The City of Roses Newspaper Company is buying North Carolina’s Independent Weekly. City of Roses Newspaper Company is owned by Richard Meeker and Mark Zusman of Portland.

Willamette Week hasn’t made any recent offers on Eugene Weekly.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!