A Statement to the Community from EW Management on Recent Social Media Posts

A recent Facebook post from a former Eugene Weekly employee makes troubling allegations, shared on the internet, about our workplace. We take comments seriously, whether right or wrong. We are listening and want you to know our mission at EW is for this small paper to make the world, or at least Eugene, Lane County and Oregon a better place. With that goal in mind, our small staff has come out with a print paper every Thursday for more than 35 years. Some of our dedicated employees have worked here for more than a decade, in some cases almost two decades. For EW’s owners, publishing the paper is labor of love and an act of devotion to the community, not a business for profit. We are not perfect, and there are areas we can and will improve upon. Our readers should know that this paper, its owners and staff will unequivocally strive not only to produce a fantastic newspaper but to be a creative and friendly workplace. We value our employees. We take allegations such as these seriously. We are reviewing and revising policies that prevent and address any complaints about harassment and bullying in the workplace. If anyone has a workplace complaint, we would encourage them to contact Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries. We hope readers look at social media posts with a critical eye. We are not going to use our platform to cast stones at former employees. Instead we ask you to encourage and support, as well as challenge and inspire, EW.

This statement has been updated.

Update

A case was filed with the Bureau of Labor and Industries by a former EW employee in January 2018. BOLI investigated the allegations and did not find sufficient evidence to continue the investigation. It was dismissed Aug. 9, 2018.

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!