Thank you for your excellent profile of the legislative accomplishments of our female-led Oregon Legislature in the 2017 session (“Dancing Backward and In Heels,” 2/1). It was, as you note, a “shining hour for progressives” as well as an extraordinarily effective and productive legislative session.
I was surprised, however, given the headline and the focus of the article, to see the accompanying photo of Senator James Manning, rather than one of either Rep. Julie Fahey or Rep. Nancy Nathanson, Lane County’s only two female legislators. Two out of eight, I might add.
I was especially dismayed because the Reproductive Health Equity act was one of the signature accomplishments of this session (which Fahey was instrumental in crafting and carried to the floor) and the Ways and Means committee (co-chaired by Nathanson) will be so crucial to continued progressive success in 2018.
While I respect Senator Manning and am sure he is doing great work in Salem, I found it extremely unfortunate that the Weekly chose to feature neither of our two local female legislators but instead highlighted a man, even when the article was ostensibly about female leadership.
Please do better next time, EW.
Laura Illig, Eugene
Editor’s Note: We try to ensure women and people of color are represented in our pages. The story, which covered women’s accomplishments as well as the increased representation of people of color, was accompanied by three photos of female legislators as well as Sen. Manning and interviewed both Reps. Fahey and Nathanson.
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!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519