I’d like to cast my vote against the new EW website, which is much less user friendly. Comments on articles were abolished. The letters to the editor are no longer linked from the main menu; they are nested in the sub-menus. Only a single letter is readable at a time, making it easy to overlook some. The calendar has more advanced search features, but is more difficult to simply scroll through all the listings.
Comments for articles are a difficult topic. Many forums are infested with insults instead of wise discussion. However, moving the conversation to Facebook does not prevent that problem.
KLCC radio used to have a call-in show where community concerns could be discussed. Now that program, and its daily local news show, are merely memories.
Posting comments at the Register-Guard website is also more cumbersome than it used to be. I doubt the new owners will undo this.
Claims of democracy are not only based on voting for one flavor of politician versus another, even if one brand pretends to care about ecology (while supporting clearcuts). Without robust public spaces to interact, discuss, argue, agree and have reciprocal learning, authentic democracy will remain an illusion.
Mark Robinowitz
Eugene
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