• Wishes for 2019: That Republican leadership will find the courage to offer Donald Trump the options of resignation or impeachment in this year. Michael Pence could not be as bad. (Right?) That the kids’ climate case will have its day in court. That we will find homes for our huddled masses, both the unhoused who live here and the immigrants who need safety. That Oregon will find a way to decently fund education at all levels.
• What we’re reading: Suggested to us as a break from the depressing nonfiction we’ve been perusing about the decline of democracy in America is A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. The novel is not for everybody. One friend says he could not care less about Count Rostov’s confinement in the Metropol Hotel across the street from the Kremlin in Moscow, but the pace, style and character development certainly take the reader away from modern America. Maybe that’s enough.
• As the New Year begins, we bid a fond farewell and “hear you later” to our reporter, podcaster and web editor Meerah Powell as she heads to Portland to break news for Oregon Public Broadcasting. Powell started at Eugene Weekly as an intern and has been impressing readers ever since. Speaking of interns, Michael “Mitch” Tobin has wrapped up his time at EW and is heading off to the Wall Street Journal as this year’s F. James Pensiero intern. (Longtime readers may know that former WSJ editor Fred Taylor was an EW owner until his death in 2015, and his family members are still owners of the paper.) And since we’re feeling proud, former intern Kenny Jacoby, currently a Scripps Washington Bureau investigative reporting fellow, recently had his work featured on Newsy, the podcast Reveal and ProPublica. Former EW interns have landed jobs at The New York Times, CNN, The Register-Guard, The (Bend) Bulletin and High Country News, to name a few. We’re always sad to see them go, but blown away by all they go on to achieve. Good luck Meerah!
• What readers were reading online in EW last year: Check EugeneWeekly.com for a list of Eugene Weekly’s Most-Read Stories of 2018. Without giving the whole thing away, let’s just say the stories that got the most attention from readers last year were about neo-Nazis, public officials with legal issues and, no kidding, Ethiopian cuisine.
SLANT includes short opinion pieces, observations and rumor-chasing notes compiled by the
EW editorial board. Heard any good rumors lately? Contact editor@eugeneweekly.com
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
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