What’s Lost When A Paper Dies

Last month in June, EO Media Group, a regional newspaper publishing company in Oregon and southern Washington, announced that it would be making five of its print papers online only: The La Grande Observer, the Baker City Herald, Blue Mountain Eagle, Hermiston Herald and Wallowa County Chieftain were all folded into the Eastern Oregonian umbrella.

According to EO Media, 28 journalists were laid off from their jobs.

That one decision could create a news desert in the northeastern part of Oregon. A news desert is a community that is no longer covered by a daily or weekly publication.

The Agora Journalism Center says all U.S. citizens need access to factual coverage of eight main categories — emergencies and risks, health and welfare, education, transportation, economic opportunities, the environment, civic information and political information.

More than a third of Oregon’s locally owned small town newspapers have closed since 2004, and more than 68 percent of Oregon’s incorporated cities lack a local news source — according to FORJournalism, a nonprofit focused on connecting struggling newsrooms with training resources and tools. FORJournalism is sponsored by EO Media Group.

When publications close and watchdogs go away, according to a study published in the Journal of Financial Economics, local government costs are substantially increased for taxpayers — increasing borrowing costs for bonds issued by local governments by an additional $650,000 on average and raising government deficits.

When papers are shuttered, politics become more polarized and voting levels decline — especially for items further down the ballot according to the Agora Journalism Center.

A study done by the University of North Carolina Hussman School of Journalism found that “over the past 15 years the United States has lost 2,100 newspapers, leaving at least 1,800 communities that had a local news outlet in 2004 without any at the beginning of 2020.”

Gannett, the largest media holding company in the nation, owns and operates 217 daily newspapers and 175 weekly newspapers in the USA Today network, including The Register-Guard and Salem Statesman Journal.

According to NewsGuild-CWA, a labor union for newspaper journalists, Gannett’s workforce shrunk by 47 percent between 2020 and 2023, with most of the layoffs in the newsroom.

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!