With the death of Anita Johnson, an ownership shift is in the works for Eugene Weekly. But you — our loyal readers — won’t be affected by the change.

 “The paper was my mother’s passion,” says Derek Johnson, an attorney with Johnson Johnson Lucas & Middleton in Eugene. With Anita’s death, the ownership transfers to her four children, including Derek. The children’s plan is to transfer ownership to Editor Camilla Mortensen.

“We see how much readers love and value the paper, and we think the best way to preserve this community treasure is to begin the process of transferring it into community ownership. That starts with honoring my mother’s wishes and handing it over to Camilla,” Johnson says. “Anita worked hand-in-hand with Camilla for many years and she had great respect for Camilla’s abilities and ethics as a journalist, as an editor and as someone who is fully committed to making sure Eugene Weekly continues, no matter what.”

Mortensen’s plan is to ensure the Weekly stays in local control and maintains financial stability for the long run. The goal is for the paper to continue as a community-based resource.

“Over the last year, we have seen an outpouring of support for Eugene Weekly — not just financial help but incredible moral and emotional support,” Mortensen says. The support reflects the paper’s longtime work as an alternative voice, a watchdog that speaks up to power on behalf of everyone. “And that voice is a legacy of the paper’s founders and Anita Johnson’s dedication to the Weekly’s mission.”

The transfer of ownership won’t affect Eugene Weekly readers. “We will continue to put out the same paper, the same website and the same electronic newsletters that you have come to know and love,” says Jody Rolnick, the paper’s publisher. “We will keep readers updated as we progress.”

EW’s model is to ensure advertising revenues, supplemented by donations from readers and other sources, cover staffing, printing and other expenses. EW’s practice for years has been for all revenues to go toward paying costs. Profits or salaries for the owners were never a consideration. 

“With support from the community — and the Johnson family — our small staff has worked incredibly hard over the last year to overcome last year’s embezzlement and find our financial footing,” Rolnick says. “Eugene Weekly has a bright future ahead as the largest-circulation print newspaper in Lane County, with a website that draws thousands of views every week. The publication is a treasured community asset, and we want readers and supporters to be closely involved in a transition that will carry it forward.”