‘It’s really uncertain where they want to transition’: The Bulletin employees react to upcoming staff cuts
(Update: Adding video, comments from Central Oregon News Guild, journalism professor)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Major staff cuts and reduced print and online editions have been announced by Eastern Oregon Media Group, the family-owned company that operates 12 newspapers in Oregon and Washington, including The Bulletin in Bend and the Redmond Spokesman.
The company announced this week that a 15% staff reduction is needed as they experience a drop in advertising revenues, while operating expenses continue to sky rocket.
But the union representing The Bulletin's newsroom staff blasted the move, saying EO Media is acting no differently than the hedge fund-owned news companies they promised to be different from, in terms of cuts to critical news operations.
"It's just tough to walk into an office with your coworkers and know that any of them aren't going to be there at any moment," said Morgan Owen, a general assignment reporter at The Bulletin, said Thursday. She's also the vice president of negotiations for the Central Oregon News Guild.
Besides laying off more than 15% of its staff, which amounts to 28 people, 19 other EO Media employees will have their hours reduced starting in July, the company said.
The Bulletin also will combine its Saturday and Sunday print editions, to publish on Saturday, and will drop from seven to five e-editions per week. Five other rural newspapers owned by EO Media will suspend print operations entirely.
"When I started here at this company, that was a huge thing everyone talked about. We were transitioning to digital, that was the future of the paper," Owen said. "And I do think that a lot of people here still believe that. But with these layoffs and the way the company is communicating with us, it's really uncertain where they want to transition."
The company's announcement did not state who will be laid off or how many employees of The Bulletin or the Spokesman will be affected. NewsChannel 21 has learned that the Central Oregon News Guild plans to negotiate with EO Media Group on this issue starting next Monday.
EO Media Group said in its announcement that it is exploring other revenue models, such as a non-profit, which has seen some success in other parts of the country.
Owen is still optimistic.
"We're going to do our best with the layoffs. We don't know what's going to happen with our capabilities in the workplace. But we're all very passionate about what we do, and so we will do our best to give the public quality journalism."
It's a tough time for newspapers everywhere, especially in rural communities. A study by Northwestern University finds that on average, 2.5 local newspapers are closing each week, leaving more than 200 counties, or about half of the U.S., without a local source of news. Pew research shows only about 37% of Americans prefer to get news through print.
University of Oregon journalism Professor Andrew DeVigal said consumers now care more about accessibility.
"It should absolutely be troubling when we lose journalists and news sources because, as we know, the information gaps are where misinformation breeds and accountability goes to die," he said.
EO Media Group CEO Heidi Wright said in the company's announcement, "Small family-held media companies like EO Media have to adjust operations to the new realities of the industry in order to survive."
It wasn't Monday's only big news among Oregon media outlets. Pamplin Media Group announced that it has sold The Portland Tribune and two dozen other Oregon publications to Carpenter Media, a Mississippi company that has been buying up small publications across the country, The Oregonian/Oregon Live reported.
