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The ''Oregon Commentator'' was a student publication at the
University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc Nike, Inc. ( or ) is a ...
in Eugene,
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,
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. Founded on September 27, 1983, and first published on October 24, 1983, it was a self-described "conservative journal of opinion," modeled after such publications as ''
Harvard Lampoon ''The Harvard Lampoon'' is an undergraduate humor publication founded in 1876 by seven undergraduates at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Overview The ''Harvard Lampoon'' publication was founded in 1876 by seven undergraduates ...
,'' ''
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'' and ''
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''. The magazine's official ideological stance was conservative, although many of the ideas and values it promoted might be better described as libertarian. The ''Commentator'' served as an independent journal of opinion for the campus community and provided students with an alternative to the predominant viewpoints of professors, student groups and other student publications. The magazine officially ceased operations at the culmination of the 2014–2015 academic year.


History

The magazine was founded in the fall of 1983, primarily by Dane S. Claussen and Richard E. Burr. Claussen later became the editor and/or publisher of various US newspapers and magazines. He is now Editor-in-Chief/Executive Director of Nonprofit Sector News, and Lecturer of Strategic Communications at the University of Idaho, and former Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada. Burr is a long-time editor at ''The Detroit News''. Other co-founders included Robert Davis and the late Michael Rust, in addition to faculty adviser Paul S. Holbo. The ''Commentator'' was once the second-oldest publication on campus, following the ''
Oregon Daily Emerald The ''Daily Emerald'' is the independent, student-run weekly newspaper produced at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Its predecessor, the ''Oregon Daily Emerald'' newspaper, founded in 1899, trained many prominent writer ...
''. It was also a member of the Collegiate Network, a group of conservative and libertarian college publications. The magazine was operated as part of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO) and was staffed by volunteer editors and writers. It was funded through student incidental fees, advertising revenue and private donations. ''The Commentators aim was to serve as a contrarian outlet for students resistant to the prevailing trends on campus, including opposition to the mandatory nature of the non-academic "incidental fee." In addition to its periodic print edition, The ''Commentator'' published additional content on its website, where it also maintained a group-run blog frequently linked to by national news outlets. In 2008, the blog won second place in the America's Future Foundation's inaugural College Blogger Contest.


Controversies

Since its inception, there were several attempts to shut down the magazine's operations. In 2004, the program lost its funding after satirizing a prominent transgender student. Its funding was restored soon after the
Foundation for Individual Rights in Education The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), formerly known as the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, is a non-profit civil liberties group founded in 1999 with the aim of protecting free speech rights on college campus ...
became involved. In 2006, then Editor in Chief Tyler Graf appeared on
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to defend the
First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
rights of ''The Student Insurgent,'' a rival student publication. ''The Insurgent'' had received national attention after publishing controversial illustrations of
Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
. Jethro Higgins, who was part of the opposition on campus hoping to shut down ''The Student Insurgent,'' also appeared on the program."O'Reilly baselessly claimed University of Oregon permits..."
Media Matters Media Matters for America (MMfA) is a politically left-leaning 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization and media watchdog group. MMfA was founded in 2004 by journalist and political activist David Brock as a counterweight to the conservative Media ...
, 2006-05-25. Retrieved 2017-09-12


''By the Barrel: 25 Years of the Oregon Commentator''

In November 2009, ''The Oregon Commentator'' published ''By the Barrel: 25 Years of the Oregon Commentator.'' The book served as a culmination and celebration of the publication's 25th year at the University of Oregon. The book contains three sections: * An overview of the publication's history. * Retrospectives on nine key moments that involved attempted de-fundings, vandalism and other significant events. * Ten essays written by ''Commentator'' alumni, including a foreword in honor of the 25th Anniversary.


References


External links

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''Oregon Commentator''
Mass media in Eugene, Oregon Student newspapers published in Oregon Libertarian publications Publications established in 1983 University of Oregon 1983 establishments in Oregon