''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, United States, owned by

Advance Publications Advance Publications, Inc. is a privately held American media company owned by the families of Donald Newhouse and Samuel Irving Newhouse Jr., the sons of company founder Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr. It owns publishing-related companies inc ...

. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850, and published daily since 1861. It is the largest newspaper in

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

and the second largest in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

by circulation. It is one of the few newspapers with a statewide focus in the United States. The Sunday edition is published under the title ''The Sunday Oregonian''. The regular edition was published under the title ''The Morning Oregonian'' from 1861 until 1937. ''The Oregonian'' received the 2001

Pulitzer Prize for Public Service The Pulitzer Prize for Public Service is one of the fourteen American Pulitzer Prizes annually awarded for journalism. It recognizes a distinguished example of meritorious public service by a newspaper or news site through the use of its journali ...

, the only gold medal annually awarded by the organization. The paper's staff or individual writers have received seven other Pulitzer Prizes, most recently the award for Editorial Writing in 2014. In late 2013, home delivery has been reduced to Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday while retaining print copies daily through news stands/ newsracks. In January 2024, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday print edition were discontinued.

History

Ramage press used to print the first Oregonian

Establishment

One year prior to the incorporation of the tiny town of Portland, Oregon, in 1851, prospective leaders of the new community determined to establish a local newspaper—an institution which was seen as a prerequisite for urban growth.H.W. Scott
''History of Portland, Oregon: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Prominent Citizens and Pioneers.''
Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Co., 1890; pg. 413. Chief among these pioneer community organizers seeking establishment of a Portland press were Col. W.W. Chapman and prominent local businessman Henry W. Corbett. In the fall of 1850, Chapman and Corbett traveled to

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, at the time far and away the largest city on the west coast of the United States, in search of an editor interested in and capable of producing a weekly newspaper in Portland. There the pair met Thomas J. Dryer, a transplanted New Yorker who was an energetic writer with both printing equipment and previous experience in the production of a small circulation community newspaper in his native

Ulster County, New York Ulster County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston, ...

First weekly issues

Dryer's press was transported to Portland and it was there on December 4, 1850, that the first issue of ''The Weekly Oregonian'' found its readers.Scott, ''History of Portland, Oregon,'' pg. 414. Each weekly issue consisted of four pages, printed six columns wide. Little attention was paid to current news events, with the bulk of the paper's content devoted to political themes and biographical commentary. The paper took a staunch political line supportive of the Whig Party—an orientation which soon brought it into conflict with ''The Statesman,'' a Democratic paper launched at Oregon City not long after ''The Weekly Oregonian'' debut. A loud and bitter rivalry between the competing news organs ensued.

1860s–1870s

Pittock era

Henry Pittock became the owner in 1861 as compensation for unpaid wages, and he began publishing the paper daily, except Sundays. Pittock's goal was to focus more on news than the

bully pulpit A "bully pulpit" is a conspicuous position that provides an opportunity to speak out and be listened to. This term was coined by United States President Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), a ...

established by Dryer. He ordered a new press in December 1860 and also arranged for the news to be sent by telegraph to

Redding, California Redding is a city in and the county seat of Shasta County, California, and the economic and cultural capital of the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California. Redding lies along the Sacramento River, north of Sacramento, California, Sacrame ...

, then by stagecoach to

Jacksonville, Oregon Jacksonville is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States, approximately west of Medford, Oregon, Medford. It was named for Jackson Creek, which flows through the community and was the site of one of the first placer deposit, placer gold cl ...

, and then by

pony express The Pony Express was an American express mail service that used relays of horse-mounted riders between Missouri and California. It was operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company. During its 18 months of opera ...

to Portland.

Scott era

From 1866 to 1872 Harvey W. Scott was the editor. Henry W. Corbett bought the paper from a cash-poor Pittock in October 1872 and placed William Lair Hill as editor. Scott, fired by Corbett for supporting Ben Holladay's candidates, became editor of Holladay's rival '' Portland Daily Bulletin''. The paper went out of print in 1876, Holladay having lost $200,000 in the process. Corbett sold ''The Oregonian'' back to Pittock in 1877, marking a return of Scott to the paper's editorial helm. A part-owner of the paper, Scott would remain as editor-in-chief until shortly before his death in 1910.

1880s–1890s

One of the journalists who began his career on ''The Oregonian'' during this time period was

James J. Montague James Jackson Montague (April 16, 1873 – December 16, 1941) was an American journalist, satirist, and poet. Renowned as a "versifier", Montague is best known for his column "More Truth Than Poetry", which was published in a wide number of ...

who took over and wrote the column "Slings & Arrows" until he was hired away by

William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst (; April 29, 1863 – August 14, 1951) was an American newspaper publisher and politician who developed the nation's largest newspaper chain and media company, Hearst Communications. His extravagant methods of yellow jou ...

in 1902. In this time period Governor

Sylvester Pennoyer Sylvester Pennoyer (July 6, 1831May 30, 1902) was an American educator, attorney, and politician in Oregon. He was born in Groton (town), New York, Groton, New York, attended Harvard Law School, and moved to Oregon at age 25. A History of the Demo ...

prominently criticized the ''Oregonian'' for calling for vigilante "justice" against Chinese Americans (Pennoyer favored running people of Chinese descent out of the state by "legal" means). The '' West Shore'' criticized the ''Oregonian'' for its sensationalized coverage of the English monarchy.

''Sunday Oregonian''

In 1881, the first ''Sunday Oregonian'' was published.Notson, Robert C. (December 6, 1981). "100 Years of Sunday Reading". ''The Sunday Oregonian'', pp. NW4-NW11. The paper became known as the voice of business-oriented Republicans, as evidenced by consistent endorsement of Republican candidates for

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

in every federal election before 1992.

New location

The paper's offices and presses were originally housed in a two-story building at the intersection of First Street (now First Avenue) and Morrison Street, but in 1892 the paper moved into a new nine-story building at 6th and Alder streets. The new building was, the same as its predecessor (and successor), called the Oregonian Building. It included a clock tower at one corner, and the building's overall height of 194"Oregonian Building Said Most Fireproof On Coast, Ahead of Its Time, When Built". (October 5, 1947). ''The Sunday Oregonian'', p. 16. to 196"Yeon Skyscraper Starts March 10". (February 6, 1910). ''The Sunday Oregonian'', Section 4, p. 12. feet (around 59 m) made it the tallest structure in Portland, a distinction it retained until the completion of the Yeon Building in 1911. It contained about of floor space, including the

basement A basement is any Storey, floor of a building that is not above the grade plane. Especially in residential buildings, it often is used as a utility space for a building, where such items as the Furnace (house heating), furnace, water heating, ...

but not the tower. The newspaper did not move again until 1948. The 1892 building was demolished in 1950."Building Gone From Old Site". (November 19, 1950). ''The Sunday Oregonian'', p. 18.

1900s–1940s

Following the death of Harvey Scott in 1910, the paper's editor-in-chief was Edgar B. Piper, who had previously been managing editor. Piper remained editor until his death in 1928. The Oregonian's first female journalist, Louise Bryant, joined the paper around 1909.

The ''Morning Oregonian'' and KGW

In 1922, the ''Oregonian'' discontinued its weekly edition, and launched

KGW KGW (channel 8) is a television station in Portland, Oregon, United States, affiliated with NBC and owned by Tegna Inc. The station's studios are located on Jefferson Street in southwestern Portland, and its transmitter is located in the city's ...

, Oregon's first commercial radio station. Five years later, KGW affiliated with

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

(1927). The newspaper purchased a second station, KEX, in 1933,"Oregonian Acquires Radio Station KEX". (September 1, 1933). ''The Morning Oregonian'', p. 1. from NBC

subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company (law), company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidia ...

Northwest Broadcasting Co. In 1944, KEX was sold to Westinghouse Radio Stations, Inc. ''The Oregonian'' launched KGW-FM, the Northwest's first FM station, in 1946 (acclaimed by "The Oregonian" May 8, 1946), known today as

KKRZ KKRZ (100.3 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in Portland, Oregon, known as Z100. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs a Top 40 (CHR) radio format. The studios and offices are on SW 68th Parkway in Tigard. Z100 carries 2 syndicated sho ...

. KGW and KGW-FM were sold to King Broadcasting Co in 1953. In 1937, ''The Morning Oregonian'' shortened its name to ''The Oregonian''. Two years later, associate editor Ronald G. Callvert received a

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

for editorial reporting for "distinguished editorial writing...as exemplified by the editorial entitled " My Country 'Tis of Thee". A 20-year trust under which the ''Oregonian'' was conducted expired in 1939. O. L. Price, who managed the newspaper under the trust, retired at age 61 upon its expiration. Ownership reverted to the heirs of Pittock and H. W. Scott.

Move in 1948

In 1948, the paper moved to a new location within downtown, where its headquarters ultimately would remain for the next 66 years, on SW Broadway between Jefferson Street and Columbia Street. The new building was designed by

Pietro Belluschi Pietro Belluschi (August 18, 1899 – February 14, 1994) was an Italian-American architect. A leading figure in modern architecture, he was responsible for the design of over 1,000 buildings.Belluschi, Pietro. (2007). In ''Encyclopædia Britanni ...

and again was named the Oregonian Building. The block was previously home to the William S. Ladd mansion, which had been demolished around 1925. Circa 1946, ''The Oregonian'' purchased the block for $100,000, which led to complaints from paper editor Leslie M. Scott because of the outrageous price. Three years later, Scott purchased a nearby block for the state at $300,000 while holding the office of Oregon State Treasurer. The new ''Oregonian'' building was to contain the

radio station and a television studio, as well as a large and opulent dining room. The contractor was L. H. Hoffman, who was under a very profitable

cost-plus contract A cost-plus contract, also termed a cost plus contract, is a contract such that a contractor is paid for all of its allowed expenses, ''plus'' an additional payment to allow for risk and incentive sharing. Aside from the "extravagance of design", construction materials were in short supply, the nation was under heavy inflation, and Belluschi's plans were never ready, leading to massive costs. ''The Oregonian'' had to borrow from banks, the first time in over 50 years. New company president E. B. MacNaughton was forced to exhaust the company's loan limits at First National Bank, then turn to the

Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (Bank of America) (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in ...

. MacNaughton then eliminated an extra elevator, the dining room, and KGW's radio and television studios. The building still cost $4 million, twice the original estimate. The building opened in 1948, but ''The Oregonian'' had to sell it to Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company for $3.6 million in a

leaseback Leaseback, short for "sale-and-leaseback", is a financial transaction in which one sells an asset and leases it back for the long term; therefore, one continues to be able to use the asset but no longer owns it. The transaction is generally done fo ...

arrangement. Further financial issues led to the 1950 sale to Samuel Newhouse.

1950s–1960s

In 1950,

founder S. I. "Si" Newhouse purchased the paper. At that time, the sale price of $5.6 million was the largest for a single newspaper. The sale was announced on December 11, 1950. In 1954, Newhouse bought 50% of Mount Hood Radio & Television Broadcasting Corp, which broadcasts

KOIN KOIN (channel 6) is a television station in Portland, Oregon, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside Salem, Oregon, Salem–licensed The CW, CW owned-and-operated station KRCW-TV (channel 32). The two ...

-TV, Portland's first VHF television station, KOIN AM (now

KUFO KUFO (970 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Portland, Oregon. The station, owned by Alpha Media, calls itself "Freedom 970" and airs a conservative talk radio format. KUFO's offices and studios are on Southwest 5th ...

), and KOIN-FM (now KXL-FM). ''The Oregonian'' circulation in 1950 was 214,916; that of the rival ''Oregon Journal'' was 190,844. In 1957, staff writers William Lambert and Wallace Turner were awarded that year's Pulitzer Prize for

Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting - No Edition time Pulitzer may refer to: *Joseph Pulitzer, a 19th century media magnate *Pulitzer Prize, an annual U.S. journalism, literary, and music award *Pulitzer (surname) * Pulitzer, Inc., a U.S. newspaper chain *Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, a non-pro ...

. Their prize cited "their expose of vice and

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

in Portland involving some municipal officials and officers of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, Western Conference" and noted that "they fulfilled their assignments despite great handicaps and the risk of reprisal from lawless elements."

The ''Oregon Journal''

What was to become a long and heated strike began against both ''The Oregonian'' and ''

The Oregon Journal ''The Oregon Journal'' was Portland, Oregon's daily afternoon newspaper from 1902 to 1982. The ''Journal'' was founded in Portland by C. S. "Sam" Jackson, publisher of Pendleton, Oregon's ''East Oregonian'' newspaper, after a group of Portla ...

'' began in November 1959. The strike was called by Stereotypers Local 49 over various contract issues, particularly the introduction of more automated plate-casting machinery; the new-to-American-publishing German-made equipment required one operator instead of the four that operated the existing equipment. Wallace Turner and many other writers and photographers refused to cross the picket lines and never returned. The two newspapers published a "joint, typo-marred paper" for six months until they had hired enough nonunion help to resume separate operations. Starting in February 1960, striking union workers published a daily newspaper, '' The (Portland) Reporter''; its circulation peaked at 78,000, but was shut down in October 1964. In 1961, Newhouse bought ''The Oregon Journal'', Portland's afternoon daily newspaper. Production and business operations of the two newspapers were consolidated in ''The Oregonian'' building, while their editorial staffs remained separate. The

National Labor Relations Board The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States that enforces United States labor law, U.S. labor law in relation to collect ...

ruled the strike illegal in November 1963. Strikers continued to picket until April 4, 1965, at which point the two newspapers became

open shop An open shop is a place of employment at which one is not required to join or financially support a union ( closed shop) as a condition of hiring or continued employment. Open shop vs closed shop The major difference between an open and closed ...

Late 1960s–early 1980s

In 1967, Fred Stickel came to ''The Oregonian'' from New Jersey to become general manager of the paper; he became president in 1972 and publisher in 1975. As part of a larger corporate plan to exit broadcasting, ''The Oregonian'' sold KOIN-TV to newspaper owner

Lee Enterprises Lee Enterprises, Inc. is a publicly traded American media company. It publishes 72 daily newspapers in 25 states, and more than 350 weekly, classified, and specialty publications. Lee Enterprises was founded in 1890 by Alfred Wilson Lee and is b ...

in 1977. At the same time, KOIN-AM and -FM were sold to Gaylord Broadcasting Co. Since S. I. Newhouse died in 1979, S.I. Jr. has managed the

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

s, and

Donald Donald is a Scottish masculine given name. It is derived from the Gaelic name ''Dòmhnall''.. This comes from the Proto-Celtic *''Dumno-ualos'' ("world-ruler" or "world-wielder"). The final -''d'' in ''Donald'' is partly derived from a misinter ...

oversees the newspapers. ''The Oregonian'' lost its primary "competitor" and Portland became a one-daily-newspaper city in 1982, when Advance/Newhouse shut down the ''Journal'', citing declining

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...

revenues.Crick, Rolla J. (September 4, 1982). "Journal ends 80 years of service". ''Oregon Journal''.

1985

The Oregonian published a twenty-part series on the Rajneeshpuram, a religious community that established itself in

Antelope, Oregon Antelope (known as Rajneesh from 1984 to 1986) is a city in rural Wasco County, Oregon, United States. Antelope had an estimated population of 47 people in 2012. The city was established in 1872 at a stage and freight wagon road stop on the ol ...

Late 1980s

Hilliard era

William A. Hilliard was named editor in 1987, and was the paper's first

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

editor. A resident of Oregon since the age of 8, Hilliard had already worked at ''The Oregonian'' for 35 years; he had been

city editor A city editor is a section editor of a newspaper responsible for daily news from a city or metropolitan area. They often work at night to be able to track news that happens at any time and include it in the following day's publication. Regional ...

starting in 1971 and executive editor since 1982.

1989

''The Oregonian'' established an Asia bureau in

Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

in 1989. Also in 1989, ''The Oregonian'' endorsed a Democratic candidate for president for the first time in its history when it supported

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

in 1992.

1990s

The year 1993 was an eventful year for ''The Oregonian''. Robert M. Landauer, then editorial page editor, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing for "a bold campaign to defuse myths and prejudice promoted by an anti-homosexual constitutional amendment, which was subsequently defeated", according to the Pulitzer judges. The integrity of ''The Oregonian'' became the subject of national coverage when ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' broke the story of inappropriate sexual advances which led to the resignation of Oregon

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

Bob Packwood Robert William Packwood (born September 11, 1932) is an American retired lawyer and politician from Oregon who served as a member of the United States Senate from 1969 to 1995. He resigned from the U.S. Senate under threat of expulsion, in 1995 ...

four years later. This prompted some to joke, "If it matters to Oregonians, it's in the ''Washington Post''" (a twist on the ''Oregonian'' slogan "If it matters to Oregonians, it's in ''The Oregonian''). Finally, Newhouse appointed a new editor for the paper, Sandra Rowe, who relocated from ''

The Virginian-Pilot ''The Virginian-Pilot'' is the daily newspaper for Hampton Roads, Virginia. Commonly known as ''The Pilot'', it is Virginia's largest daily. It serves the five cities of South Hampton Roads as well as several smaller towns across southeast Virgi ...

''.

Rowe era

Sandra Rowe joined the paper as executive editor in June 1993. She formally became editor in 1994 with the retirement of William Hilliard, but Hilliard had effectively already given her control of the editor's reins in 1993 as he focused his attention on his duties as the newly elected president of the

American Society of Newspaper Editors The American Society of News Editors (ASNE) was a membership organization for editors, producers or directors in charge of journalistic organizations or departments, deans or faculty at university journalism schools, and leaders and faculty of m ...

for 1993–94, in his final year before retirement. According to ''

Editor & Publisher ''Editor & Publisher'' (''E&P'') is an American monthly trade news magazine covering the news media industry. Published since 1901, ''Editor & Publisher'' is the self-described "bible of the newspaper industry," with offices in Hendersonville, ...

'', soon after Rowe's arrival, she introduced organizational changes to the newsroom. Instead of having a large number of general assignment reporters, she organized them around teams, many of which often develop "subject expertise" that "reflect the interests of readers, not traditional newsroom boundaries." Examples (over the years) include "Northwest Issues and Environment", "Living In the '90s"/"How We Live", "Politics and Accountability", "Health, Science, and Medicine", "Sustainability and Growth", and "Higher Education". Accompanying the reorganization was a more bottom-up approach to identifying stories: "instead of having an assignment-driven newspaper, you have the beat reporters coming to editors with what is going on", with the team editors responsible for deciding what stories were covered by their teams. The position of

public editor A public editor is a position existing at some news publications; the person holding this position is responsible for supervising the implementation of proper journalism ethics within that publication. These responsibilities include identifying a ...

was established at ''The Oregonian'' in 1993, and Robert Caldwell was appointed. Michele McLellan assumed the role three years later, and was delegated the authority to decide whether or not a newspaper error should result in the publication of a correction.

Pulitzer Prize

Staff writer

Richard Read Richard Read (born 1957) is a freelance reporter based in Seattle, where he was a national reporter and bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times from 2019 to 2021. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, he was a senior writer and foreign correspondent fo ...

won the 1999

Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting The Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting has been presented since 1998, for a distinguished example of explanatory reporting that illuminates a significant and complex subject, demonstrating mastery of the subject, lucid writing and clear p ...

, for a series, "The French Fry Connection". The articles illustrated the impact of the

1997 Asian financial crisis The 1997 Asian financial crisis gripped much of East Asia, East and Southeast Asia during the late 1990s. The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 before spreading to several other countries with a ripple effect, raising fears of a worldwide eco ...

by following a case of

french fries French fries, or simply fries, also known as chips, and finger chips (Indian English), are '' batonnet'' or '' julienne''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin. They are prepared by cutting potatoes into even strips, drying them, and f ...

from a Washington-state farm to a McDonald's in Singapore, ending in Indonesia during riots that led to the

Fall of Suharto On 21 May 1998, Suharto resigned as president of Indonesia following protests and riots across the country against his regime. His vice president, B. J. Habibie, took over the presidency. Suharto's grip on power weakened following severe ...

. The newsroom celebrated ''The Oregonian'' first Pulitzer in 42 years with champagne, McDonald's french fries and a brass band. The series also received the

Overseas Press Club The Overseas Press Club of America (OPC) was founded in 1939 in New York City by a group of foreign correspondents. The wire service reporter Carol Weld was a founding member, as was the war correspondent Peggy Hull. The club seeks to maintain ...

award for best business reporting from abroad, the Scripps Howard Foundation award for business reporting and the Blethen award for enterprise reporting. Co-worker Tom Hallman Jr. was a finalist for the 1999 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing, for his "unique profile of a man struggling to recover from a brain injury". Reporter Mark O'Keefe won an Overseas Press Club award for human rights reporting. The editors of ''

Columbia Journalism Review The ''Columbia Journalism Review'' (''CJR'') is a biannual magazine for professional journalists that has been published by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961. Its original purpose was "to assess the performance ...

'' recognized ''The Oregonian'' as number twelve on its list of "America's Best Newspapers", and the best newspaper owned by the Newhouse family.

2000s

In 2000, ''The Oregonian'' was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting for its coverage of an environmental disaster created when the '' New Carissa'', a freighter that carried nearly 400,000 gallons of heavy fuel, ran aground February 4, 1999, north of

Coos Bay, Oregon Coos Bay () is a city located in Coos County, Oregon, United States, where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean. It shares Coos Bay with the adjacent city of North Bend, Oregon, North Bend. Together, they are often referred to as ...

. The articles detailed "how fumbling efforts of official agencies failed to contain the far-reaching damage", according to the Pulitzer jury. That same year reporters Brent Walth and Alex Pulaski were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Writing for their series on political influences in pesticide regulation.

Pulitzer Prize for Public Service

''The Oregonian'' and news staff were acknowledged with two Pulitzer Prizes in 2001. The paper was awarded the

, for its "detailed and unflinching examination of systematic problems within the U.S.

Immigration and Naturalization Service The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was a United States federal government agency under the United States Department of Labor from 1933 to 1940 and under the United States Department of Justice from 1940 to 2003. Refe ...

, including harsh treatment of foreign nationals and other widespread abuses, which prompted various reforms." The series was reported and written by Kim Christensen,

, Julie Sullivan-Springhetti and Brent Walth, with editorials by the editorial board. Staff writer Tom Hallman Jr. received the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for his series, "The Boy Behind the Mask", on a teen with a facial deformity. In 2003, music critic David Stabler was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing for "his sensitive, sometimes surprising chronicle of a teenage prodigy's struggle with a musical talent that proved to be both a gift and a problem". Michael Arrieta-Walden became public editor in 2003; when he ended his three-year term in the position, no successor was named. The Oregonian building

2004 criticism

In 2004 the paper faced criticism after a headline characterized a 1970s sexual relationship between then-mayor

Neil Goldschmidt Neil Edward Goldschmidt (June 16, 1940 – June 12, 2024) was an American businessman and Democratic politician from the state of Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as mayor of Portland, Oregon, ...

and a 14-year-old girl as an "

affair An affair is a relationship typically between two people, one or both of whom are either married or in a long-term Monogamy, monogamous or emotionally-exclusive relationship with someone else. The affair can be solely sexual, solely physical or ...

", rather than

statutory rape In common law jurisdictions, statutory rape is nonforcible sexual activity in which one of the individuals is below the age of consent (the age required to legally consent to the behaviour). Although it usually refers to adults engaging in sex ...

. The paper endorsed a Democrat for president for the second time in its 150-year history when it backed

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

for president in 2004.

2005–2006

In 2005, staff reporters Steve Suo and Erin Hoover Barnett were finalists for the

Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting This Pulitzer Prize has been awarded since 1942 for a distinguished example of reporting on national affairs in the United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily ...

for "their groundbreaking reports on the failure to curtail the growing illicit use of

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug use, recreational or Performance-enhancing substance, performance-enhancing drug and less commonly as a secon ...

s". That same year, Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights published two reports on ''The Oregonian'', claiming the paper under-reported Palestinian deaths in its news stories of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and excluded the Palestinian narrative in its Opinion Pages. Editorial writers Doug Bates and Rick Attig were awarded the 2006

Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing The Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing is one of the fourteen American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Journalism. It has been awarded since 1917 for distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clearness of style, ...

for their editorials on the conditions at the

Oregon State Hospital Oregon State Hospital is a public psychiatric hospital in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the state's capital city of Salem, Oregon, Salem with a smaller satellite campus in Junction City, Oregon, Junction City opened in 2014. Founded in ...

. As of late 2006 and early 2007, the paper's circulation averaged 319,625 for the daily edition and 375,913 for the Sunday edition, giving ''The Oregonian'' the 22nd-largest circulation among all major newspapers in the U.S.

2007

In 2007, ''The Oregonian'' and its journalists were recognized with several awards. Sports columnist

John Canzano John Canzano is an American sports columnist, radio talk show host on Portland's 750 AM "The Game". The show is also syndicated in Eugene, Medford, Roseburg and Klamath Falls, Oregon. He now writes his column aJohnCanzano.comand hosts a daily ...

was selected as the nation's No. 2 sports columnist in the annual Associated Press Sports Editors Awards. Three ''Oregonian'' reporters—

Jeff Kosseff Jeff Kosseff is a cybersecurity law professor at the United States Naval Academy. He was previously a journalist, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and recipient of the George Polk Award. Education Kosseff graduated from the University ...

, Bryan Denson, and Les Zaitz—were awarded the

George Polk Award for national reporting The George Polk Awards in Journalism are a series of American journalism awards presented annually by Long Island University in New York in the United States. A writer for Idea Lab, a group blog hosted on the website of PBS, described the award ...

, for their series about the failure of a decades-old, multibillion-dollar, federal program established by the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act intended to help people with severe disabilities find employment. Instead it "awarded executives handsomely but left disabled workers in segregated jobs often paying less than minimum wage." On April 16, 2007, it was announced that the staff of ''The Oregonian'' was awarded a

Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting The Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting is a Pulitzer Prize awarded for a distinguished example of breaking news Breaking news, also called late-breaking news, a special report, special coverage, or a news flash, is a current issue ...

for their "skillful and tenacious coverage of a family missing in the Oregon mountains, telling the tragic story both in print and online." In addition, the paper's reporters were finalists in two other categories. Les Zaitz, Jeff Kosseff and Bryan Denson were finalists for the Pulitzer for National Reporting for the same series that also won the George Polk Award noted above. Inara Verzemnieks was nominated for the Pulitzer for Feature Writing for "her witty and perceptive portfolio of features on an array of everyday topics", according to the Pulitzer judges.

2008

Wildfire gear prepared for reporters in The Oregonian newsroom in Portland

In February 2008, ''

'' named editor Sandra Mims Rowe and executive editor Peter Bhatia as "Editors of the Year". The

trade journal A trade magazine, also called a trade journal or trade paper (colloquially or disparagingly a trade rag), is a magazine or newspaper whose target audience is people who work in a particular trade or industry. The collective term for this a ...

noted that since Rowe and Bhatia arrived in 1993, the paper and its journalists had won five Pulitzer Prizes and had been finalists a further nine times. ''E&P'' also cited "an increased focus on specialized reporting; a reorganized newsroom that promotes "team reporting" concepts over traditional beats; and regular training sessions and seminars that most staffers credit for encouraging fresh ideas and competitive approaches." Pulitzer Board member Richard Oppel, the editor of the ''

Austin American-Statesman The ''Austin American-Statesman'' is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is owned by Hearst Communications. The distribution of the following ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', '' ...

'', called the paper "one of the finest newspapers in the country, easily in the top 10." On September 28, 2008, the paper distributed a DVD of '' Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West'' as an advertising supplement for that day's edition, two weeks after ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', ''

The Charlotte Observer ''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. It is owned by Chatham Asset ...

'' and ''

The Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1903, it is the fifth-largest newspaper in Florida, serving Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe countie ...

'' had done the same thing. ''The Oregonian'' did so despite Portland mayor Tom Potter's personal request that publisher Fred Stickel not distribute it because the "tenor of the video contributes towards a climate of distrust towards Muslims", and because the paper's willingness to distribute the DVD bestows upon it "an impression of objectivity and legitimacy it does not deserve." Stickel cited "

freedom of speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The rights, right to freedom of expression has been r ...

", and an "obligation to keep our advertising columns as open as possible" as reasons for not rejecting the DVD. Newsroom staff in 2008 was about the same size as it was in 1993, though there were fifty fewer full-time staff members than there were in 2002; about half of those positions were eliminated after a

buyout In finance, a buyout is an investment transaction by which the ownership equity, or a controlling interest of a company, or a majority share of the capital stock of the company is acquired. The acquirer thereby "buys out" the present equity holde ...

in late 2007. The paper's outside

news bureau A news bureau is an office for gathering or distributing news. Similar terms are used for specialized bureaus, often to indicate a geographic location or scope of coverage: a 'Tokyo bureau' refers to a given news operation's office in Tokyo; 'fo ...

s grew from four to six during her tenure.

2009

In 2009, ''The Oregonian'' was scooped for a third time on a story of an Oregon politician's sex scandal, this time involving Mayor

Sam Adams Samuel Adams (, 1722 – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in colonial Massachusetts, a leader of the movement that became the American Revolu ...

about what ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...

'' called his "public deception and private bad judgment" about his past relationship with a teenage legislative intern.

Nigel Jaquiss Nigel Jaquiss (born 1962) is an American journalist who won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting, for his work exposing former Oregon Governor Neil Goldschmidt's sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl while he was mayor of Portland ...

of ''

Willamette Week ''Willamette Week'' (''WW'') is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture. History Early history '' ...

'' broke the story after 18 months of investigations; Jaquiss's reporting on another sex scandal involving

earned Jaquiss a

2005 Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes for 2005 were announced on April 4, 2005: Journalism *Beat reporting: Amy Dockser Marcus of ''The Wall Street Journal'' for her "stories about patients, families and physicians f theworld of cancer survivors". * Breaking news ...

. Jaquiss thinks ''The Oregonian'''s failure to follow up on leads that both he and ''Oregonian'' reporters had received was a case of "one-newspaper towns being a little too cozy with local power brokers." A

media ethics Media ethics is the subdivision of applied ethics dealing with the specific ethical principles and standards of media, including broadcast media, film, theatre, the arts, print media and the internet. The field covers many varied and highly contro ...

teacher and consultant for

The Poynter Institute for Media Studies The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a non-profit journalism school and research organization in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. The school is the owner of the ''Tampa Bay Times'' newspaper and the International Fact-Checking Netwo ...

suggests that the pattern of failure to cover such stories "may have more to do with the culture at ''The Oregonian'', which has recently "built its reputation on thoughtful, narrative coverage ...

hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...

doesn't lend itself well to digging up sex scandals." In August 2009, the paper's owners announced the end of a policy that protected full-time employees from layoffs for economic or technological reasons; the change took effect the following February. In September 2009, publisher Fred Stickel announced his retirement, effective September 18, ending 34 years in the position; his son Patrick, president of the paper, was appointed interim publisher but was not a candidate to succeed his father, and Patrick Stickel retired on December 30, 2009. N. Christian Anderson III was named as the new publisher in October, and began work in the position at the beginning of November 2009. After more than 16 years as editor, Sandra Rowe retired at the end of 2009. Peter Bhatia, then executive editor, succeeded her as editor.

2010s

Layoffs of 37 in February 2010 left the paper with a total of about 750 employees, including more than 200 in the news department. In September, the newspaper announced that its "TV Click" was to be replaced by ''TV Weekly'', a publication from the

Troy, Michigan Troy is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Detroit, Troy is located about north of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 87,294, ...

-based NTVB Media. Unlike "TV Click", ''TV Weekly'' requires a separate subscription fee; ''The Oregonian'' is following the example of the ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...

'' and other major newspapers and switching to "some form of 'opt in and pay' TV sections (rather than dropping the sections) and have found only about 10 percent to 20 percent of subscribers use the sections."

2013

In 2013, publisher N. Christian Anderson announced the paper was restructuring and that beginning October 1, the Oregonian Publishing Company would be dissolved. Two new companies would be formed: the Oregonian Media Group, which will focus on providing content on its online news site, OregonLive.com though it would continue to publish a daily print edition of the paper; and Advance Central Services Oregon, which would provide production, packaging, and distribution support for the new company. Ownership remained with

. Though printed seven days a week, home delivery has been reduced to Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. These changes were put into effect, as scheduled, on October 1. The paper also announced that "significant" layoffs were expected. In addition, Anderson announced that the new company would likely move from its downtown Portland building.

2014–2015

On April 2, 2014, the paper switched from

broadsheet A broadsheet is the largest newspaper format and is characterized by long Vertical and horizontal, vertical pages, typically of in height. Other common newspaper formats include the smaller Berliner (format), Berliner and Tabloid (newspaper ...

format to the smaller tabloid format. On April 14, 2014, it was announced that the paper's editorial staff—consisting of Mark Hester, Erik Lukens, Susan Nielsen, and Len Reed—had won the 2014

for Editorial Writing, for their coverage of the state of Oregon's public employee retirement system. Reporter Les Zaitz was named as a finalist for

Explanatory Reporting Explanatory journalism or explanatory reporting is a form of reporting that attempts to present ongoing news stories in a more accessible manner by providing greater context than would be presented in traditional news sources. The term is often a ...

for his work on Mexican drug cartels. Editor Peter Bhatia left the paper in May 2014 to take a teaching position at

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

. In July 2014, it was announced that Mark Katches had been hired as the paper's editor, and would also be the Oregonian Media Group's vice president of content. Also in July 2014, the newspaper moved its headquarters from the building at 1320 SW Broadway that it had occupied since 1948 to a smaller space elsewhere in downtown Portland. The new headquarters takes up around of space in the Crown Plaza office building, at 1500 SW First Avenue. N. Christian Anderson left the Oregonian Media Group in May 2015, to become editor and publisher of ''

The Register-Guard ''The Register-Guard'' is a daily newspaper in the northwestern United States, published in Eugene, Oregon. It was formed in a 1930 merger of two Eugene papers, the ''Eugene Daily Guard'' and the ''Morning Register''. The paper serves the Eugene ...

'', in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie and Willamette River, Willamette rivers, ...

. Anderson became publisher of ''The Oregonian'' in 2009, subsequently being named president of the Oregonian Media Group when that new company replaced the Oregonian Publishing Company in October 2013, with the title of ''publisher'' thereafter no longer being used, and in turn was appointed to the new position of chairman of the group in September 2014. Steve Moss succeeded Anderson as Oregonian Media Group president, and the chairman position was to go unfilled. In June 2015, Advance signed a contract with Signature Graphics to take over printing and distribution of the paper from Advance Central Services Oregon, and announced that it was considering selling its longtime printing plant located near

Providence Park Providence Park (formerly Jeld-Wen Field; PGE Park; Civic Stadium; originally Multnomah Stadium; and from 1893 until the stadium was built, Multnomah Field) is an outdoor soccer venue located in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland, Oregon ...

. Layoffs of printing-press workers were due to be implemented in August. In February 2017, the Oregonian Publishing Company sold the building for $20 million (~$ in ) to a development partnership which said it planned to tear it down and build a 23-story apartment building on the site, now known as the Press Blocks. Demolition of the former printing complex began in fall 2018.

2016

Moss announced in July 2016 that he would depart at the end of August. In the article about Moss's impending departure, it was disclosed that the newspaper's Sunday circulation was at that time approximately 170,000. On October 24, 2016, the paper's editorial board announced that it would once again decline to endorse a candidate for President of the United States, a practice it first abandoned in 2012. This decision was criticized by some readers, who wondered why the board would offer endorsements in state elections without also taking a position on the presidential race. The board justified its decision by citing the paper's general focus on local issues, writing "Our goal as an editorial board is to have an impact in our community. And we don't think an endorsement for president would move the needle. So that's why we focus our endorsement energy where voters may not have made up their minds and need help with the decision."

2018

Editor Mark Katches left the company in August 2018, to become editor of the ''

Tampa Bay Times The ''Tampa Bay Times'', called the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It is published by the Times Publishing Company, which is owned by The Poynter Institute ...

'', owned by the non-profit Poynter Institute for Media Studies. Therese Bottomly, who had worked ''The Oregonian'' since 1983, was named editor and vice president of content in September 2018.

2020s

Comments section elimination

On January 2, 2020, ''The Oregonian'' eliminated the comments section of Oregonlive.com. The paper said it was following the trend of other papers in the past decade and said most readers don't utilize the comments feature. The paper also said uncivil comments were taking up too many resources to moderate.

Paywall

In mid June 2020, the paper started rolling out stories tagged "Exclusive" marking the announcement of upcoming paywall. These "exclusive" contents, usually front-page stories, were made subscribers-only partway through July and starting on July 27, 2020, it has been switched over to

paywall A paywall is a method of restricting access to content (media), content, with a purchase or a subscription business model, paid subscription, especially news. Beginning in the mid-2010s, newspapers started implementing paywalls on their website ...

and restricted to paid subscribers only.

Print edition

In August 2023, ''The Oregonian'' announced that the printed version of the paper will be offered only on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, effective January 1, 2024. It will continue publishing daily news online. In late October 2024, the paper announced it will switch its print edition page format from a tabloid style to

. The change will go into effect in mid-January 2025.

Targeted publications

The staff of ''The Oregonian'' also produces three "targeted publications"— glossy magazines distributed free of charge to 40,000–45,000 wealthy residents of the

Portland metropolitan area The Portland metropolitan area is a metropolitan area, metro area with its urban area, core in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington (state), Washington. It has 5 principal cities, the largest being Portland, Oregon. The U.S. Office of Man ...

, and sold on newsstands to 5,000 others. A fourth glossy magazine, ''Explore the Pearl'', is produced in conjunction with the

Pearl District The Pearl District is an area of Portland, Oregon, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences. The area has been undergoing significa ...

Business Association, and mailed to "high-income Portland Metro households" within

Lake Oswego Lake Oswego ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, primarily in Clackamas County, Oregon, Clackamas County, with small portions extending into neighboring Multnomah County, Oregon, Multnomah and Washington County, Oregon, Washington counties ...

, West Linn, Mountain Park, Lakeridge, Forest Heights, Raleigh Hills, Oak Hills, West Hills, Dunthorpe, and

Clark County Clark County may refer to: *Clark County, Arkansas *Clark County, Idaho *Clark County, Illinois *Clark County, Indiana *Clark County, Kansas *Clark County, Kentucky *Clark County, Missouri *Clark County, Nevada, containing Las Vegas *Clark County, ...

Website

OregonLive.com is a website covering local news in Oregon and Southwest Washington. The website serves as the online home of ''The Oregonian''. Started in 1997, it is owned by

, which also owns ''The Oregonian''. Betsy Richter was the original editor of the website, and served through 1998 when Kevin Cosgrove took over as

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...

. Oregonian Media Group also publishes the website Here is Oregon. In addition to content from the affiliated newspapers, OregonLive also uses content from the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Oregonian, The 1850 establishments in Oregon Territory 1997 establishments in Oregon Advance Publications Newspapers published in Portland, Oregon Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Newspapers established in 1850 Pulitzer Prize–winning newspapers Whig newspapers (United States) Pulitzer Prize for Public Service winners American news websites American corporate subsidiaries