As we continue to work on the printed edition of the East Oregonian that now serves as the regional newspaper for Eastern Oregon, we continue to hear suggestions and questions from readers. (Keep them coming, by the way.)
One reader recently asked Phil Wright, the managing editor of the East Oregonian, why a story that had been online for several days didn’t make that particular week’s print paper.
It’s a good question, and the answer is something that’s worth reminding readers about:
There’s just not enough room in the print edition for all the content that our journalists throughout Eastern Oregon generate each week.
The numbers tell the story, as Wright says:
“Our newspaper right now is about 50% ads, leaving the rest of that space for us to fill with news and opinion, which we always run on Page A4. So for a 10-page A section, for example, we have one page for opinion and about the equivalent of four pages to fill with news. The Outdoors & Recreation and the Business & Agriculture sections might be more open but have far fewer pages.”
That means that the printed edition of the East Oregonian essentially becomes a showcase for the best work all of our journalists produce in any given week.
Which also means if you want the fullest dose of Wallowa County news, you have to keep an eye on our website, wallowa.com.
But using the East Oregonian as the showplace for our best work means we have to do additional planning for the printed edition.
Wright carries the heaviest load in planning and supervising production, but all the EO Media Group editors on the east side have a role in suggesting stories, editing copy and proofing pages.
“Producing the print paper remains the most labor- and time-intensive work we do,” Wright says. “We plan ahead for the paper, sometimes deciding more than a week in advance what we’ll have on the front of any section. Having stories ready for page designers well in advance makes production work much smoother. The more we can do that, the easier it makes building the print edition, and that ensures we meet press deadlines to get the paper out to newsstands and subscribers.”
The planning also gives us a chance to identify stories that have regional resonance — in other words, stories that have an impact throughout the region. The package we have planned for this Wednesday’s paper, for example, is a good example: We’re looking at the so-called “deflection” programs aimed at getting treatment for drug abusers and “deflecting” them away from the court system. Each county in Eastern Oregon has a different approach to these programs, and Wallowa County is taking a wait-and-see approach before launching one.
In the meantime, we’re working on stories that will appear first on our website, wallowa.com, or might already be posted there. Here’s a sampling:
• The Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center last week took a big leap toward landing a $300,000 state grant from the next Legislature. Also, we covered last week’s meeting at which people involved in the archaeological project at Maxville discussed their findings; Bill Bradshaw will have a story about that meeting.
• The Josephy Center for Arts and Culture has made progress in its fundraising campaign to pay for an expansion.
• The Cycle Oregon rally in the Wallowa Mountains is over, so we’re working on a wrapup about how it went.
As always, if you have more feedback, we want to hear it. You can contact Wright, editor of the printed version of the East Oregonian, at this email address: editor@eastoregonian.com.
And you can always contact me at mmcinally@wallowa.com. (I might not be able to answer immediately, but I try to respond to every email. If a few days go by and I haven’t responded, don’t hesitate to send another email; it’s possible your first email got lost in the daily avalanche.)
In the meantime, remember that all Chieftain subscribers can access — for no additional charge — the websites of all our news organizations in Eastern Oregon, including the East Oregonian, the La Grande Observer, the Hermiston Herald, the Baker City Herald and the Blue Mountain Eagle in John Day.
To access all those sites:
• Simply register your account on every site you wish to read with the same email address and password you currently use.
• Once you’ve registered, enter your username and password to enjoy the full range of content on that news site.
• You should not have to log in again unless you log out, clear history or experience software updates.
• Save your password when prompted by your browser and if you are inadvertently logged out, your browser can fill in your login and password for you. (Only use this option on your personal digital devices.)
To view the latest e-editions, be sure to register your account and sign in to www.eastoregonian.com.
Sign up for e-newsletters from each website by going to the “Email lists” link on your account dashboard for each site.
If you have any questions or need assistance with logging in, contact us at 800-781-3214 or email support@eomediagroup.com. (Remember, you also can get help with logging in by clicking on the question mark — ? — on the top right half of our homepage.)
Finally, as always, here’s my heartfelt thanks to Chieftain subscribers: We simply would be unable to do this vital work without your support.
Mike McInally is the editor of the Wallowa County Chieftain and the associate editor of the La Grande Observer.
