The members of the Central Oregon NewsGuild are dismayed by E.O. Media Group’s Monday announcement of mass layoffs, furloughs and publication suspensions.
The announcement comes on the heels of the company’s decisions to implement a hiring freeze and outsource design staff. This process of cutting staff to create profitability waters down our efforts to produce news that benefits the communities we live and work in.
A company that has promised to do business differently than hedge fund-owned news operations has failed miserably to do so. Those who do the hard work everyday of dispensing news to communities across Oregon are now the ones who will be forced to pay the price. We express our deepest sympathies to those who will lose their jobs both within the union and outside of it.
While the impacts of these decisions are devastating, the reporters, photographers and news assistants who remain at The Bulletin and The Redmond Spokesman are more committed than ever to serving the Central Oregon community with fierce integrity and diligence.
The Bulletin and Spokesman newsrooms unionized for a united voice in the decisions that affect us and to ensure E.O. Media Group lives up to its purported values. Today’s announcement shows our mission is far from over.
centraloregonnewsguild@gmail.com
The above article was prepared by the author in his/her own personal capacity. The opinions expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cascade Business News or of Cascade Publications Inc.
