The Observer has a rich history, but sadly, we have made the decision to suspend print publication of the newspaper.

Beginning July 1, The Observer will be an online publication, with news of La Grande and Union County printed in the East Oregonian and mailed to Observer subscribers. The new EO will be published once a week on Wednesdays, and will be a regional publication, covering Umatilla, Morrow, Union, Wallowa, Baker and Grant counties.

Followers of the newspaper industry in America will understand that the demise of The Observer is far from unique, and some may be surprised that it survived this long.

Starting with the inception of Craigslist and other online marketplaces in the early 2000s, newspapers began seeing an erosion of classified advertising revenue, which had provided a reliable source of income for all newspapers for generations.

In most newspaper business models, the costs of producing, printing and distributing newspapers has been heavily subsidized by display advertising and classified advertising. This is why the cost to subscribe or buy a copy of your local newspaper has traditionally been much lower than the cost to produce it.

Like so many other businesses, newspapers were rocked by the Great Recession starting in 2008. Newspapers that survived after 2010 continued to face the challenges of technological change. With the rise of social media, local newspapers lost advertising revenue and subscribers.

“I get my news from Facebook” has frequently been the reason given for the cancellation of newspaper subscriptions. This is frustrating for journalists to hear, as Facebook “news” often originates with journalists who are paid employees of local newspapers.

Our older readers may remember the pre-internet days when an avid reader in Northeast Oregon would subscribe to a number of newspapers to get a wide variety of perspectives, and most would be delivered to your door by young carriers on bikes. The Oregon Journal and The Oregonian provided statehouse coverage from Salem, as well as news from all around the state.

The East Oregonian covered multiple counties in Northeast Oregon, as well as carrying national and international news via The Associated Press. And of course, The Observer covered true “local news” from all over Union County.

Now, most of us experience a barrage of news, available at all hours of the day and night. Newspapers, television, radio, text messages, emails and the internet in general — especially social media — all compete for our attention. The sheer volume of information coming at us can be overwhelming.

In 2019, the East Oregonian Publishing Co. (now EO Media Group) acquired The Observer from Western Communications. Recently, the newspaper has operated at a loss, supported by other EO Media Group publications.

Now, in mid-2024, after exploring a number of options, it is clear there is no profitable path forward for The Observer. Our company can no longer afford to print the newspaper at a loss. However, we will continue to employ reporters who cover Union County, and that reporting will appear online at www.lagrandeobserver.com with some of this news also in the weekly print edition of the East Oregonian.

We are so appreciative of The Observer’s subscribers, readers and advertisers who have hung in there on this bumpy ride over the past decades of change.

We salute everyone who ever worked for The Observer — reporters, editors, graphic designers, advertising sales reps, customer service staff, delivery drivers and carriers alike. This newspaper has touched many lives and contributed to the community in so many ways, and your work and The Observer’s legacy will live on.

Historians who want to learn about Union County will rely on The Observer’s archives, and there they will find a treasure trove of information.