It’s been a couple of weeks since Andrew Cutler stepped down as the interim editor of the La Grande Observer, but it only occurred to me just a day or so ago that meant no one was writing this weekly newsletter to readers. My apologies.
A word of introduction: I’m Mike McInally, a longtime newspaper journalist and, for the last two years, the editor of the Wallowa County Chieftain. Now, I’m also serving as the associate editor of the La Grande Observer.
As you probably have guessed, it’s been a busy few weeks for the Observer and the other newspapers owned by the EO Media Group in Eastern Oregon. For cost-cutting reasons, we’ve suspended production of the printed editions of the Observer and four other weekly newspapers in the region. I won’t lie: that was a tough decision to swallow, but it’s part of trying to put these operations back on a path toward long-term sustainability.
And we’re still gathering news at each of those locations. At the Observer, we’re still posting news on our website, lagrandeobserver.com, as often as we can.
We’re also contributing to the weekly East Oregonian, which every print subscriber to the Observer now is receiving.
The idea is to build the East Oregonian into a truly regional newspaper that serves all of Northeastern Oregon. We took some steps in that direction last year when we launched the regional Saturday edition of the Observer. We learned from that — and we listened to suggestions from readers — as we started work to expand the regional edition of the East Oregonian.
For example, the regional Observer dedicated specific pages to news from a given county. Readers weren’t crazy about that. Instead, the editors working on the reworked East Oregonian decided to give priority to the most significant news from around the region — and to focus first on news that resonates throughout Eastern Oregon.
From there, the goal is to cover our inside pages with local government coverage to features on interesting people, no matter the county — but if you’re a reader who just wants to focus on one or two counties in our region, most stories will be labeled with their county of origin.
That’s just the A section.
The East Oregonian now has a separate section for Outdoors & Recreation and another section for Business & Agriculture. The East Oregonian also continues to carry the weekly Go! Eastern Oregon magazine, which covers the region’s vibrant arts-and-entertainment scene. It also now includes the monthly Eastern Oregon Parent magazine. In the words of Bennett Hall, the editor of the Blue Mountain Eagle in John Day, the EO has a “thump” factor now — the noise the paper would make if it were tossed on your porch. (It probably makes a similar sound when your mail carrier drops it into your mailbox.)
It’s important to remember, however, that not every story produced by the Observer will run in the East Oregonian’s printed edition. There’s not enough space, even with the newly expanded paper. That’s where the Observer’s website comes in: Everything the newsroom produces will appear online at lagrandeobserver.com.
The good news here is that your digital subscription access has been expanded, at no additional cost to you, to include all of EO Media’s other Eastern Oregon websites, including the Chieftain, the East Oregonian, the Hermiston Herald, the Baker City Herald and the Blue Mountain Eagle.
For all digital access:
• 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 login 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, contact us at 800-781-3214 or email support@eomediagroup.com.
Remember that all of this is a work in progress, so I welcome comments, questions and suggestions about the Observer and the new East Oregonian. You can contact me at this email address: editor@lagrandeobserver.com.
If you haven’t already, this is a good time to take a moment to register your subscription for digital access of The Observer. Call 800-781-3214 to talk to one of our customer service staff members, who will be happy to walk you through the process. It’s easy, takes just a few moments to get set up and allows you to take advantage of our e-edition, app and website delivery along with your print subscription. (The online edition also features a big selection of puzzles available only to subscribers.)
And let me clue you in on a new feature on our website that should help subscribers who are experiencing problems logging in. On the right side of the top navigation bar, you’ll see a “?” Click on it, and you’ll go to our new Help Center, designed specifically to help subscribers who are experiencing problems logging in. Log-in problems are a pain, and we’re hoping this feature helps you if you experience those.
Finally, let me take this opportunity to once again thank the Observer’s subscribers: It would be impossible for us to do this vital work without your support.
Mike McInally is the associate editor of the Observer and the editor of the Wallowa County Chieftain. You can email him at editor@lagrandeobserver.com.
