• by Ray Schultz , June 5, 2024

EO Media Group, publisher of 12 newspapers in Oregon and Washington, laid off 28 employees – 15% of its staff – earlier this week. In addition, 19 staffers will have their hours cut, starting in July. 

The company is also reducing print frequency in three publications: The Bulletin, The Rogue Valley Times and The East Oregonian. 

EO blamed the changes on declining ad revenues and increasing operating expenses. 

Despite these problems, EO Media will continue to serve news online and employ journalists, it says. 

"As a family and owners of EO Media Group, we are committed to the continuity of our publications within the communities we have served for over a century," Steve Forrester and Kathryn Brown, majority owners of EO Media Group, say. 

They add, "We have retained a firm to evaluate all options for the company, and our primary goal remains the same: to preserve and strengthen the important connection our newspapers have with the local residents of Oregon and the Long Beach Peninsula. EO Media Group is also considering the nonprofit model of newspaper publishing. Our aim is to ensure that these publications continue to thrive and reflect the voices and stories of the communities they represent."