The Eugene Weekly, an Oregon publication laid low by an embezzlement scandal, plans to dust itself off and roll fresh ink come Feb. 8, reintroducing 25,000 copies to its readers after a hiatus induced by financial treachery. The comeback was made possible through a spirited effort that combined online fundraising with local largesse, Editor Camilla Mortensen, as per AP News.
Founded in 1982 and once freely distributed around Eugene, the weekly fell victim to deep financial wounds over the holidays—forced to ax its 10-person squad; the sobering discovery was that an ex-finance staffer had siphoned nearly $90,000, leaving a wake of unpaid bills over $100,000, "It has been both terrifying and wonderful," Mortensen recapped, according to Fortune.
As the Eugene Police Department continues probing the accusations, Mortensen revealed the community's role was paramount—heralded by fundraising that lofted about $150,000 into the publication's beleaguered accounts, additionally noted by The New York Post, in a showing that attracted contributions from as far as Iowa and New York.
"People were so invested in helping us that it just really gives me hope for journalism at a time where I think a lot of people don’t have hope," Mortensen conveyed her optimism in a statement obtained by AP News, saying that the influx of community and journalistic spirit was so overwhelming that it spurred a resolve to rekindle the print run "You’ve got to give it a shot."
The resilience of The Eugene Weekly serves as a beacon in the increasingly arid landscape of local journalism, with its staff exodus turning point leading this publication to a crossroads, but the show of support underscores a tenacious communal belief in the necessity of local news, the organ's pulse steadied by journalism students and freelancers adding their pro bono work to keep the virtual lights on until the presses roll yet again, as per insights shared by Mortensen, as reported by Fortune.
