Oregon Commentator
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Commentator is a student publication at the University of Oregon
in Eugene
, Oregon
, United States
. Founded on September 27, 1983, and first published on October 24, 1983, it is a self-described "conservative journal of opinion," modeled after such publications as Harvard Lampoon
and Reason Magazine. The magazine's ideological stance is libertarian.
The journal is an independent journal of opinion for the campus community. Founded by a group of student journalists on September 27, 1983, the Commentator provides students with an alternative to the views of other student publications, professors and student groups.
The Commentator is the second-oldest publication on campus, after the Oregon Daily Emerald
. It is a member of the Collegiate Network
, a group of conservative and libertarian
college publications, although its operating budget is funded by student fees. Its aim is to serve as a contrarian outlet for students resistant to the prevailing trends on campus, including opposition to the mandatory nature of the non-academic "incidental fee."
The Oregon Commentator is operated as a program of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO) and is staffed by volunteer editors and writers. The paper is funded through student incidental fees, advertising revenue and private donations.
In addition to its print magazine, the Commentator publishes its content on its website http://www.oregoncommentator.com, where it also maintains a group-run blog
frequently linked to by national news outlets. In 2008, the Commentator blog took second place in the America's Future Foundation's inaugural College Blogger Contest.
The student group was founded in fall 1983 primarily by Dane S. Claussen, later a journalism/mass communication professor and now Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, and Richard E. Burr, now with The Detroit News' editorial pages. Other co-founders included Robert Davis and the late Michael Rust, with faculty advisor Paul S. Holbo.
became involved.
In 2006, a member of the Commentator appeared on The O'Reilly Factor
to defend the First Amendment
rights of its rival publication, the Student Insurgent. The Insurgent had recently caused a large furor after publishing naked illustrations of Jesus
.
The Commentator has faced problems on campus regarding its libertarian content, including entire orders of magazines being dumped from their distribution racks.
The book is sold in the University of Oregon bookstore on campus and online by both the bookstore and the Commentator itself.
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded on September 27, 1983, and first published on October 24, 1983, it is a self-described "conservative journal of opinion," modeled after such publications as Harvard Lampoon
Harvard Lampoon
The Harvard Lampoon is an undergraduate humor publication founded in 1876 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.-Overview:Published since 1876, The Harvard Lampoon is the world's longest continually published humor magazine. It is also the second longest-running English-language humor...
and Reason Magazine. The magazine's ideological stance is libertarian.
The journal is an independent journal of opinion for the campus community. Founded by a group of student journalists on September 27, 1983, the Commentator provides students with an alternative to the views of other student publications, professors and student groups.
The Commentator is the second-oldest publication on campus, after the Oregon Daily Emerald
Oregon Daily Emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald is an independent daily newspaper published at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The paper, which has been published for more than 100 years, has trained many now-prominent writers and journalists and has made important contributions to journalism...
. It is a member of the Collegiate Network
Collegiate Network
The Collegiate Network is a non-profit, non-partisan tax-exempt 501 organization that provides financial and technical assistance to student editors and writers of almost 100 independent, conservative and libertarian publications at leading colleges and universities around the country. The project...
, a group of conservative and libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
college publications, although its operating budget is funded by student fees. Its aim is to serve as a contrarian outlet for students resistant to the prevailing trends on campus, including opposition to the mandatory nature of the non-academic "incidental fee."
The Oregon Commentator is operated as a program of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO) and is staffed by volunteer editors and writers. The paper is funded through student incidental fees, advertising revenue and private donations.
In addition to its print magazine, the Commentator publishes its content on its website http://www.oregoncommentator.com, where it also maintains a group-run blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
frequently linked to by national news outlets. In 2008, the Commentator blog took second place in the America's Future Foundation's inaugural College Blogger Contest.
The student group was founded in fall 1983 primarily by Dane S. Claussen, later a journalism/mass communication professor and now Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, and Richard E. Burr, now with The Detroit News' editorial pages. Other co-founders included Robert Davis and the late Michael Rust, with faculty advisor Paul S. Holbo.
Controversy
Since its inception, there have been attempts to shut it down. For example in 2004 the group lost its funding after satirizing a prominent transgendered student. The magazine's funding was restored soon after the Foundation for Individual Rights in EducationFoundation for Individual Rights in Education
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education is a non-profit group founded in 1999 and focused on civil liberties in academia in the United States...
became involved.
In 2006, a member of the Commentator appeared on The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor
The O'Reilly Factor, originally titled The O'Reilly Report from 1996 to 1998 and often called The Factor, is an American talk show on the Fox News Channel hosted by commentator Bill O'Reilly, who often discusses current controversial political issues with guests.The program was the most watched...
to defend the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
rights of its rival publication, the Student Insurgent. The Insurgent had recently caused a large furor after publishing naked illustrations of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
.
The Commentator has faced problems on campus regarding its libertarian content, including entire orders of magazines being dumped from their distribution racks.
By the Barrel: 25 Years of the Oregon Commentator
In early November 2009 the Oregon Commentator published a book titled By the Barrel: 25 Years of the Oregon Commentator. The book was edited by Timothy Dane Carbaugh and produced by Guy Simmons. The book was the culmination of the publication's 25th year of existence on the campus of the University of Oregon. The book contains three sections:- the Commentators history.
- nine of the most important moments in Commentator history including de-fundings, vandalism and cries of racism.
- ten essays written by Commentator alumni, including a foreword, as memoriams for the 25th Anniversary.
The book is sold in the University of Oregon bookstore on campus and online by both the bookstore and the Commentator itself.