Portland Tribune
Encyclopedia
The Portland Tribune is a free weekly newspaper published each Thursday in Portland
, Oregon
, United States
.
The Tribune is part of the Pamplin Media Group
, which publishes a number of community newspapers in the Portland metropolitan area
, and also owns and operates the talk radio
station KPAM
, and several other radio stations throughout the Pacific Northwest
.
announced his intention to found the paper in the summer of 2000. The first issue of what started as a twice-weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays) paper was published February 9, 2001, joining The Oregonian
, the city's only daily general interest newspaper, and the alternative weeklies
Willamette Week
and The Portland Mercury
. At the time, it was a rare example of the expansion of print news, in a time when many cities were seeing newspapers merge or go out of business. But its launch preceded a significant national downturn in advertising sales, which posed difficulties for a startup newspaper. Eleven months after its launch, the Tribune cut back on home deliveries. The newspaper was reportedly losing money faster than anticipated after its first year. By late 2006, its newsroom staff had been reduced to 27.
On May 5, 2008, the paper announced it would switch effective immediately to a once-a-week print format, with its Thursdays print edition accompanied by daily updates to its website.
In July 2009, "difficult economic conditions" led to the layoff of two reporters and the resignation of its managing editor, resulting in a newsroom staff of 14. Portland Tribune makes more cuts, a July 21, 2009 article from the Portland Business Journal
of Oregon
. The paper is known for its extensive coverage of local high school, college and professional sports teams, with concentration on the NBA
, Pac-10, Big Sky Conference
and West Coast Conference
.
The Tribune sponsors the annual Portland Regional Spelling Bee for middle school students. The champion participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee
in Washington, D.C.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, 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...
.
The Tribune is part of the Pamplin Media Group
Pamplin Media Group
The Pamplin Media Group is a media conglomerate owned by Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. and operating primarily in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon....
, which publishes a number of community newspapers in the Portland metropolitan area
Portland metropolitan area
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S...
, and also owns and operates the talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
station KPAM
KPAM
KPAM is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Troutdale, Oregon, USA, it serves the Portland OR area. The station is currently owned by Pamplin Broadcasting-Oregon, Inc. and features programing from CBS Radio, Jones Radio Network and AP Radio....
, and several other radio stations throughout the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
.
History
Portland businessman Robert B. Pamplin, Jr.Robert B. Pamplin, Jr.
Dr. Robert B. Pamplin, Jr. is a businessman and philanthropist from the U.S. state of Oregon. He is the owner of a number of businesses in and around Portland, Oregon and across the United States. In 2001, he was reported to be the third-wealthiest person in Oregon.His holdings include textile...
announced his intention to found the paper in the summer of 2000. The first issue of what started as a twice-weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays) paper was published February 9, 2001, joining The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
, the city's only daily general interest newspaper, and the alternative weeklies
Alternative weekly
An alternative newspaper is a type of newspaper, that eschews comprehensive coverage of general news in favor of stylized reporting, opinionated reviews and columns, investigations into edgy topics and magazine-style feature stories highlighting local people and culture. Their news coverage is more...
Willamette Week
Willamette Week
Willamette Week is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon, United States. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business and culture....
and The Portland Mercury
The Portland Mercury
The Portland Mercury is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon. It serves to chronicle the ever-changing Portland music scene, and generally includes interviews, commentaries, reviews, and concert dates...
. At the time, it was a rare example of the expansion of print news, in a time when many cities were seeing newspapers merge or go out of business. But its launch preceded a significant national downturn in advertising sales, which posed difficulties for a startup newspaper. Eleven months after its launch, the Tribune cut back on home deliveries. The newspaper was reportedly losing money faster than anticipated after its first year. By late 2006, its newsroom staff had been reduced to 27.
On May 5, 2008, the paper announced it would switch effective immediately to a once-a-week print format, with its Thursdays print edition accompanied by daily updates to its website.
In July 2009, "difficult economic conditions" led to the layoff of two reporters and the resignation of its managing editor, resulting in a newsroom staff of 14. Portland Tribune makes more cuts, a July 21, 2009 article from the Portland Business Journal
Features
The paper deals almost exclusively with issues local to Portland and the U.S. stateU.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The paper is known for its extensive coverage of local high school, college and professional sports teams, with concentration on the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, Pac-10, Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
and West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
.
The Tribune sponsors the annual Portland Regional Spelling Bee for middle school students. The champion participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee
Scripps National Spelling Bee
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a highly competitive annual spelling bee in the United States, with participants from other countries as well. It is run on a not-for-profit basis by The E. W...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....