The Register-Guard
Encyclopedia
The Register-Guard is a daily newspaper
published in Eugene
, Oregon
, United States. It was formed in a 1930 merger of two Eugene papers, the Eugene Daily Guard and the Morning Register. The paper serves the Eugene-Springfield
area, as well as the Oregon Coast
, Umpqua River
Valley, and surrounding areas. It has a circulation of 68,727 Monday through Friday, 74,507 on Saturday, and 72,415 on Sunday. The newspaper is owned by the Baker family of Eugene, and members of the family are in charge of nearly all departments within the paper. It is Oregon's second-largest daily newspaper and one of the few medium-sized family newspapers left in the United States.
newspaper. The following year, Alexander sold the paper to J. W. Skaggs who in turn sold it before the end of the year to the firm of Thompson & Victor. Thompson, who had previously been involved in the publication of the Eugene Herald, a paper founded in 1859, sold the Guard after a year and a half.
George J. Buys and A. Eltzroth purchased the paper in December 1869, and six months later bought out Eltzroth. Buys sold the paper eight years later to John R. and Ira Campbell, who would remain owners for 30 years. In 1890, the Eugene Guard became a daily newspaper. Charles H. Fisher took over the paper in 1907 and published it until 1912 when E. J. Finneran purchased the paper. Finneran bankrupted the newspaper in 1916, partly due to the purchase of a perfecting press that proved too expensive for such a small newspaper. The University of Oregon
's journalism school briefly ran the paper during the receivership
under the guidance of Eric W. Allen.
In April 1916, Fisher returned along with partner J. E. Shelton, forming The Guard Printing Company. Fisher continued to publish the Capital Journal in Salem
until 1921. In 1924, after Fisher died, Paul R. Kelty purchased the Guard and published it with his son, before selling it in 1927. The paper was purchased in 1927 by publisher Alton F. Baker, Sr., whose father had published The Plain Dealer. Three years later, Baker bought the Morning Register and merged the two papers. Reporter William Tugman was recruited from The Plain Dealer to be the managing editor of the new paper.
's questioning of New York Post
editor James Wechsler
in closed Senate hearings. Eugene S. Pulliam of The Indianapolis Star
, J. R. Wiggins, The Washington Post
, and Herbert Brucker, of The Hartford Courant
were the other editors to sign the declaration, calling Senator McCarthy's actions "a peril to American freedom."
Alton F. "Bunky" Baker, Jr., son of Alton F. Baker, Sr., inherited the newspaper in 1961 and later passed it on to his brother Edwin. In the late 1980s, it was handed down to the current editor and publisher, Alton F. "Tony" Baker III.
In August 1996, a photographer and reporter from the paper were arrested by the United States Forest Service
for trespass
ing at the site of a timber protest in a national forest. The Register-Guard responded by suing the Forest Service for violating the First Amendment
freedom of the press. The criminal charged were later dropped and the civil suit was settled out of court.
Originally located in downtown Eugene, the paper moved to its current location in northeast Eugene in January 1998. The former Register-Guard building was leased by the University of Oregon
and renamed the Baker Downtown Center for the Baker family. The building houses the university's printing facility, archives, and continuing education program, as well as the Oregon Career Information System.
In 2000, the company began negotiations with the employee’s union for a new contract, and during negotiations banned the use of the company email system by the union. This led to an unfair labor practice
charge against the newspaper, with the National Labor Relations Board
ruling for the paper in December 2007 that employers can ban employees' pro-union emails from the company email system.
In the weeks following the September 11, 2001 attacks
, the newspaper saw a 1.6% increase in paper sales. In 2006, the paper received protests regarding its policy against including birth announcements from same-sex couples. It was reported that managing editor Dave Baker was very helpful when same-sex couples first complained "until he talked to Alton Baker [III], and then he stopped returning our phone calls." In November 2008, the Register-Guard finally changed its policy and printed a birth announcement featuring names of both the child's female parents.
In 2003, the newspaper reduced the width of the printing to 12.5 inches (31.8 cm) to reduce costs, and further shrank the paper to 11 inches (27.9 cm) in 2009.
In 2009, two separate layoffs reduced the newspaper's staff by the equivalent of
41 positions; by August 2009, it had 305 full- and part-time employees. The company's management blamed the layoffs on the "lousy economy"
and advertising revenues that were 16% below projections in May and about 25% for June, July, and the first half of August.
finalist for Spot News Photography, for its coverage of the community's reaction to shootings at Springfield's Thurston High School
by student Kip Kinkel
.
The Oregon Newspaper Publisher's Association's 2010 General Excellence Award again went to The Register-Guard, and so did the association's Best Overall Website award.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published 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. It was formed in a 1930 merger of two Eugene papers, the Eugene Daily Guard and the Morning Register. The paper serves the Eugene-Springfield
Springfield, Oregon
Springfield is a city in Lane County, Oregon, United States. Located in the Southern Willamette Valley, it is within the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Separated from Eugene to the west, mainly by Interstate 5, Springfield is the second-most populous city in the metropolitan area...
area, as well as the Oregon Coast
Oregon Coast
The Oregon Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It runs generally north-south along the Pacific Ocean, forming the western border of the state; the region is bounded to the east by the Oregon Coast Range. The Oregon Coast stretches approximately from the Columbia River in the north to...
, Umpqua River
Umpqua River
The Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley,...
Valley, and surrounding areas. It has a circulation of 68,727 Monday through Friday, 74,507 on Saturday, and 72,415 on Sunday. The newspaper is owned by the Baker family of Eugene, and members of the family are in charge of nearly all departments within the paper. It is Oregon's second-largest daily newspaper and one of the few medium-sized family newspapers left in the United States.
History of the Guard
In 1867, J. B. Alexander founded the Eugene Guard as a weekly DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
newspaper. The following year, Alexander sold the paper to J. W. Skaggs who in turn sold it before the end of the year to the firm of Thompson & Victor. Thompson, who had previously been involved in the publication of the Eugene Herald, a paper founded in 1859, sold the Guard after a year and a half.
George J. Buys and A. Eltzroth purchased the paper in December 1869, and six months later bought out Eltzroth. Buys sold the paper eight years later to John R. and Ira Campbell, who would remain owners for 30 years. In 1890, the Eugene Guard became a daily newspaper. Charles H. Fisher took over the paper in 1907 and published it until 1912 when E. J. Finneran purchased the paper. Finneran bankrupted the newspaper in 1916, partly due to the purchase of a perfecting press that proved too expensive for such a small newspaper. The University of Oregon
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 :...
's journalism school briefly ran the paper during the receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
under the guidance of Eric W. Allen.
In April 1916, Fisher returned along with partner J. E. Shelton, forming The Guard Printing Company. Fisher continued to publish the Capital Journal in Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
until 1921. In 1924, after Fisher died, Paul R. Kelty purchased the Guard and published it with his son, before selling it in 1927. The paper was purchased in 1927 by publisher Alton F. Baker, Sr., whose father had published The Plain Dealer. Three years later, Baker bought the Morning Register and merged the two papers. Reporter William Tugman was recruited from The Plain Dealer to be the managing editor of the new paper.
Post-merge history
In 1953, Tugman was one of four editors in the country to sign a declaration opposing Senator Joseph McCarthyJoseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
's questioning of New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
editor James Wechsler
James Wechsler
James A. Wechsler was an American journalist.He was a columnist and Washington bureau editor of The New York Post, and a prominent voice of American liberalism for 40 years...
in closed Senate hearings. Eugene S. Pulliam of The Indianapolis Star
The Indianapolis Star
The Indianapolis Star is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903. It has won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting twice, in 1975 and 1991. It is currently owned by the Gannett Company.-History:...
, J. R. Wiggins, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, and Herbert Brucker, of The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is a morning newspaper for most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury...
were the other editors to sign the declaration, calling Senator McCarthy's actions "a peril to American freedom."
Alton F. "Bunky" Baker, Jr., son of Alton F. Baker, Sr., inherited the newspaper in 1961 and later passed it on to his brother Edwin. In the late 1980s, it was handed down to the current editor and publisher, Alton F. "Tony" Baker III.
In August 1996, a photographer and reporter from the paper were arrested by the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
for trespass
Trespass
Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels and trespass to land.Trespass to the person, historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, wounding, mayhem, and maiming...
ing at the site of a timber protest in a national forest. The Register-Guard responded by suing the Forest Service for violating 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...
freedom of the press. The criminal charged were later dropped and the civil suit was settled out of court.
Originally located in downtown Eugene, the paper moved to its current location in northeast Eugene in January 1998. The former Register-Guard building was leased by the University of Oregon
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 :...
and renamed the Baker Downtown Center for the Baker family. The building houses the university's printing facility, archives, and continuing education program, as well as the Oregon Career Information System.
In 2000, the company began negotiations with the employee’s union for a new contract, and during negotiations banned the use of the company email system by the union. This led to an unfair labor practice
Unfair labor practice
In United States labor law, the term unfair labor practice refers to certain actions taken by employers or unions that violate the National Labor Relations Act and other legislation...
charge against the newspaper, with the National Labor Relations Board
National Labor Relations Board
The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...
ruling for the paper in December 2007 that employers can ban employees' pro-union emails from the company email system.
In the weeks following the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, the newspaper saw a 1.6% increase in paper sales. In 2006, the paper received protests regarding its policy against including birth announcements from same-sex couples. It was reported that managing editor Dave Baker was very helpful when same-sex couples first complained "until he talked to Alton Baker [III], and then he stopped returning our phone calls." In November 2008, the Register-Guard finally changed its policy and printed a birth announcement featuring names of both the child's female parents.
In 2003, the newspaper reduced the width of the printing to 12.5 inches (31.8 cm) to reduce costs, and further shrank the paper to 11 inches (27.9 cm) in 2009.
In 2009, two separate layoffs reduced the newspaper's staff by the equivalent of
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
41 positions; by August 2009, it had 305 full- and part-time employees. The company's management blamed the layoffs on the "lousy economy"
Late 2000s recession in the Americas
As one of the most developed regions in the world, the late 2000s – early 2010s recession in the Americas is seen as one of worst disaster areas of all the world. While Canada has managed to return their economy nearly to the levels they enjoyed prior to the recession, the United States and Mexico...
and advertising revenues that were 16% below projections in May and about 25% for June, July, and the first half of August.
Awards
The paper won in a tie for best feature photo in 1997 from the Oregon Newspaper Publisher's Association. In 1998, the paper took first place for science reporting from the Pacific Northwest Society of Professional Journalists competition for Excellence in Journalism. The Register-Guard took first place in the same competition in 2001 for best arts coverage. In 1999, the newspaper was a Pulitzer PrizePulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
finalist for Spot News Photography, for its coverage of the community's reaction to shootings at Springfield's Thurston High School
Thurston High School
Thurston High School is a public high school located in the Thurston area of Springfield, Oregon, United States.-Academics:In 2008, 80% of the school's seniors received their high school diploma...
by student Kip Kinkel
Kip Kinkel
Kipland Philip "Kip" Kinkel is an American spree killer. In May 1998, at the age of 15, he murdered his parents and engaged in a school shooting at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon that left two students dead and 22 others wounded...
.
The Oregon Newspaper Publisher's Association's 2010 General Excellence Award again went to The Register-Guard, and so did the association's Best Overall Website award.