Cutler

Albert Einstein once said that the world as we have created it is a process of our thinking and that it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.

Changing the way we think and do business has been key topics for the East Oregonian and EO Media Group in 2020 as we navigate a COVID-19 world.

The latest change is in the very product that you hold in your hands right now. Today’s edition of the East Oregonian is the final version that will be printed in-house here in Pendleton. Starting with the Thursday, Nov. 5, issue, the printing of the EO, along with the Hermiston Herald, La Grande Observer, Baker City Herald and Wallowa County Chieftain, will temporarily be moved to the Seattle Times Company-owned Yakima Herald-Republic.

Our move to Yakima will be short-lived, however. The Tensor/Goss press that the East Oregonian installed in 2013 will be moved to a new home at the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, where it will serve as the press for a printing hub that will operate in a larger geographic region. The East Oregonian and its sister publications will then all be printed out of that facility.

It was a tough decision to move the printing to another facility, but, honestly, not making these tough decisions is what leads to news deserts popping up at an alarming rate around the country. That was something that we weren’t going to allow to happen.

As we move forward, our bedrock values that focus on the reader will not change with this move. The press — an icon in the newspaper industry — doesn’t represent the soul of any paper. It is an important piece, surely, as it is used to print the newspaper. What is more valuable, and what I think will linger, is the dedication and determination of our entire staff to bring you credible, relevant stories about our community and quality advertising that helps local businesses.

That, I can assure you will never change.

For the reader, printing in Yakima and Walla Walla should not bring any noticeable changes. The paper will still be printed and still arrive to our subscribers through same-day mail delivery. It just will not be printed in Pendleton. Our dedication to covering local news and having a product that local advertisers find value in will not be affected. Our commitment to producing a quality product will not be diminished.

As a longtime veteran of this business, I can easily admit that 2020 — a year of flooding locally, a worldwide pandemic, divisive election rhetoric and riots/protests — has been the most challenging of my career. As the virus continues to seep into the enclaves of our nation, the impact economically continues to mount. We believe we have a solid path going forward, a path where we will be able to weather any future economic challenges produced by the pandemic, but it will not be easy, and it does not come without cost.

The decision was made even more difficult because the loss of the press will mean a certain number of jobs will be gone as well. Pressmen and employees of our mail room will be laid off.

The layoffs are, of course, not a reflection on the work these employees completed for the East Oregonian on a daily basis. Their dedication was consistent, their goals to help the paper always at the forefront. The truth is, though, that the COVID-19 epidemic has created a business paradigm in our industry that is one of the most difficult ever experienced since the first drop of ink was laid down on a section of newspaper.

There was no joy in making this decision, but the truth of the matter is that the difficult decision will go a long way toward ensuring the East Oregonian‘s parent company — EO Media Group — withstands the challenging times we are now faced with, and continues to deliver daily local news to you online as we grow toward more digital content in our future.