News-Review Memories, Then And Now

JOURNALISM IN THE OAKLAND SCHOOL DISTRICT

     One of the big disappointments for me at Oakland High School was that journalism was never offered as an elective during the four years that I attended. Apparently there were not enough aspiring writers to sign up for the course to justify it being offered as an elective. "Publications" was an elective class, responsible for publishing the high school newspaper, the "Oakleaf," and the high school yearbook, the "Acorn." But I don't recall any specialized journalism writing skills being taught in Publications.
     Ironically, journalism was offered as an elective at Lincoln Middle School during my seventh-grade year. Counselor Joyce Jensen taught the class, which spent most of our time (attempting to) publish the school newspaper. Prior to journalism being offered as an elective, each of the junior high homeroom classes were charged with producing one issue of the school newspaper. I remember during my sixth-grade year, one of the classrooms opted not to produce a newspaper. Thus, there were only five issues, instead of six (one for each homeroom class) published during that particular school year.

A TRIP TO THE NEWS-REVIEW

     But I digress. One of the highlights of Mrs. Jensen's journalism class was a field trip one afternoon to the Roseburg News-Review. During the class' tour of the newsroom, we stopped at the desk of reporter Marjorie Nason for a brief chat. Nason was an older (middle-aged) woman, which was typical of the reporting staff of that era. Not like today's stereotypical young college graduate who spends a few years at the Roseburg paper, before moving on to bigger pastures and perpetuating the constant turnover of the newsroom staff.
     Mrs. Jensen's class also stopped by the desk of John Green, who held the title of either managing editor or city editor. (My semi-photographic memory can't remember which.) Back in the 1970s, Publisher Phil Neiswanger held the job title of "publisher and editor," while there was also a "managing editor" and a "city editor." I think there may have been other specialized page editors as well.
     What made my visit to the News-Review even more memorable was what occurred after the field trip. I had such a passion for writing that I decided to write an article about the class' field trip for our school newspaper, just in case "there was room for it." Unknown to me at the time, Mrs. Jensen had already asked an eighth-grade journalism class student to write an article about the field trip.
    Guess whose article Mrs. Jensen printed in the school newspaper? I felt like such a cad! It was never my intention to do an end-run around another student. But Mrs. Jensen printed my article because, as she later told my older sister, I was going to become a great writer. It was because I had an attention for detail. I'm not sure exactly what Mrs. Jensen meant by that remark, but I presume it was because I had a tendency to "name names": I mentioned John Green and Marjorie Nason in my article, instead of simply saying that the class visited newsroom employees.
     Somewhere along the way....I think it was when Phil Neiswanger retired and Ron Stewart took his place....the News-Review publisher dropped "editor" from his job title. Those job duties were transferred to the "managing editor" who simply became the "editor." The "city editor" job title remained the same.
     I've never worked for a daily newspaper, so I'm not sure exactly what job duties distinguish one editor's position from another. But I believe the editor, or managing editor, sets policy and oversees the newspaper's overall editorial direction. They're the person who screens the letters to the editor on the opinion page.
     The city editor handles the day-to-day operations of deciding what goes into the newspaper: which stories to pursue, proofreading reporters' copy, and managing the reporters and photographers schedules throughout the day.
     Of course, I may be wrong. I'm not sure if the job duties listed above are based in reality, or simply my recollection of the job duties demonstrated in the CBS television series "Lou Grant."

A CHANGING OF THE GUARD. END OF AN ERA AT THE NEWS-REVIEW

     I was saddened this past week to read that News-Review Editor (since 2007) Vicki Menard was ending a 30-year career at the News-Review. She worked at the Orange Julius during the Roseburg Valley Mall's first day of business. But after completing her schooling, Menard went to work at the Roseburg newspaper, and to the best of my knowledge that had been her only job.
     What made Menard's departure even more disappointing was the anti-climactic nature of her departure. No article mentioning her accomplishments during her lengthy career at the News-Review. Just a reference on the opinion page, mentioning that she was ready for her next "adventure" in life, now that her daughters had finished school.
     However, a telltale sign appeared in today's (February 17) News-Review. Publisher Jeff Ackerman is now listed as "publisher and editor," not just "publisher." A new city editor, whom ironically, Menard had just hired in recent weeks, is also listed in the employment box. The city editor had previously not been listed in the employment box. Noticeably absent is the position of "managing editor."
     Put simply, there are now two senior editors at the Roseburg News-Review, not three. One of the positions, Menard's, has been eliminated. Without any further explanation (i.e., lack of information) mentioned in the newspaper, the News-Review has apparently downsized its newsroom staff again.

GET RID OF THE EXPERIENCED EMPLOYEES. KEEP THE NEWLY-HIRED

     What seems tragic to me is that the new staff (i.e., the city editor) have recently been hired, while long-term loyal employees (i.e., the editor/managing editor) have been eliminated. In recent years, the News-Review has lost most of its long-term newsroom staff. Reporter John Sowell, who had been a fixture since the early 1990s, the last decades-old reporter, left two years ago to take a job in Boise, Idaho.
     Now that Menard is gone, the sports editor and the features editor are the only newsroom staff who have any long-term status with the News-Review. Employees with history at the newspaper are invaluable. Who else will remember that the movie "Fire In The Sky" was filmed in Douglas County, so that when actor James Garner passes away, someone in the newsroom will remember that Garner had a local connection to the Umpqua Valley?
     Menard's departure from the News-Review is sadly reminiscent of when long-time KPIC News Director Dan Bain was axed from the television newsroom several years ago. Instead of keeping the long-term employee and eliminating the recent hires, KPIC-TV/Fisher Broadcasting eliminated their most loyal employees. The News-Review has apparently done the same thing by eliminating Menard instead of some of the more recent hires.
     Under Publisher Jeff Ackerman's short tenure at the News-Review, the newspaper has implemented: advertising on the front page; advertising in the comics section; "themed" newspapers that focus on cooking, health, and sports instead of printing the more traditional local and national hard news of the day; and created a publisher's column that promotes Ackerman's crusade for garbage dumping fees in Douglas County, among other things.
     Just when I thought the integrity of the News-Review couldn't go downhill any further, the newspaper eliminates one of its last long-term newsroom employees. I sure had more of a "warm and fuzzy" feeling for the News-Review during Mrs. Jensen's field trip, than I have these days for the newspaper.

DISCLAIMER

     In the event that I am wrong, and the News-Review hires someone else to replace Menard's editor position, let me state for the record: If the newspaper had been more forthcoming and explained the transition, and had given more of an in-depth tribute to Menard's 30-year career at the News-Review, then my error would have been avoided. I expect a newspaper, of all businesses, to be forthright with the public and not be coy with sudden changes in its management structure.