Program date: March 28, 2025
Air date: March 31, 2025
From the City Club of Eugene:
Contemporary newspaper readers are apt to complain about how much of today’s news seems unfit to print. They claim that reporting now just deepens political divides. They wonder aloud what happened to the idea that journalists should give unbiased reports of events. They wish that newspapers at the very least should keep readers up to speed on the local happenings. Many former newsreaders have given up entirely, despairing over the possibility of getting balanced reporting useful in civic decision-making.
In this program, writer and historian Bill Sullivan describes what really did happen in the not-so-good old days of Oregon journalism. He will tell stories of the kind usually associated with the wilder West, not with small-town newsrooms. He will explain why he believes that “Oregon journalism has certainly changed, but… was more divisive in the past, and… may have overcome bigger challenges than those we now face. The one thing that never seems to change is people’s need for news.”
Speaker:
Bill Sullivan is the author of 24 books, many about Oregon’s hiking trails and natural wonders. In 1985, he hiked from Cape Blanco to Hell’s Canyon, describing his solo adventure in Listening to Coyote. It was named by the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission in 2005 as one of the 100 most significant books in Oregon’s history. He went on to hike every public trail in the state and published a five-book 100-hikes series, which he updates every year or two. His other works include one series of mysteries and a second about Viking history. He also published a book of short stories set in Oregon. He continues to publish columns about Oregon trails and outdoor adventure ideas in Eugene Weekly. His late father, J. Wesley Sullivan, was the editor of the (Salem) Statesman-Journal, which might explain some of Bill’s fascination with Oregon journalism.
About the City Club of Eugene:
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all, and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR 97440, and its website is cityclubofeugene.org.
Video and Broadcast
This program will be live streamed, and the videotape will be made available on the City Club of Eugene’s Facebook page and You Tube Channel, in addition to our website. It will be broadcast on Monday, March 31 at 7:00 p.m., on KLCC 89.7 FM.
Contact: For more information, visit CityClubOfEugene.org.