A Daily Newspaper Without an Opinion Section is for
Wrapping Fish

A Daily Newspaper Without an Opinion Section is for Wrapping Fish*

by Thomas Coffin

I am befuddled by the decision of the Register Guard—a daily newspaper serving about 400,000 residents in the Eugene/Springfield metropolitan area—to scrap the Opinion Section of its paper. When the Gannett mega media conglomerate gobbled up the RG, was ownership surprised that folks out here were interested in more than sports and the weather and had a wee bit of curiosity about politics, government, or the latest book burning party in Florida ordered by its governor dipping his toe in the presidential waters? What is a newspaper without an editorial page? At the very least, can’t Gannett tap someone at USA Today with something worth sharing with us hicks out on the left coast? 

Wait a minute—aren’t we approaching an election year looming large in ‘24? Is there no interest in our community about that little blip on the radar screen?  Who cares if the Donald gets another crack at shredding the Constitution? Nobody apparently has an opinion worth wasting the space or the expense of staff to write an editorial or review opinion pieces or letters to the editor.

I have an idea. I suggest requesting the University of Oregon Journalism Department to solicit its interest in publishing an opinion section on behalf of the community. I know the Eugene Weekly is trying to fill the gap, but it can only do so much, and there is always a need for more. There is plenty of talent out there who can contribute. I know some myself with excellent credentials as journalists and even one who covered Supreme Court hearings and decisions for a national magazine. And how about reaching out to local icon Phil Knight to see if he would be interested in helping with such a cause if the UO thought it worthwhile?

Just thinking out loud. But really, a newspaper with no opinions to share? Mark Twain would find that boring because he would have no duels to schedule.

*In the interest of full disclosure, for most of my existence I experienced the luxury of competing newspapers. In St Louis, there were the Post-Dispatch and the Globe Democrat; Boston had the Globe and Herald; San Diego the Union and Tribune. The editorial pages were alive and full blooded. The somnolence of the Gannett RG is totally bland and a surrender of its duty to the mission of journalism.  

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Thomas Coffin was the keynote speaker at the Blackberry Pie Society’s Political Party in February, 2020 and at Politics and Pie in October, 2022.  He is a retired federal magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon and a former professor at the UO Law School. Thomas retired in 2016 after 24 years on the bench, prior to which he had a career as a federal prosecutor spanning 21 years. He is married with 7 children.  The Blackberry Pie Society is pleased to include a collection of his essays on our website.  We will post them as they become available.

posted 3.16.2023