Many resident of the state of Oregon, certainly its journalism community, were shocked earlier this month to learn that the Medford Mail Tribune was suddenly closing. However, the aftershocks had hardly settled before it was announced that EO Media Group — the Oregon media company that owns and operates the Bulletin, among several other papers across the state — plans to start a new publication based in Medford immediately.

We applaud EO Media for its drive and commitment to Oregon community journalism, and if there is a company that can immediately dive in and resuscitate the business of Southern Oregon journalism, it may indeed be EO Media. We have proof here in Central Oregon. The company took over the Bulletin a few years ago out of bankruptcy, not long before COVID and all its gifts to the economy. But EO Media Group reinvigorated the Bulletin, and in fact won the best daily newspaper in Oregon award at the most recent Oregon Newspaper Publisher’s Association event.