Southern Oregon losing its biggest newspaper
Medford Mail Tribune to shutter its operations on Friday—Commentary
Newspapers across the nation have been shutting down at a rapid pace over the last decade. And here in Oregon, a regional juggernaut is calling it quits as of Friday.
Publisher and CEO Steven Saslow announced the closure this week of the Medford Mail Tribune on the newspaper’s website. The print edition of the paper was halted in September. Those current digital readers in Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley and elsewhere will receive a refund for any unused weeks or months on their subscription. The MT’s newspaper name goes all the way back to 1907.
The Mail Tribune closure comes about two years after the neighboring Ashland Daily Tidings closed in 2021. The DT was the sister paper of the Mail Tribune.
The Friday shutdown will leave a huge journalistic void in Southwestern Oregon. Officials with the nearby Grants Pass Courier have indicated they would try to hire Mail Tribune writers and look to extend their coverage to include Jackson County.
The newspaper’s sports department is among the best in Oregon, covering prep teams all around the greater Medford area as well as Southern Oregon State athletics among other events. Most stories were complete reports, many with a statistical summary of the contests. Also scattered across the sports page have been vivid, full-color action photos connected to the stories—not just a collection of pictures from a single event.
The Mail Tribune sports writing is also first rate. Sports Editor Kris Henry and his crew have consistently put out detailed, readable stories, with nary a typo during the week.
Henry won a coveted Media Award from the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association last spring for his “many years of service and… positive contributions to high school sports. My dad, Jerry, and I won the same honor in 2001 for our years of radio and television broadcasts of prep football and basketball. If the Courier can afford him, Henry would add extra credibility to the Grants Pass paper.
Henry was not available for comment prior to my deadline, but that seems understandable with the pending closure of the Mail Tribune. Chances are good he will say his proper goodbyes like most of the other staffers in the Friday edition.
I worry about how the sports-proud Rogue Valley will get its share of visual memories with the loss of the Mail Tribune. Things have changed a bit since I played prep sports, but there is still a thrill to seeing one’s name and image in “print” so to speak.
Also, a confession from me: the Mail Tribune was invaluable in keeping track of Special District One football with the teams from Southern Oregon and the Salem-Keizer Schools. I am also worried about getting complete reports from a few games each week. The MT’s prep coverage can not possibly be reliably replaced by other news sources in the area. This will have a negative impact on my own coverage.
Salem already has limitations on sports coverage due to continual cuts in staffing at the Statesman Journal. Currently operated by writers Pete Martini and Edith Noriega, SJ Sports is limited by the small numbers of reporters on hand. There have been some very good stories from both contributors. Just wish Gannett Newspapers (yes, that Gannett) would stop the economic bleeding to encourage improved sports coverage. Not expecting any miraculous turnaround in that department.
In a way of transition from the previous subject, I wanted to inform my readers that I am actively pondering the addition of a paid subscription option for Gilman on Sports.
Two things here: 1) paid subscribers would periodically receive a story or feature just for them; 2) I am still trying to decide how to make this work. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind making a modest amount of cash for my efforts. I would also like to provide some sort of financial reward for folks who are currently volunteers. Too many particulars to work out.
A reminder that you, the readers, are very important to yours truly. It has been heartening to hear from so many of you. Many will either like the stories or drop a quick note. I have also been approached by a handful of you in person at game sites, giving me words of encouragement and sharing how much you all look forward to reading my latest sports musings.
More stories are in the hopper, but basketball broadcasts and my duties with a non-profit organization are absorbing all my free time between retiree naps. Thanks in advance for your patience.
So sad on losing Medford newspaper with an excellent prep sports reporting over many years. You should charge Mark, good products are usually not free!