The breadth of knowledge and the connections that exist among the nationwide membership are among the things that newly elected President Heidi Wright loves about America's Newspapers. Even during the COVID pandemic when in-person meetings were not possible, she appreciated that America's Newspapers provided opportunities for its members to stay connected — through the numerous online training opportunities that were available.
Wright, who was elected president of America's Newspapers on Monday at the Senior Leadership Conference, is COO of EO Media Group and publisher of The Bulletin in Bend, Oregon.
She began her career with newspapers in 1996 as controller of the Montana Standard in Butte, a Lee Enterprises paper, and became publisher there in 2000. Prior to joining the paper, she worked in Butte with the power company on the non-utility side of the business for a number of years. Through connections she made while serving on various community boards, the publisher of the Montana Standard encouraged her to apply for the position at the paper when his controller decided to retire.
In 2004, David Lord hired her to be president and publisher of Klamath Publishing in Klamath Falls, Oregon, where she stayed for 10 years.
She went to work for Western Communications as CFO in Bend, Oregon, in 2014 and was hired as COO in 2017 by the Forrester/Brown family, which owns EO Media Group. In this role, she oversees their community newspapers in Oregon and Washington, as well as the Capital Press, a regional agriculture publication. She took on the additional role of publisher of The Bulletin in Bend following an acquisition of four Western Communications properties in 2019.
She says the Forrester/Brown family is a "fantastic" family to work for. "I'm the luckiest person in the industry."
Wright did her undergraduate study at Montana Tech in Butte, earning a degree in Business Administration. She received her MBA from the University of Montana.
She is married to Richard Schuurman, who she met in Klamath Falls, and they will celebrate 17 years of marriage next month. She has a son, David Wright, and is a "proud grandma" to William Wright, who is 1 1/2 years old.
Her newspaper industry connections are deep. She served on the Inland Press Association board during the period when Inland merged with the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association, forming America's Newspapers. She also is a past president of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association and a member of the Independent Newspaper Group, including service on the ING Executive Committee. She also serves on the board of PAGE Cooperative, one of America's Newspapers Solutions Partners.
She was honored this year with two major recognitions by Editor & Publisher Magazine. Just last month, she was listed among E&P's "20 over 50" who were honored for their strong work ethic, transformational mindsets, commitment to journalistic and publishing excellence and ability to lead during challenging times.
When E&P asked her what brings the greatest sense of accomplishment in terms of her career, she said: "It’s not an accomplishment but a realization that many community members care deeply about our industry’s survival and stand ready to help if asked. We saw that when the former owners of The Bulletin went into bankruptcy, and several community leaders saw EO Media as the right company to 'ride the horse out of the swamp,' as one investor (the late Bill Smith) put it. In 2019, these investors stepped up with financial support to back our bid in the bankruptcy court. Four years later, we have repaid the loans and have delivered on our commitment to provide the locally-produced content they entrusted us to keep alive."
"We also experienced the community's passion and support in Medford, Oregon, when the Pulitzer Prize-winning Mail Tribune suddenly shut down earlier this year. Thanks to our owners seeing an opportunity and the company's ability to pivot quickly, we were able to start up the Rogue Valley Times within a month, attracting top talent and a significant subscriber base out of the gates."
And in March, EO Media Group was part of E&P's 2023 class of "10 News Publishers That Do It Right." In recognizing EO Media Group, E&P noted that: "This company of 180 full-time employees and more than 60 freelancers has recently grown with the Rogue Valley Times (RVT), started in Medford, Oregon, when the Mail Tribune shut down with a two-day notice. With the help of media partner BLOX Digital, EO Media launched the new publication's website in less than three weeks and launched a three-times-per-week print product. The initial staff of 16 at the RVT is expected to grow to 32 when fully staffed."
In an interview with America's Newspapers, Wright said the experience with the Mail Tribune shutting down has made her even more aware of how much communities lose when those archives disappear. "I think we need to have a significant conversation about how we ensure that the archives of newspapers are not lost," she said. Perhaps, she suggested, there is a way to get those archives into the public domain when publishers of newspapers of record decide to retire and simply close the paper.
She said that other goals for America's Newspapers are "to ensure that our members have an effective advocacy playbook to help get federal and state legislation passed and provide practical 'how-to' assistance with outreach to legislators." She also wants to continue the great work that America's Newspapers has become known for with its signature conferences — the Mega-Conference, Family and Independent Owners Conference and the Senior Leadership Conference.
Helping to drive Federal legislation in support of newspapers also is at the top of her agenda, along with the continuation of online training sessions that provide members with the opportunity to learn and network with peers. Market research also is an essential benefit to members, she said.
In the America's Newspapers spirit of sharing good ideas, here's a fun idea Astorian publisher Kari Borgen got from reading an article about fellow member Judy Terzotis, president and publisher of
The Times-Picayune | Advocate. In July, The Astorian, a tri-weekly paper published in Astoria, Oregon, by EO Media Group, celebrated its 150th anniversary of publication. In honor of the anniversary, Fort George Brewery released a new beer called Letter to the Editor.
Letter to the Editor was a Special Edition Extra! Extra! Pale Ale in 16-oz. four-packs.
The can label features an actual letter to the editor, published in 1886. View a flyer about Letter to the Editor Pale Ale
Wright also talked about the need to balance work and life challenges to ensure that you don't have a "one-dimensional" life. She said she feels blessed to be living in Central Oregon, which has so many outdoor opportunities, like hiking, camping in the mountains and backpacking. She spent time recently on the Oregon coast and said she finds long beach walks to be some of the best opportunities for soul regeneration. She also is looking forward to the opportunity to get back in the water — preferably warmer water — to go scuba diving again.
Within EO Media Group, Wright said she has spent considerable time looking at philanthropy models and also sustainable business practices. In her testimony to the Oregon State Legislation, she noted that the company is a fourth-generation family business. She said it's her job to ensure that the company one day becomes a fifth-generation enterprise.
That desire to advocate for the industry as a whole will bode well for all members of America's Newspapers over the coming year.
