Part of the morning crowd at the Lucky Cup coffee shop in Vale, Oregon. (Tom Goldman/NPR)

The Malheur Enterprise was founded in 1909, and, like many other newspapers, was languishing. But in the past few years, its circulation has surged and it has won several national awards. Perhaps surprisingly, the weekly paper’s turnaround and increased popularity happened in a part of the state that strongly supports President Trump, who continues to lash out at the media.

The newspaper’s recent success has meant an increased workload for the woman who delivers the papers. Wednesdays are delivery day for the Enterprise, which means 74-year-old Sheila Schroder is on the job.

So begins a story that got national play Monday on NPR’s Morning Edition and was replayed on Oregon Public Broadcasting. The story traces the evolution of a small weekly newspaper into a successful local news source.

Story here (audio is upper left blue arrow)

We’re sharing the story because the values and ethics that make the Enterprise a vital part of Malheur County are the same that guide the work of the news team at Salem Reporter.

Salem Reporter