THE Eugene Register-Guard IS A SLEAZY CHEAPSHOT RAG …
Come reminisce about the good old days and share some tall tales at the former Register-Guard news staff’s June 29 reunion
There’s nothing unusual about a newspaper being sued by its readers but over the 90-plus years the Baker family owned The Register-Guard its editors and publishers spent amazingly little time sitting at the defense table in Lane County Circuit Court, a testament, perhaps, to the newspaper’s pursuit of accuracy in reporting on the daily life in its community.
There were, however, two high-profile disputes that caught the public’s attention — one 40 years ago involving famed Pleasant Hill author Ken Kesey and another more than 60 years ago that helped bring down a controversial Lane County judge.
In April 1983 the newspaper published a story about a pretrial hearing on a case involving drug possession and attempted murder charges. The headline on the story read, “Cocaine trial raises names: Rust, Kesey, Safley.” “Rust” was Lane County Commissioner Jerry Rust and Mike Safley was a real estate broker. The headline was changed in the second edition to “Cocaine case raises names.”
Kesey filed a $4-million defamation suit and picketed outside the newspaper building, which was then on High Street, carrying a sign that said “THE Eugene Register-Guard IS A SLEAZY CHEAPSHOT RAG AND I’M SUING ‘EM FOR $4,000,000!” He told a reporter, “Just because you’re famous shouldn’t give the paper the right to publish falsehoods about you.”
Google News Archive links to Register-Guard coverage of Kesey’s defamation suit
In December 1984, Judge Maurice Merten granted a motion by the newspaper asking for a summary judgment dismissing the suit. The newspaper’s lawyer argued successfully that the original headline was true and not defamatory, but even if it hadn’t been true Kesey was a public figure who couldn’t be defamed unless it was proven the editors had acted with malice knowing that the headline was false.
The earlier case was thornier and more protracted and started in the mid-1950s as a dispute between Lane County Circuit Court Judge Frank Reid and county District Attorney Eugene Venn. In ended in 1959 when, after a 14-day trial, a jury ordered the newspaper to pay the judge $5,000 in damages.
Reid had sued the newspaper for libel for a series of articles and editorials it had published during a controversy between Reid and Venn over “the administration of justice” in Lane County. Reid originally sought $600,00 but later narrowed his complaint and in the end asked for $100,000 in general damages and $100,000 in punitive damages.
He sought re-election to his judge’s position in 1960 but was defeated and left town.
Enjoyed that bit of history? More like it will be on display Saturday, June 29, when a group of former Register-Guard news employees sponsors a celebration of the newspaper’s accomplishments under Baker family ownership during what we’re calling its “Golden Era.”
We’re looking forward to seeing former news staffers and invited guests!
— Lloyd Paseman
More about the “Golden Era” reunion …
The members of The Register-Guard Reunion Steering Committee are Ann Baker Mack, Donovan Mack, Paul Neville, Lloyd Paseman, Dean Rea, Mike Thoele and Sandy Thoele.
They can be reached at the email address [email protected].