PORTLAND, Ore. — For nearly 50 years, The Skanner has been a pioneering newspaper for the Black community and underserved communities in the Pacific Northwest. But behind the award-winning paper is a husband-and-wife team leading the newsroom.
Bernie and Bobbie Foster started the Portland-based weekly newspaper in 1975, with the goal of producing high-quality professional journalism.
Bernie gained much of his skills from the journalism program at the University of Western Washington, and Bobbie took liberal arts courses at the University of Washington and Western Washington University. They used their skills and position as journalists to make great change in the community.
In the 1980s, the duo played a pivotal role during the struggle to rename Union Avenue into Martin Luther King Boulevard. There was a large pushback from the public, according to Bernie.
“I never did get any verbal threats other than to come in and find two or three windows broke,” Bernie said during an interview with the Oregon Historical Society. “And some of the things [the opposition] were talking about [were] absurd: ‘Well, you going to cost us money to change the stationery.’”
Though it ended up being a multi-year process, Bernie and Bobbie received support by sticking petitions inside every paper. They gained 6,000 signatures, as well as support from the then City Commissioner Earl Blumenauer and Mayor Bud Clark. The change eventually took effect.
Throughout making changes in the community, Bobbie and Bernie didn’t always see eye-to-eye on editorial decisions.
Despite Bonnie’s opposition, Bernie published an editorial telling readers not to call the police when a family member is dealing with a mental health crisis. It was part of a big push for police reform in Portland.
However, a series of deadly encounters with the police continued. That’s when the federal government forced the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) to change its policies.
The Skanner’s growing team is also known for giving back to the community, with turkey giveaways during the holidays and hosting an annual MLK breakfast. They raise money to provide scholarships for students in Portland.
In recent years, the newspaper has faced the same economic challenges as others. In 2020, the outlet discontinued their hard-copy papers and turned into an all-digital platform.
After the pandemic, many staff members kept working from home, which led to the Fosters selling their iconic building on North Killingsworth Street in 2023.
Despite the changes, The Skanner is still going strong with a long-lasting motto: “challenging people to shape a better future now.”