Peterson

HERMISTON — Erick Peterson, a Hermiston resident with years of journalism experience, has joined the Hermiston Herald as its new editor and senior reporter.

Peterson, 45, started his new role with EO Media Group on Monday, Aug. 24. In addition to Hermiston, he will cover neighboring communities in both Umatilla and Morrow counties, including Boardman, Stanfield and Umatilla.

“We are excited to have Erick on board,” said Andrew Cutler, publisher of the Hermiston Herald. “He brings a fresh set of eyes to the Herald and we are excited to see what ideas he has moving forward.”

Peterson was born in Southern California and was raised in West Richland, Washington. Growing up reading the Tri-City Herald, Peterson came to love newspapers while delivering them to his community’s doorsteps during his first job. He believes newspapers are integral institutions for keeping the public informed and holding power to account.

“The uglier side of the world needs to be brought to light so it can be repaired,” Peterson said. “And reporters have a very important job in exposing that.”

Peterson graduated from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. But it wasn’t until he went to China that he decided to pursue a career in journalism. For 10 years, he traveled through the country and wrote for magazines and newspapers, covering community news, business and travel stories.

Peterson returned to the United States and found a job as an editor at the Review Independent in Toppenish. After working for the Yakima Valley Publishing newspaper for a few years, he left to obtain a certificate in instrumentation and industrial automation, but quickly decided that career wasn’t for him. Meanwhile, he reported freelance stories for the agricultural newspaper the Capital Press, which, like the Hermiston Herald, is a member of the EO Media Group.

After meeting his wife, Peterson moved to Hermiston four years ago and began working as a cashier at the local Safeway. He left the job shortly after the pandemic started to take care of his family and help his stepson through online school.

Amplifying the voices of people in his community is what inspired Peterson to apply for the position with the Herald. He said he’s thrilled to be joining a paper that has a history of strong local journalism, particularly under the leadership of former editor Jade McDowell.

“The paper’s got a terrific tradition,” he said. “It’s been worked by some fantastic people. Jade is in that tradition. And I want to continue that tradition. I want to contribute to a proud newspaper.”

Peterson is married to Nancy Peterson, a longtime Hermiston resident, disability services employee at Columbia Basin College and Hermiston city councilor. Peterson will not cover city council because of his wife’s role.

“We had long talks during the interview process about the potential conflicts of interest that could come from that,” Cutler said. “It’s important that readers know we take that seriously — whether perceived or real. So Erick will not cover anything to do with the city council.”

Peterson added: “There’s going to be a lot of questions as to how objective I can be, and I can start off by saying I can’t be trusted to be objective” covering city council, he said. “I love my wife more than anything. I love her more than any job I’ll ever have. I’m excited about the possibilities of this job, but I love my wife way more than I love anything else.”

There are many topics Peterson hopes to bring to the table as the paper’s new editor, including the pandemic, climate change, agriculture and religion. In particular, he looks to report on Hermiston’s diversity, telling stories about the town’s underrepresented and marginalized communities.

“Erick’s experience as a journalist, both in the inland Northwest and overseas, gives him a broad perspective that will serve him well as our editor in Hermiston,” said Kathryn B. Brown, vice president of EO Media Group and publisher of The Other Oregon.

Peterson emphasized he wants to get to know communities in and around Hermiston. He hopes people will reach out with story ideas or just to introduce themselves.