Anita Holmes Johnson, a visionary, lifelong journalist, co-owner of the Eugene Weekly and a former Daily Emerald editor-in-chief in 1951, died last month on Dec. 15, 2024. She was 95.
Johnson graduated from the University of Oregon in 1953. During her time at UO, she held the Emerald’s highest position as its editor-in-chief, and within this role she challenged injustices across campus through her frequent editorials.
She most notably reported on a group of men who burned a cross in front of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority because Deb Mohr, a sorority member, was dating DeNorval Unthank Jr., a Black man.
Her editorial on the matter, “The Code of Prejudice at Oregon,” received adverse reactions from UO admin. This didn’t stop her reporting or her editorials that would follow.
“No longer is there a place for those of us who are prone to overlook such discrimination although we believe it is wrong” Johnson wrote in her editorial published on May 17, 1951. “Principles today need more than lip service.”
Immediately following her time at the Emerald, Johnson reported for the Washington Post, with an assignment to cover engagements, weddings and more on the “women’s desk.” She and her husband, Art Johnson, later returned to Eugene.
Years later, Johnson co-founded the Eugene Weekly in 1991 with journalist and University of Oregon alumnus Fred Taylor. According to the Weekly, Johnson’s commitment to investigative and watchdog journalism never faltered.
In 2021, well into her 90s, Johnson was named one of the 15 most influential journalists in the United States over 50 years old by Editor & Publisher magazine.
“Ask the second question, which is probably the question your subject does not want to answer, so go after it,” Johnson said in her interview with Editor & Publisher. “Do not talk down to your readers. They will recognize it immediately and will be offended. Be passionate about your work and have some fun doing it.”
