For 1910 the Oregon figures had advanced to 248—of which 28 were dailies, 11 semi-weeklies, 184 weeklies, 1 semi-monthly, and 24 monthlies (9).
The second newspaper directory for Oregon (issued by the University of Oregon School of Journalism and published in Oregon Exchanges in February 1924) listed 253 publications issued in Oregon, excluding school, college, and university periodicals and house organs for other institutions. Of those listed, 31 were dailies, including 7 in Portland; 180 weeklies; 7 semi-weeklies; 2 twice-a-month; 30 monthlies, and 3 quarterlies. Addition of school publications would bring the number far past 300.
The last directory prepared in the School of Journalism and published in the Oregon Publisher, organ of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association (February 1937) listed 268 publications, as compared with 278 for the year 1930, before the depression had done its worst with Oregon papers. In dailies, weeklies, and semi-weeklies, however, the falling off is negligible; 1936 (1937 directory) had 28 dailies as against 29 in 1930, 175 weeklies as against 176, and 5 semi-weeklies, the same number.
Let's see how newspapers have kept pace, in numbers, with increase in population:
| 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 174,000 | 317,000 | 413,000 | 672,000 | 783,000 | 953,000 |
| No. of Papers. | 74 | 142 | 218 | 248 | 253 | 278 |
This indicates the heaviest increase in number of papers relative to population in the decade between 1880 and 1890—a decade of opening up the country, establishing towns and cities, a decade of land and timber notices. From then on the decline in rate of increase is steady. Circulations, however, are a different story, and the record, frequently cited, indicates, as time goes on, fewer and larger papers, with circulations heavily increased, over widely extended areas. The present decade shows an actual decline in number of publications but a considerable advance in circulation of those remaining.
