Washington journalist comes to Oregon

The bumper sticker message “Keep Portland Weird” has allured Washington state journalist Jordy Byrd for years.

So the Newport, Wash., native packed her belongings — three cats, polyester blouses and vinyl records — and moved to Oregon to become the newest reporter at the West Linn Tidings and the Lake Oswego Review. For the Tidings, Byrd will write features and cover the West Linn-Wilsonville School District; for the Review, she will be in charge of the B section and write features.

“I’m excited to be a stranger in a foreign land,” Byrd said. “I hope to bring my passion for narrative journalism, community newspapers and accurate storytelling to the (newspapers).”

Byrd graduated in 2008 from Washington State University where she began studying animal science and veterinary medicine. But Byrd got weak in the knees in the operating room, and she cried when cats were put to sleep, so she delved deeper into her second love — journalism. Byrd went on to study journalism and women’s studies.

“We are thrilled to have Jordy join (our) staff,” West Linn Editor Lori Hall said. “She comes to the city with a wide variety of experiences and a new perspective that will surely find unique angles of life in West Linn.”

Managing Editor Martin Forbes echoed Hall’s comments.

“We look for Jordy to bring a fresh approach to our news coverage. We are very excited about her joining our collective (Tidings and Lake Oswego Review) newsroom.”Before joining the Tidings, she worked for magazines and altweekly newspapers in Spokane, Wash., where she wrote about everything from environmentalism, to music, to fine art, to butchers and drag queens.

When not stuck inside a cubicle or in front of a computer screen, Byrd enjoys playing rugby, hiking and drinking cheap beer.