Author Archive

Phil Busse

Phil Busse

Phil Busse has spent the past 20 years as a journalist, attorney and educator—and doing his tour of duty with alt-weeklies.

He has served as the Editor for the Source, a popular weekly newspaper in Bend, Oregon and was the founding Managing Editor for the Portland Mercury. While in law school, he wrote crime and legal stories for the Eugene Weekly and started his writing career as the first environmental beat reporter for San Francisco Weekly.

In 2006, Phil started the Media Institute for Social Change (MediaMakingChange.org), an educational non-profit. Based in Portland, Oregon, the organization hosts college students each summer to teach them how to produce public interest film and radio documentaries—and, in 2013, helped launch XRAY.FM, a talk and music radio station that won Willamette Week’s readers choice for Best Local Radio Station in 2015.

Phil is truly surprised that he ended up as a newspaperman; as a kid, he believed that he would grow up to be a spy, and has spent a lifetime acquiring the proper skills—he is certified SCUBA diver, knows how to tie a bow tie and can mix (shake) a mean martini.

Phil graduated from Middlebury College in 1992 and earned his law degree from the University of Oregon in 1997.

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Rogue Valley Messenger: This Memorial Day, Ashland World Music Festival returns. How exciting! A lot has changed in the world since the last festival—pandemic, fires, war and refugees in Europe, increased recognition of equity. So much. What has changed about the programming or focus of the festival?  Ana Byers: A

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A year or so ago, Randy Sparacino retired after nearly 30 years with the Medford Police Department, including serving as its chief. This year, Sparacino walked into his new office in Medford—as the newly elected mayor. During his first weeks in office, the Messenger had a few questions for Medford’s

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A more shortcoming for A.I. is its “intelligence” is a derivative of its creator. Meaning: By and large, programmers are white men. As such – and as M.I.T. researcher Joy Buolamwini finds out, facial recognition software tends not to fare so well with women or with persons of color. It

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Ashland Independent Film Festivalcontinues their determination to provide programming at a time when gathering for movies is such a forbidden fruit. Their December programming includes a “screening” of “Love Sara,” available from December 11 – 17, and including a (Zoom) Q&A with the director. “Love Sara” is a pleasant British

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For the past four years, the Rogue Valley Messenger has hosted the largest in-person Giving Tuesday event in southern Oregon, an opportunity to mix-and-mingle with local nonprofits. The irony! In a year that organizations and individuals most need support, we are not able to gather. In the weeks leading up to

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For the past four years, the Rogue Valley Messenger has hosted the largest in-person Giving Tuesday event in southern Oregon, an opportunity to mix-and-mingle with local nonprofits. The irony! In a year that organizations and individuals most need support, we are not able to gather. In the weeks leading up to

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For the past four years, the Rogue Valley Messenger has hosted the largest in-person Giving Tuesday event in southern Oregon, an opportunity to mix-and-mingle with local nonprofits. The irony! In a year that organizations and individuals most need support, we are not able to gather. In the weeks leading up

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For the past four years, the Rogue Valley Messengerhas hosted the largest in-person Giving Tuesday event in southern Oregon, an opportunity to mix-and-mingle with local nonprofits. The irony! In a year that organizations and individuals most need support, we are not able to gather. In the weeks leading up to

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There may be no better year than this one to virtually travel: Ashland Independent Film Festival is hosting their Varsity World Film Week(s), a collection of films snagged from around the globe – a thriller from Iran, a animation festival from the Netherlands, a noir film from England. Starting on

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There may be no better year than this one to virtually travel: Ashland Independent Film Festival is hosting their (31st) Varsity World Film Weeks, a collection of films snagged from around the globe – a thriller from Iran, a animation festival from the Netherlands, a noir film from England. Starting