The people behind The Oxford EAGLE —
and why we do what we do
News Editor Jonathan Scott has been with The EAGLE since 2002. A native of Memphis, he graduated from the University of Mississippi. His previous posts included general-assignment reporting at The Mississippi Press in Pascagoula; investigative reporting and copy editing for Tab Newspapers in Boston; political reporting for the Memphis Business Journal; and overseeing three trade magazines as vice president of publishing for Oxford Publishing. He has also served as an adjunct professor for the UM School of Journalism. He and his wife, Martha Morgan Scott, have three children, Jon, Lucie and Emma.
Jon’s reason: “I find this work as much fun as it is challenging. The fun part is being able to interact with so many different people in the community, from all walks of life. The challenging part is that no two days are alike. Every day is different.”
Assistant News Editor Jeff Eubanks has been with The EAGLE since 2010. A native of Water Valley, he graduated from the University of Mississippi. He began his journalism career as a sports stringer for The Oxford EAGLE while also serving as the paper’s webmaster. Eubanks was an assistant sports copy editor at the Tupelo Daily Journal in 2010 before returning to The EAGLE in his current position. Jeff and his wife, Holly, were married in 2011.
Jeff’s reason: “I enjoy what I do every day. It seems to offer something different.”
Photographer Bruce Newman has served The EAGLE’s sports and editorial departments since 1986. Originally from Clarksdale, he is a graduate of the University of Mississippi. His work has been featured in publications around the world, including Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The New York Times. Although he has photographed everything from a presidential debate to Ole Miss beating Florida in The Swamp, his favorite photo subject is his son, Jackson. He is married to Kristin Gilmore Newman and is a member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.
Bruce’s reason: “I like taking pictures, I meet lots of interesting people — and I get in free to almost everything.”
Senior Staff Writer Lucy Schultze, a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, joined The EAGLE in 2001 and continues to write part-time. Her current duties include the Thursday Q&A column “A Conversation With…” She has been a board member and volunteer with the United Way of Oxford and Lafayette County. She is married to Robert Schultze and attends College Hill Presbyterian Church.
Lucy’s reason: “I love the craft of writing and the role a job like this allows you to have in a community. I’ve learned so much from people here, and it’s a real honor that they’re willing to share their stories with me.”
Staff Writer Alyssa Schnugg is a mother of three and a native of North Brunswick, N.J. She joined The EAGLE in 2007 from the Charlotte Sun daily newspaper in Port Charlotte, Fla., where she worked for 10 years. Her primary beats at The EAGLE include county government, crime and courts, as well as managing the Friday feature section Oxford Living.
Alyssa’s reason: “Whether it’s writing a story about judicial bribery, a family that lost their loved one to a murder or how the county is spending tax payers’ money, I try to tell the story in terms that people can relate to and I feel a sense of pride when I see someone sitting and enjoying lunch while reading something I have written.”
Staff Writer Melanie Addington has been with The EAGLE since 2008. She previously worked in orientation at the University of Mississippi, from which she holds a master’s degree in higher education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in literary and writing studies from California State University at San Marcos. She was born in Los Angeles, grew up in San Diego and has lived all over the country before settling in Oxford. She has one son, Aidan; her parents, Harry and Lynda Addington, also followed her to Oxford and are now happily retired here. In addition to her work with The EAGLE, she writes about film for Oxford Town and her blog, Oxford Film Freak. She is a longtime volunteer with the Oxford Film Festival, for which she serves as assistant director.
Melanie’s reason: “I wanted to be a journalist ever since taking a class in journalism on a whim during college. The EAGLE offered me an opportunity for a wide range of experiences — from covering City Hall to interviewing a local kindergartener.”
Sports Editor John Davis joined The EAGLE full-time in 1999 as a reporter and assistant sports editor. He has served in his current position since 2006 and leads coverage of Ole Miss men’s football and basketball programs. He has helped select national champions and All-American teams as a member of the Associated Press Top 25 College Football Poll and the Football Writers Association. He is also a regular commentator on the Ole Miss Radio Network program “Tailgating in the Grove.” A native of South Miami and West Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., he was a member of his high-school football and wrestling teams and is a graduate of the University of Mississippi. He is married to Oxford native Paige Elmore Davis and has a daughter, Caroline.
John’s reason: “I like doing something I’m passionate about, and I like that nothing’s ever the same. Sports allows you to have a different outcome every time. Even if you’re covering the same sport, the game never goes the same way.”
Assistant Sports Editor Patrick Ochs joined The EAGLE in 2008 after a brief stint with The Natchez Democrat. Born in St. Louis, he has also lived in Santa Barbara, Calif., Dallas, Lexington, Ky., Hudson, Ohio and Atlanta. He attended college at Ole Miss, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing Communications and was sports editor for The Daily Mississippian. Today he is an Associated Press balloter for women’s basketball and high-school football rankings and is an avid hockey fan. Patrick is married to the former Jaime Weaver of Biloxi; they have one dog, a beagle-bassett hound mix named Georgia which they adopted from the local shelter.
Patrick’s reason: “I jumped at the chance to come back to Oxford, to cover the high schools here as well as a big-time Division 1 SEC school. That’s something a lot of people want to do but they may not have the opportunity.”
