Last week the Portland State University Publications Board named Brian Searles as the new editor of The Portland Spectator. Searles, 34, will head the publication for the remainder of this academic year.
The 34-year-old Searles, a transfer student from Arizona State University, is majoring in Administration of Justice. While at Arizona State, Searles was the opinion editor for the student newspaper The Arizona Republic. Prior to attending Arizona State, Searles served in the Air Force for seven years.
“I am one of those people you would call a swing voter,” said Searles, who is a registered independent voter. The new editor hopes to take the conservative publication to a larger audience. “There is a wide spectrum that falls under the banner of conservative. From the moderate to the ultra conservative, I want to cover the spectrum,” said Searles.
The PSU Publications Board is responsible for the publishing of The Vanguard, Rearguard, The Spectator, the Portland Review and the operations of the Graphic Design Center. Four tenured faculty members, one staff member, one student and a community member comprise the Publications Board.