Eric Apalategui

Eric Apalategui has been a freelance writer since 2005, following 16 years as an award-winning staff reporter at three newspapers in Oregon and Washington. His professional accomplishments as a staffer included winning three first-place awards in the Society of Professional Journalism competition and a coveted C.B. Blethen Memorial Award for Distinguished Feature Writing (second place).

In addition to Suite 101, he is a regular contributor to The Oregonian, Portland's major daily newspaper. He also writes for alumni magazines, including Oregon Quarterly at the University of Oregon and Washington State Magazine at WSU. He has covered just about every subject, from presidential contenders to serial killers. As a break from hard news, he once penned a weekly newspaper column about Pacific Northwest fishing. These days his professional and personal interests lean toward outdoor recreation (especially fishing and hiking), nature and the environment, science, health care, family activities, travel and reading.

Eric Apalategui is married to a registered nurse. They have two young children, so he puts his flexible schedule today as a freelancer and his past experience grilling reluctant sources to good use as a full-time father. His family also owns a golden retriever and is owned by three cats.

He is a 1989 graduate of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication and a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor society.