By 2015, the paper was on the verge of collapse. Oregon journalist Les Zaitz stated it was "arguably the worst newspaper in the state of Oregon". Zaitz had been approaching retirement from his multi-decade position as an investigative reporter for the
Oregonian, and was planning to retire with his wife, Scotta Callister, at their
Grant County ranch. Upon hearing of the ''Enterprise's
troubles, he and Callister, who was retiring as editor of the Blue Mountain Eagle, along with his brother, Lyndon Zaitz, publisher of Keizertimes, formed the Malheur Enterprise Publishing Company in 2015 to purchase the paper. In a 2016 interview, Zaitz professed no grand ambitions with the paper. At the time of the purchase, the paper only had one reporter. By the time he took the helm, he was ready to fully embrace a turnaround, and insisted to his two reporters that they were going to be the "best there ever was", and held their reporting to a high standard. Subsequent successful projects brought accolades and opportunities, including membership in a national local reporting network. The Enterprise'' has hosted local talks including political candidate forums and discussions on social services. In 2024, Zaitz was inducted into the Oregon Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Oregon Psychiatric Security Review Board investigation In early 2017, the reporting team uncovered what would prove to be a major scandal. A man who had killed his ex-wife, and whose arrest caused another death, had previously faked insanity to avoid prison on a kidnapping charge. When the
Enterprise sought the release of more than 200 records related to his release, the
Oregon Psychiatric Security Review Board (OPSRB) sued the
Enterprise and its editor. The
Enterprise appealed to its readers for legal funds, and Zaitz told the review board that picking a fight with a small paper was like "poking a stick in a badger hole." and other influential people and agencies expressed support as well. it marked the first time in the award's 20-year history that it went to a
community paper. The team also earned one of three finalist spots for the 2017 annual award in the
Scripps Howard Foundation's First Amendment category.
ProPublica local reporting network ProPublica, a national news organization, announced in December 2017 that the
Enterprise would be one of seven news outlets—and the only weekly paper—selected from a field of 239 to be part of its Local Reporting Network. The award includes the salary of one reporter, as well as extensive support and guidance for their reporting. In a 2018 editorial written under the Local Reporting Network program, Zaitz told the story of how the paper had effected the release of OPSRB documents and stated that the records he had obtained would contribute to future reporting on related issues. In November 2018, Zaitz estimated that the paper's circulation had doubled, and revenue tripled, in the preceding three years. Zaitz launched the
Salem Reporter in Salem, Oregon in September, 2018.
Investigation into economic development and local officials The
Enterprise ran a series of articles starting in 2019 investigating state representative
Greg Smith's pursuit of economic development projects, notably the
Treasure Valley Reload Center (TVRC), a rail shipping facility planned to open in
Nyssa in 2020, that ultimately benefited Smith's own consulting firm. Later that year, Smith and Malheur County sheriff Brian Wolfe threatened legal action against the paper, attracting national news media attention. Smith later made an offer to buy the paper, a bid described as "reeking" of self-interest by the publisher of a neighboring newspaper. The
Enterprise continued its coverage of economic development funds and the Smith's conflicting interests into 2022, and sued Smith over public records in September 2022. In early 2023 Smith resigned from the TVRC's board, and that summer
Americold, the anticipated operator of the shipping facility, announced its withdrawal from the TVRC;
Oregon Public Broadcasting interviewed an
Enterprise reporter about the project, and noted the TVRC's numerous setbacks for permitting and financial reasons. The newspaper later dismissed Smith from its the lawsuit and in May 2023,
Malheur County and the public company overseeing TVRC settled with The
Enterprise for $40,000, with $20,500 coming from the county and $19,500 from TVRC. The county also agreed to require county officials to get training on Oregon Public Records Law. In April 2024, The
Enterprise was bestowed The First Amendment Award by the
Poynter Institute for its reporting on "Malheur County’s lack of transparency and the effect and importance of the paper’s lawsuit against the county to enforce state public records law."
Series on childhood poverty in Malheur County The newspaper published a five part series on childhood poverty in Malheur County, authored by five students from the
Annanberg journalism school, in 2023. == Closing ==