Oregon Governor’s Resignation Shows Power of Local Media

By: David Uberti | CJR

The scandal that enveloped Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber in recent months didn’t capture the attention of national political media the way New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s “Bridgegate” imbroglio or other state-level scandals have. A lack of proximity likely played a central role in this relatively light coverage — the New York–Washington media nexus is both geographically and politically removed from Salem, OR — as did the lack of potential ramifications for the 2016 presidential race.