SALEM, OR – Today, States Newsroom, the nation’s leading network of state-based nonprofit news outlets, announced the launch of the Oregon Capital Chronicle. With the creation of the organization’s 25th outlet, States Newsroom now provides state news coverage to half the nation. 

Led by veteran reporter Les Zaitz, Oregon Capital Chronicle will focus on covering state government and politics for Oregon’s residents.

“Our purpose is to provide careful reporting about state government and leaders that has been reduced in recent years as news organizations cut,” said Zaitz, Editor-in-Chief. “We will get beyond the story of the day and probe the politics and policies that touch every Oregonian. We will do so thoroughly, accurately and without bias.”

Zaitz brings more than 45 years of experience as a reporter and editor, including 25 years at The Oregonian. He is a national Society of Professional Journalists fellow, two-time Pulitzer finalist, and five-time winner of Oregon’s top investigative reporting award. 

Other seasoned journalists join the Oregon Capital Chronicle’s staff, including:

• Lynne Terry, who will act as deputy editor and brings 30 years of journalism experience to the team. She joins the team after her most recent role as editor of The Lund Report. Terry has won state, regional and national awards, including a National Headliner Award and a top award from the National Association of Health Care Journalists for her investigative reporting.
• Julia Shumway, also an award-winning journalist, joins the Chronicle after covering government and politics across Iowa, Nebraska and Arizona.
• Alex Baumhardt joins the staff after a four-year role as a national radio producer focused on education for American Public Media. She has reported from the Arctic to the Antarctic for national and international media, and from Minnesota and Oregon for The Washington Post.

“We’re happy to announce this top-notch team to our network,” said Chris Fitzsimon, Director and Publisher of States Newsroom. “The Oregon Capital Chronicle will provide exceptional, unbiased reporting to the state’s residents.”

Previously, Fitzsimon founded and led NC Policy Watch, North Carolina’s leading news and commentary outlet, before launching what was to become States Newsroom in 2017.

States Newsroom is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is funded exclusively by the generous contributions of readers and philanthropists. States Newsroom is committed to supporting fact-based, non-partisan news to the public at no cost and ad-free.

Other States Newsroom affiliates and partners are:

Arizona Mirror – https://www.azmirror.com/  
Colorado Newsline – https://coloradonewsline.com/  
Florida Phoenix – https://www.floridaphoenix.com/  
Georgia Recorder – https://georgiarecorder.com/ 
Idaho Capital Sun –   https://idahocapitalsun.com/ 
Iowa Capital Dispatch – https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/ 
Kansas Reflector  – https://kansasreflector.com/   
Louisiana Illuminator – https://lailluminator.com/ 
Maine Beacon – http://mainebeacon.com/  
Maryland Matters – https://www.marylandmatters.org/  
Michigan Advance – https://www.michiganadvance.com/ 
Minnesota Reformer – https://minnesotareformer.com/   
Missouri Independent – https://missouriindependent.com/   
Daily Montanan – https://dailymontanan.com/  
Nevada Current – https://www.nevadacurrent.com/  
New Hampshire Bulletin – https://newhampshirebulletin.com/ 
New Jersey Monitor – https://newjerseymonitor.com/
Source New Mexico – https://sourcenm.com/ 
NC Policy Watch – http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/  
Ohio Capital Journal – https://www.ohiocapitaljournal.com/  
Pennsylvania Capital-Star – https://www.penncapital-star.com/  
Tennessee Lookout – https://www.tennesseelookout.com/  
Virginia Mercury – https://www.virginiamercury.com/  
Wisconsin Examiner – https://wisconsinexaminer.com/   

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