The Oregonian‘s chief political editor Chris Broderick announced his resignation today to the paper’s staff.
Broderick has been at the paper more than a decade, having come from Colorado before that. He, more than any other editor at the paper, has driven the watchdog coverage of state government. A good example would be recent coverage of the Department of Energy’s business and energy tax credit program, and its enormous expenditures. Or coverage of foster care placement decisions by the Department of Human Services.
Broderick’s is the second significant departure from the paper in a week. Steve Cowden, widely considered the best graphic artist perhaps in the paper’s history, announced he was leaving, last week, to go to work for the Port of Portland.
Broderick plans to take an upper management job at Portland State University. What makes the move unsurprising is that he was the paper’s education editor for many years before moving over to politics.
These guys are not being fired. On the contrary, they seem to be jumping ship. The Oregonian announced 37 layoffs—the first layoffs in the paper’s history—last month. After the layoffs, there was a hope that the paper could move forward, but to have two such prominent hires leave voluntarily is not a good sign.
It’s not clear whether Broderick has also been in conflict with the paper’s new right-wing publisher, N.Christian Anderson III, but we have a request in at the Oregonian for comment on these departures.
Eersh. This probably means Harry Esteve is next. And that sucks. He’s one of the good ones.
Maybe he and Fred Hansen are going to start a blog?
Hi Matt — I’m Chris Broderick and want to set the record straight on your post today since no one called me to check it first. Yes, I am the Politics & Education Editor of The Oregonian and yes, I am leaving to become assistant vice president for communications and marketing at Portland State. Contrary to your blog report, however, I am leaving to pursue a great opportunity at the university, not because I’m unhappy with the publisher or the direction of the newspaper. I’ve never even had a discussion about politics with Chris Anderson. I have had a lot of discussions with the editor, Peter Bhatia, who has been an outspoken advocate for aggressive journalism since I got here in 1998. Since he became editor three months ago, Bhatia has made it clear to everybody in the newsroom that his No. 1 priority is watchdog reporting that holds government and public officials accountable at all levels.
Bottom line: Reporters and editors here have been setting the public agenda in this state for years, and they will continue to do so long after I’m gone.
Thanks, Chris Broderick
Thanks for your comment, Chris. I did put in an inquiry to your managing editor seeking comment, but I’m sorry that we weren’t able to connect before we went with the story.
Just out of interest, if you were unhappy with the publisher or the direction of the paper, would you be likely to say so, here? You’ll forgive my skepticism as a renowned skeptic yourself. It’s not meant to be impertinent.
Better luck next time, Matt. Can’t get every conspiracy right even with your usual dodgy reporting.
Troll.
Kettle.