Press release

Feb. 22, 2023

Contact:

Juli Bunting, WashCOG executive director, info@washingtoncog.org

George Erb, WashCOG secretary, geoerb@seanet.com

Leading Oregon journalist will keynote Sunshine Breakfast

 One of Oregon’s most prominent journalists and open government advocates will be the keynote speaker at the Washington Coalition for Open Government’s annual Sunshine Breakfast on March 17 in Seattle.

Les Zaitz has been not only a leading advocate for open government in Oregon but also one of its most dogged practitioners.  His long career includes various stints in reporting, editing and publishing newspapers, all in Oregon.

He spent 25 years as a reporter and editor at The Oregonian. He is currently the editor and publisher of the Malheur Enterprise in Eastern Oregon, as well as the editor and CEO of the Salem Reporter, an online news site in the state capital.

Zaitz was twice a Pulitzer finalist as an investigative reporter for The Oregonian. He won a coveted George Polk Award with his Oregonian colleagues. Investigative Reporters & Editors in 2017 gave its FOI Award to Zaitz and his colleagues at the Malheur Enterprise.

He will be a featured speaker at WashCOG’s annual awards and fundraising event, which will again take place at T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners.  The doors open at 7:15 a.m. For more information and registration, go to www.washcog.org/sunshine-breakfast.

The Washington Coalition for Open Government is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 2002. We are an independent, broad-based advocate for public records, open meetings and informed citizens.