The Lund Report Names Nick Budnick Editor-in-Chief

One of the state’s top investigative reporters will lead the health care news site.

Nick Budnick (Shawnalee Studios)
By Nigel Jaquiss

The Lund Report, which covers the state’s health care industry, this week announced the hiring of veteran Portland Tribune reporter Nick Budnick as its new editor.

After stints in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento, Budnick moved to Oregon two decades ago to take a job at Willamette Week. He subsequently worked for the Bend Bulletin, The Portland Tribune and The Oregonian and returned for a second stint at the Trib, winning a slew of awards along the way, including the Bruce Baer Award, given annually to the state’s top journalist, and recognition from Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Society of Professional Journalists.

He may be best known for the work he and then-Oregonian colleague Jeff Manning did to uncover the colossal failure of Cover Oregon, the state’s ill-fated $200 million online health care insurance exchange.

Budnick is also a longtime leader of Oregon’s Society of Professional Journalists and has worked in the Legislature to protect the state’s public records law, which is under continuous assault from special interests.

He started his new job Oct. 18.

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