Oregon Media Insiders

It had all the makings of a great story. Violence. Controversy. Man vs. Nature. There was even a Homeland Security angle.

Six sea lions shot as they sat in traps near Bonneville Dam. A cowardly act perpetrated by someone with a stake in the salmon-rich Columbia River. Coverage began in earnest immediately with the AP and several Oregon and Washington-based print and broadcast outlets covering the story. Coverage quickly spread to outlets up and down the west coast, into Canada, then on to other parts of the country and even to parts of Europe.