How does a story reach the interest of a national level?

Remember the Dr. Gosnell story in Pennsylvania – the abortion doctor who had a chamber of horrors? The press/media claimed that the reason it was not covered on national news was because it was a local story.

When does a story reach the national level? I guess it’s not enough that this “doctor” had dozens of babies and baby parts in jars and freezers in his office. I guess it’s not enough that this guy jokingly said “this [dead] baby is big enough to walk me to the bus stop.” It’s not enough that the health department was called several times on this guy and his office and he passed muster with them (?). Or that his staff claimed he (and he taught his staff) to cut the spinal cord on live babies.

However, the traffic snarl on the GW bridge in New Jersey is a national story.

I guess you can argue that this horrendous lanes closures thing is dangerous to citizens who have to wait for emergency vehicles and perhaps some died waiting. (So far nothing has surfaced on that front but rest assured, the media is digging harder there than they did/have done on Benghazi.) But does that reach the national news level? Or is it because Christie as appointed by the media is the front runner for the republican presidential run in 2016? Oh, I don’t know but I’m thinking the latter. This story would not have made more than a blip on the news except that Christie is the governor.

Don’t get me wrong. I think closing exit ramps and lanes is a horrible thing to do to a city and citizens. I think there should be some kind of punishment for this action and not just a firing. But seriously, would this have reached the level of a national story, if it weren’t for Christie?

I doubt it.