This study examines the protest paradigm and its geopolitical variations in media coverage of the 2022 University of California academic workers' strike from an ideological perspective. We analyze how different media outlets (national vs. local) framed the academic strike in US history through manual content analysis of news articles from ten national and ten in-state newspapers. Results reveal significant differences between national and local coverage in four aspects: sources quoted, advocacy frames, portrayal of protesters, and representation of public opinion. While national media relied more on official sources and emphasized political implications, local newspapers focused on protesters’ perspectives and community impact. The findings suggest that geographic proximity and institutional relationships influence how media outlets construct protest narratives, contributing to our understanding of protest paradigm theory in contemporary labor movements. Furthermore, the study identifies evidence of paradigm repair in local coverage, reflecting journalists’ efforts to maintain professional values while reporting on community issues.