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Why They Pulled The Plug On S.B. Newsroom. Monday, July 16, 2007. Santa Barbara Newsroom. Debuted, April 2nd. Shut down, July 13th. A mere 102 days. But that was pretty much as long as it ever was intended to last.Conceived as a way to keep eight fired reporters practicing their craft as they awaited reinstatement to their old jobs both the reporters and the Teamsters Union that backed them in the venture, anticipated that if the NLRB acted it would be sooner rather than later and in the form of going to court to get an injunction requiring News-Press owner Wendy McCaw to hire them back. Those hopes were dashed when the NLRB declined to pursue injunctive relief. So instead of waiting four to six months to be reinstated they are now looking at a time frame of 12 to 18 months. That changed the whole picture. "Not getting the injunction was a big blow. We expected to be back at our jobs by now, but when we learned we wouldn't be getting the injunction we knew we would have to keep running the Newsroom site indefinitely." This according to Melinda Burns, one of the fired reporters, whom I spoke to by phone on Friday. "But we have to get ready for trial (the upcoming NLRB hearing that starts August 14th) and we don't have the money to continue." The biggest obstacle that S.B. Newsroom faced was the inability to generate enough revenue to sustain an eight member news gathering staff. As long as they were willing to work without pay they had that hurdle cleared. But with unemployment benefits running out all involved had to start thinking about how they would support themselves over the next year to year-and-a-half. They made an appeal for donations and raised some money, although Burns declined to say how much. They never seriously considered running ads on the site. According to Burns being an advertiser supported commercial site didn't meld with their message of ethical journalism. "Another consideration we took into account was not competing for a narrow ad base against the Indy and Sound, two papers that have done a great job in getting our story out." Plus ad revenue would never have covered the salaries of eight people. What they really needed and looked for, but never were able to find, was a benefactor who was willing to support the project by providing enough funding to pay the salaries of the staff for 12 to 18 months. Once it was clear that no one would step forward, the decision to shut down was a quick one which Burns added they were all glad they made. All eight are sticking around to continue the fight against McCaw with the exception of Barney McManigal who goes off to Oxford in September. As for fighting McCaw, Burns hopes they are not alone. "It's not just our fight but it's the community's fight." Burns' sense is that there's not much support for McCaw out in the community. Burns doesn't want to wait around while McCaw endlessly appeals every ruling that goes against her. "I want my job back now!" She feels that it's action on the part of the community, not the NLRB or the courts, that will force McCaw to change her ways. Although S.B. Newsroom was short lived Burns said she was "glad we did it." She is very proud of the effort the Newsroom staff made to do serious journalism and news reporting.
With S.B. Newsroom going off-line what's the future of local news reporting in Santa Barbara? The Daily Sound recently introduced a blog style news site in addition to their page reader site. The Independent has recently remade and beefed up their website. And of course there is Edhat which is now adding community correspondents; Bill Etling, Santa Ynez; Rochelle Rose, Goleta and J'Amy Brown, Montecito. What's the status of the local news venture that former News-Press employee (and Goleta's most famous non-resident) Bill Macfadyen has been long-rumoured to be starting up? I haven't spoken with him but I understand that he's still fundraising for Noozhawk, an online community newspaper, without the paper.
There's a good essay on McCaw's notion of "bias" over at The Averageman's Blog.
Update your bookmarks! This blog is moving to a new location on the web. As of tomorrow, Craig Smith's Blog will be found at a new web address, http://craigsmithsblog.blogspot.com All requests to my old web address will be automatically redirected to the new one. If you find me through Edhat, as so many of you do, they will have the updated links. The move will be accompanied by a modest makeover. But if you can't wait until tomorrow to see the new look, go ahead and take a peek right now. I'll talk about the reasons for the switch tomorrow.
Today's last word comes from reader Ray Hamilton who e-mailed me to ask, "If yours is such a sad life, then why is Miss Wilson so desperate to be part of it?" Maybe she's hoping I'll take her with me the next time I get invited to Helen Mirren's house.
S.B. Newsroom Signs Off. Friday, July 13, 2007. The eight reporters who were fired from the Santa Barbara News-Press and started their own alternative news-site on the web have abandoned that venture.According to an announcement posted on Santa Barbara Newsroom this morning, they are "calling it quits." The story cites lack of funds to continue online indefinitely as the reason for ending their efforts at web-based reporting. My own fear is that the closing of the Newsroom site will give a morale boost to News-Press owner Wendy McCaw. In fact, it's one of the few developments in this saga that she can take comfort from. In any event, I'm sorry to see Newsroom go. It was a good alternative source of local news.
Cafe Society? Bean There Done That. Friday, July 13, 2007. Now don't panic. I haven't taken Lisa Wilson's advice and stopped writing about the News-Press. This is the time of the week when I republish my weekly Santa Barbara Daily Sound column here. If you've already read it and want to go straight to the new stuff just start reading at the sixth paragraph from the bottom of the post.I have a confession to make. I spend far too much frequenting places where coffee is the chief item of sale. I have a $10 a day cappuccino habit. Fortunately, there are plenty of places to get my fix as it seems like you can' t walk two blocks in this town without coming across a place that dispenses the designer drink. Despite the limitless choices, I do have my favorite hangouts in which to get juiced, or perhaps I should say caffeinated. In the mornings it' s either the Good Cup on the Mesa, where Philip is the owner, or the Daily Grind down at Mission and De la Vina, owned by my old cycling buddy Luis. If I' m downtown during the day and have a little time to kill, I like to duck into the Coffee Cat at Anacapa and Anapamu, where the proprietors are Krista and Jason. And when Krista gives birth to their first child in October it will literally be a mom and pop operation. Every once in awhile I like to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone. Last Friday I headed over to Montecito where the most often heard phrase in the a.m. is "Good morning and welcome to Starbucks, may I start an espresso drink for you?" And no, I'm not on a first-name basis with the proprietor but I assume his name is Mr. Star and that he has a lot of bucks. And about the only thing that pops up faster than Starbucks stores in this town are tattoo parlors. It wasn' t that long ago the Montecito location was the lone Starbucks in the area. By my count, there are now at least ten. Half past nine in the morning is when I arrived and boy, was the place ever packed. The line was nearly out the door. Doesn' t anybody in one of California' s wealthiest zip codes ever work? Never mind. Silly me. Sorry I asked. There are two kinds of coffee drinkers in the world. Those who get their coffee to go so they can juggle it along with their cell phone as they drive down the road and those who hang out and linger. I'm a lingerer so I had plenty of company on Coast Village Road. Nowhere in the world has the fine art of hanging out been elevated to the status it has in Montecito, which is fine with me. I know what the epitaph on my gravestone is going to say. "Santa Barbara is where he lived, but any java joint was his home."
While idle time may be a good thing for the leisure class of Montecito, too much of it is probably not a good thing for the teenagers of Santa Barbara to have on their hands this summer. Through "The Graffiti Project," Laura Inks of ARTS ALIVE! is hoping to get youth involved in creative activities and get graffiti off the walls and onto the canvas. Workshops are being held the first Monday of each month, 5-6pm, for teens who are interested in parleying their talent into a serious art career. The workshops will end with a gallery exhibit, Streets to Studio, in January 2008. For more info call Laura or Kim at ARTS ALIVE! 963-2278 or e-mail them at info@artsalivesb.com.
Looking for something different to do on a Saturday night? You might check out the summer concert series at the Paradise Store. They have a new outdoor stage and they book a different musical act every week. The line-up features mostly classic rock style bands (no head banger's ball here). This Saturday "King Bee" will be playing. Concert starts at 8 pm and admission is $10. For an additional $10 there's a barbeque dinner starting at 6:30 pm featuring chicken and tri-tip. And it' s a family friendly atmosphere. I was there last Saturday and the weather in the evening was beautiful. The Paradise Store is about a 20-minute drive from downtown Santa Barbara. It's located at One Paradise Road, just off Highway 154 (San Marcos Pass Road.)
Long before the first Starbucks came to town there was the Santa Barbara Roasting Company. One of the morning regulars there was Steve Hoegerman, founder and director of the Santa Barbara French Festival and the numero uno Francophile in town. This Saturday and Sunday at Oak Park the 20th annual French Festival will be held. It' s my personal favorite of the Oak Park ethnic festivals (which now number only three). Steve promises great food, a huge Eiffel Tower, and over 40 acts on three stages, including the Poodle Parade, can-can, tributes to Edith Piaf and Maurice Chevalier, French-Moroccan belly dance, accordions galore and (Oo La La!) the Femmes Fatales Drag Revue. Hopefully we' ll all be able to tell the poodle parade from the drag revue. And I just may have to break the cappuccino habit this weekend and order a cafˆ© au lait.
Seven of the eight reporters who were fired from the Santa Barbara News-Press are featured in a documentary recounting, in chronological order, the events of the past 12 months. From the first press conference in late July ’Äì when the editorial staff of the paper stood in De La Guerra Plaza with duct tape over their mouths to the upcoming NLRB hearing next month ’Äî the documentary is an examination of the crisis at the paper under the ownership of Wendy McCaw. The documentary will air on the SB Newsroom television show on Channel 17, 11 a.m. Saturday, July 14 and 8 p.m. Sunday, July 15. The video will also be posted on the Santa Barbara Newsroom Web site at www.sbnewsroom.com.
The current issue of Blue Edge magazine, a McCaw owned publication, is virtually ad free. Recently two of the magazine's key editors resigned. Word is they they will be joining the staff of a new surf culture publication that will be making its debut soon.
Last word today once again goes to Lisa Wilson (who is not to be confused with Cristina Wilson the Valley Voice sales rep who was recently let go.) Lisa e-mailed me in the wake of yesterday's post. "Thanks for sharing the others' comments and I'm glad you aren't lonely in your sad world. You are funny, I'll give you that." Isn't there a saying about a even a broken clock being right twice a day?
The Sad Lives Club. Thursday, July 12, 2007. "So let's start the sad little lives club. We won't invite folks whose lives are even sadder for they have nothing better to do than point out how sad our lives are." George.Whew! I was beginning to get worried there. After Lisa Wilson wrote to me it crossed my mind that maybe, just maybe, the 1200 to 1500 readers who visit this blog every day were only doing so to get a glimpse of the "sad little life" that I lead. Fortunately, many of you wrote yesterday to set me, and Ms. Wilson, straight.
I have appreciated your insights posted regarding the very sad state of affairs of our local newspaper. Some of the attraction may indeed be train wreck scandal nature of this affair but I am grateful that you have not "let it go" as some of your "fans" have suggested. You might offer to move on if Ms. McCaw made a similar gesture by recognizing the union vote results. Until that time this is very active, and important news, or at the very least, another view of the situation. Tom Buhl.
Please do NOT stop writing about the News-Press and the antics of the blond(e?) queen and her baron consort. Santa Barbara might lack a mayor who plays around and a city attorney whose wife is embarassingly accident prone as Los Angeles does. We are not experiencing a Summer of Love as L.A. is. But at least we have the antics of Wendy and Von Weaselburger to be amused by. Unfortunately in all the above cases, innocent people are suffering. The Santa Barbara community as a whole -- not to mention N-P staffers who have lost their jobs and seen themselves smeared in print -- is much worse off by not having a daily newspaper that actually reports the news with integrity and accuracy. P. Gilbert.
There are a lot of us that look forward daily to seeing Wendy McCaw's national embarrassment being held under the light of truth by Craig Smith. Ultimately, who's life is it that is being waisted; humm? The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act. Wendy McCaw is being watched! Train wreck, indeed! Bill Neubert.
(Lisa Wilson's) letter made me angry. The News-Press mess is not local news; it's national. Our federal government is, as you read this, gathering evidence and prepping witnesses to bring a hailstorm of charges against a bully the likes of which Santa Barbara, and journalism in general, has rarely seen.
I really wanted to sit down and take the time to respond to Ms. (or is it Miss?) Wilson and her comments on your obsession with the Newspress (sic) and what a sad, silly, pathetic trainwreck of a life you must have to waste all your time on the story. Specifically, I wanted to note to her that your fixation over the past year not only provided thousands of readers another POV from what Travis and Wendy would have given us, but also, on a more personal level, allowed you to have tremendous fun, both personally, and professionally, among with sharing a heavy load of moral outrage and grief with the direct participants. So go ahead and take the time to do some "shameless self-promotion" and defense of your work...list your accomplishments...defend thy honor, Sir! Jeremy Lape. Nah, I don't think so.
On another topic several of you wrote to assure me that Jim Farr, former owner of the Goleta Valley Voice, is a very nice guy and a decent fellow. Cheerfully noted.
Today's last word comes from Tim Buckley of the Montecito Journal.
A reasonably reliable source has informed MJ that Montecito' s newest celebrity resident/s is/are Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and family. Reports are that Mr. Cruise recently purchased Rob Lowe' s ocean-view estate in the Golden Quadrangle, and that Lowe and family will relocate to their beach cottage, at least for awhile. If true, this may serve as a final good-bye to the labor conflict saga that began when Mr. Lowe' s address was printed in the Santa Barbara News-Press, setting off a chain of events that culminated in an election that threatens to bring in the Teamsters Union, a mass exodus of News-Press employees, and a local boycott of the paper spearheaded by former employees. The News-Press is looking much better these days and ad revenue appears to be on an upswing, so this sale, if true, may signal the beginning of the end of the boycott and the revival of the grand old Santa Barbara newspaper. Just what News-Press is he reading?
As The World Turns. Wednesday, July 11, 2007. I mentioned yesterday that Cristina Wilson, who sells advertising for the Goleta Valley Voice, a Wendy McCaw owned publication, was let go. A part-time employee and the mother of three kids, she is a long-time resident of Goleta.Wilson actually use to be one of four owners of the Valley Voice. That group sold the paper to Jim Farr who ran it for awhile then ultimately sold it to McCaw's Ampersand Publishing. Rumor is that Farr, whose non-compete agreement with Ampersand has either expired or is about to expire, is contemplating starting up a competing paper in Goleta. I'm sure that there are some people who figure that with all the trouble at the News-Press, the Valley Voice is weak and ripe for the taking. I don't know the man so I can't tell you whether he's a shark that smells blood in the water or just a playful dolphin. By the way, Wilson and Farr are reportedly "an item."
Maybe Wendy would be better off in Australia? A reader brought to my attention an article in the July 2nd issue of the New Yorker examining what the Wall Street Journal might become if Rupert Murdoch owned it. According to the article, in Australia, where Murdoch hails from, newspaper owners use their newspapers "to support or oppose political parties, settle private feuds, and cross-promote their other interests. Any idea that they could not do this would have met with bewilderment." Maybe if we promise Wendy a few vegemite sandwiches and remind her that there's no California Coastal Commission in Australia perhaps she could be enticed to pack up and move to the land down under?
Yesterday I had my first opportunity to work with former News-Press reporter Leana Orsua on a story she reported for her new employer KSBY TV. I was asked about the significance of DNA evidence in a criminal case where the testimony was that the likelihood of DNA found on the alleged victim belonging to someone other than the defendant as being "about one in 7.2 trillion." Coincidentally, one in 7.2 trillion also describes the odds of Wendy McCaw ever finding a real editor and publisher to run the News-Press.
Today's last word comes from Lisa Wilson, who e-mailed me bright and early Tuesday morning in response to my post about people who want me to stop writing about the News-Press Mess. "I would have sent an e-mail earlier, months ago perhaps, but as you pointed out in your post today you enjoy your obsession with the Newspress as do the gentlemen running the blogabarbara. So why do I have you bookmarked? I also enjoy reading your comments because the three of you are trainwrecks. I used to wonder why you have this sick need to fixate on the Newspress and the people who work there but if (it) fills a need for the three of you so go ahead and I'll continue to breifly stop by and read your ramblings and wonder why on earth you are wasting so many of your brain cells and life minutes on such matters. What sad little lives you lead." Well, I'm glad that somebody is finally getting some enjoyment out of my wretched and sad little train wreck of a life.
Stop Covering This Mess? Not On Your Life! Tuesday, July 10, 2007. Yesterday, I wrapped up my post with an e-mail, sent to me anonymously, suggesting that I abandon the News-Press Mess as a topic. It wasn't the first time I've received a message of this nature and I'm always amused because the last time I checked it took some type of affirmative effort on the part of the reader to find this blog and I haven't been putting guns to people's heads forcing them to bookmark me as one of their "favorites."I usually don't respond to such e-mails because I figure if an artist never explains his work then why should I? I can't help it if people love a soap opera, which one year later is exactly what the News-Press has become. Santa Barbarians aren't unique in this regard. Down south in L.A. the citizenry is affixed on its own telenovela. As you may have heard, the Mayor of L.A., Antonio Villaraigosa, has admitted to having an affair. What could be worse? The co-respondent is a correspondent, for a TV station's news operation, who is assigned to cover the mayor. At least the Mayor's lover, Mirthala Salinas, can't be accused of not being "on the story." According to The Times' media columnist, Tim Rutten, as of last Friday, accounts and comments about the mayor's difficulties are the most viewed stories on latimes.com. The Times even has a special page of its website devoted to all aspects of the affair. Everybody loves a train wreck, or a sex scandal. While L.A. residents are enthralled by their "Summer of Love" here in Santa Barbara we remain fixated on our "Winter of Discontent." There is a universal fascination with any story where someone with money, as in McCaw's case, or power, in the case of the L.A. Mayor, is willing to go against what should be their better judgment and risk squandering it. Certainly the tone and tenor of McCaw's missive of last week shot off to Lou Cannon and posted on the News-Press' website leaves one with the impression that indeed the circulation numbers and advertising dollars must be on the decline too much for McCaw's liking. As one wise observer pointed out to me, Wendy's MO is to "sow the soil with salt, then complain nothing will grow." Wendy and Arthur aren't as telegenic as the the Mayor and Mirthala and the News-Press Mess isn't a sex scandal. But I'll continue to write about it because you have to play the cards that you were dealt. Who would have ever imagined that one year later I would still be sitting at the table holding a hand that started out with a couple of jokers?
Cristina Wilson, an advertising representative for the McCaw owned Goleta Valley Voice, was fired Monday. Her employment with the paper predated McCaw's ownership.
Year Two: News-Press Readers Still Held Hostage. Monday, July 9, 2007. So, as we enter year two of the post-meltdown era of the News-Press, where does the paper stand? The audited daily circulation count is 38,000. A year ago, the paper's daily circulation was reported as being 41,000. That means circulation is down by 9.5 per cent. which is almost five times the rate of decline of most other newspapers. Advertising appears to be down as well.Over at The Independent, their press run of 40,000 copies has remained constant for some time now. They have a very low rate of returns which would seem to be confirmed by the difficulty of finding a copy three or four days after they hit the news racks on Thursdays. Any increase in the volume of advertising the paper is attracting? According to news editor Nick Welsh it's like going fishing and the fish are jumping in the boat. At the Daily Sound, where I now write a weekly column that appears on Wednesdays, publisher Jeramy Gordon expects that paper's press run to be up to 10,000 copies by this fall. When he started the paper a little over a year ago the press run was a mere 3,000 copies. Both classified and display advertising appear to be up at the paper. As I reported here on Saturday, a total of 72 employees have left the News-Press in the past year. Most, have not been replaced. One source familiar with the current situation at the paper tells me that there hasn't been anyone even so much as sniffing around looking to work as a reporter or editor. This is despite ads placed by the paper on websites such as journalismjobs.com. What about the product itself? Local news is pretty hard to come by in the News-Press. Take yesterday's edition. There was only one local news story of any substance, on the Zaca Lake fire, and it was a wire service story. A huge fire in our own backyard and the News-Press relies on the Associated Press for its coverage of it. In contrast, if you checked out Santa Barbara Newsroom, you would have seen a story on the fire by former News-Presser Tom Schultz. Sunday's L.A. Times also had some local Santa Barbara news. In its Real Estate section yesterday's Times reported that actor John Cleese has put his Montecito horse property (which I believe is the old Cynthia Wood Stables) up for sale. In that same section, Montecito is the featured community in the "Neighborly Advice" column. Where did anniversary week find associate editor Scott Steepleton? Same place he was last year when the meltdown occurred, on vacation. I'm sure it was a well deserved break. After all, the poor guy looks like he's about one jelly donut away from a triple bypass. In looking back on the events of one year ago, Barney McManigal, who will soon be heading off to Oxford, had this to say:
"Because the whole thing strains reality, some of us feared no one would actually believe us. Or worse, that they wouldn't care. Blistering internal memos limiting free speech. Directives on spelling the B-word, blond. Mandating "Miss" for unmarried women. Capriciously killing stories. Would people really believe this stuff? After I posted the list of names of the people who had left the News-Press in the past year that included what they are currently doing, I received the following from someone who gave neither their name or an e-mail address: "Looks like most are doing just fine at their new positions. It's been a year, isn't it time to just move on already?" Yes, by all means feel free to move on. But for the rest of us who can't stop watching this train wreck, I'll be here every Monday through Friday keeping you updated on the latest happenings.
72 Departures, A Year's Carnage. Saturday, July 7, 2007. I thought I would conclude anniversary week by listing, all in one place, the names of the 72 people who have left the News-Press since last July 5th. I've grouped them in the order I originally reported them on the blog starting on Monday July 2nd. The most recently added names are at the end of the list. I realize that there are a few people on this list who may have left for reasons other than the "boil over" of one year ago. However, rather than pass judgement on anyone's motivation for leaving I have decided to list them all.
Jerry Roberts, executive editor (publications director, Daily Nexus. UCSB)If I missed anyone I apologize. Please let me know.
The Pot Boiled Over. Friday, July 6, 2007. Although today is widely considered to be the one year anniversary of the News-Press meltdown, a number of readers have e-mailed to suggest that the demise of the News-Press started long before the day that six key journalists left within the space of 24 hours. Some would say that it started the day that Wendy McCaw purchased the paper.There is something to that school of thought. In fact it's probably a more apt analogy to say that the situation at the News-Press was simmering for the five plus years that Wendy owned the paper and that things finally boiled over last July 6th. I've been asking former News-Press journalists about what they've been doing for the past year, what do they miss about the News-Press and where do they see the paper ending up. George Foulsham was the managing editor of the News-Press. He resigned on July 5th of last year. He is now assistant managing editor for the Daily News of Los Angeles, where he's been since last September. Of his new workplace he says; It's a fun, vibrant newsroom filled with hard-working journalists. Like most papers these days, we're working hard to grow readership. It reminds me very much of my time at the old Herald-Examiner, tilting at the windmills of the L.A. Times and such. Al Bonowitz was the travel editor at the News-Press. He resigned in October. He now works as the features editor for Westways Magazine, the Auto Club publication.
The thing I miss most is the camaraderie, particularly within the Life section. It was like a well-oiled machine, even after Wendy took a heightened interest in the daily product. Andrea Huebner had been the Life section editor of the paper until she crossed McCaw by allowing a column written by Michael Seabaugh to run that took issue with another columnist, Dr. Laura, who happened to be a McCaw favorite. Andrea departed in September. She now teaches at SBCC and is involved in various journalism projects.
While the list of loss is endless -- mentors, treasured colleagues, creative opportunities, standards of excellence -- what I miss most is the feeling of family I experienced in the newsroom, particularly in the Life Department. The family included, among others over the years, the uncle with the sardonic wit, the loyal and protecting brother, the sisters: fun, sassy, intellectual, and the bold and audacious matriarch. As with other families, we had our share of victories and squabbles, but we always came out with respect for each other and the Fun Bunch, as Jerry Roberts had anointed us. Rob Kuznia, covered education issues. He was fired in February after participating in a union demonstration which involved the display of a banner over the 101 Freeway urging readers to cancel their subscription.
Since losing my job I've spent some time playing music and learning more about Internet journalism. I'm finishing up a home-recorded album that I'd been working on with some friends even before the meltdown. I've also had a good experience working on SBNewsroom.com with the other seven reporters who were fired. Melissa Evans, who covered the religion and culture beat for the News-Press, was also fired after the overpass demonstration.
Life since I was fired? It's been interesting ... I always respected people like Dawn, Melinda, Barney, Rob, etc. .. but I never thought I'd be working with them on a news Web site after being fired from the jobs we all loved! I've definitely kept busy, and learned a lot: How write grants, how to mount a fundraising campaign, how to maintain a union campaign, how tell stories in different ways (using video, photos, the Web); and of course, how to work very closely with people under a lot of stress ... We certainly haven't pulled everything off perfectly, but I am so proud of what we accomplished in such a short time. I can say I've grown a lot, both personally and professionally.
Respected journalist Lou Cannon, who was the main target of Wendy McCaw's latest diatribe, has sent her a response. Lou tells me that she originally sent the rant to him as a "personal letter' He never intended to reply to her letter but once she printed it on the op-ed page and posted on the newspaper's website, he changed his mind and responded in writing to her. Here's an excerpt:
Dear Mrs. McCaw: In your desperation to justify your insulting conduct, you have stumbled across an important truth: we live in different worlds. . . . My world is the United States of America. It is a democratic republic in which ordinary people matter. It is not Wendy's World, in which all that counts are the opinions of a few celebrities and the idle rich. In Wendy's World, a wealthy newspaper owner (you) feels free to smear Jerry Roberts, a most respected journalist, because he rebelled against suppression of the news. In Wendy's World, this owner (you) feels free to smear me-another journalist who is respected within his profession-because I dared to write the truth about the harm you are causing our beloved Santa Barbara.
I've come to the realization that anniversary week can't be wrapped up in a week. Tomorrow I'll have a rare Saturday posting to update the list of departed News-Pressers.
Former News-Pressers Reflect. Thursday, July 5, 2007. It was one year ago this week that employees of the Santa Barbara News-Press began their exodus in a dispute with the paper's owner, Wendy McCaw, over ethics and how much control a newspaper owner should have over what's reported and how it's reported.The turmoil at the News-Press has been the talk of the town for a full year now. By my count over 50 employees have left in the last year. That's a lot of lives that have been impacted by McCaw's intransigence. What have the departed been doing since leaving, what do they miss about the News-Press and where do they see this all ending? Barney Brantingham was the paper's signature columnist for more than 30 years and was a reporter there before that. He was one of the first wave of journalists who resigned on or around last July 6th in protest. He now writes for The Independent. Last week I got together with him over lunch at Los Arroyos in Montecito, one his favorite Mexican restaurants. Wearing an Hawaiian style shirt he looked relaxed and you would have never guessed that less than two weeks before he had done time in Cottage Hospital as the result of a nasty urinary tract infection. I asked him how life is after the News-Press. Although he has definitely moved on I could tell the whole subject still strikes an emotional chord with him. "My life is completely different. I used to spend from 9 to 5, 9 to 4 in the office everyday. Now I mostly work from home. I miss the fact that we had a great little paper. And, most of all, I miss the people that I worked with." Tom Schultz, who covered Goleta for the News-Press was fired in February of this year, along with five other reporters, for urging readers to cancel their subscription in protest during a union demonstration. "I hope to get to a point where the words 'Santa Barbara News-Press' bring thoughts not of the past year but instead the many twisting, turning reporting adventures I shared with my co-workers and editors there. I worked there for more than eight years, so that's a lot of stories. I hope everyone who left the paper in the past year, and those who remain, will take a moment on July 6 to reflect on some of the great work they produced or continue to produce as staff members. It's important to remember these accomplishments." Starshine Roshell, who wrote a Sunday column for the paper's "Life" section, resigned after McCaw canceled her column following a piece she wrote in which she expressed her admiration for the departed News-Press journalists. She now writes a column for The Independent, which she syndicates to several other papers. "I miss learning from reporters and editors who are smarter than me, but those folks are gone anyway. I miss feeling like a part of something profound, but the newspaper has lost that, too. And I miss the downtown parking, damn it." Gerry Spratt was the Sports editor for the News-Press. He also resigned in the early days of last July. He now lives and works in Seattle where he works as night editor for sports at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "The thing I miss most about the (News-Press) is the people. (Editor) Jerry Roberts and (deputy managing editor) Don Murphy, in particular, taught me everything I needed to know about being an editor. I thought I would work with them until they retired. Same goes for (sports columnist) John Zant, who is among the most decent men I have ever met and a great writer to boot. I had a rare opportunity at the (News-Press) to build a department. Jerry took a chance on me as a young editor and I feel like I still owe him for it." What does the future hold for the News-Press? According to former reporter Melissa Evans that's probably one of the most frequently asked questions when the former employees go out to speak publicly. She, like Schultz and the others who were fired, intend to fight, with the support of the Teamsters Union, to get their jobs back and for a labor contract that includes language spelling out ethical issues. Spratt thinks that as long as big advertising accounts like Macys stick around, the paper will continue on in some fashion. But he notes that with the rise of digital media the News-Press will quickly become obsolete. And Roshell, what does she think the future of the News-Press will be? "Sadly, I think you're looking at it. Or, if you're like the rest of the community, not looking at it." To be continued tomorrow.
Today I add seven more names to the departure list bringing the total up to 59. Six are part-time contributors who have left or where let go and the seventh is an art department employee who resigned.
Michael Seabaugh, columnist (The Independent) I'd like to have the list completed by tomorrow so today is the last day to send me omissions or corrections.
Wendy Pops Off A Day Before The Fourth. Wednesday, July 4, 2007. What's the only thing that's hotter than a firecracker on the fourth of July? The area directly beneath Wendy McCaw's collar the day before.In a rambling, and I do mean rambling, tirade that was published in full on the News-Press website and in an abridged version in the print edition of the paper on Wednesday, the News-Press owner goes off like, well, a Roman Candle. In the form of a letter to Lou Cannon, she targets not only the esteemed journalist but also The Teamsters, The Independent, anyone who's not rich enough to own their own newspaper and even Starshine Roshell! The unexpurgated version of the letter is over 2300 words long. That's about four times the length of a typical newspaper column. And unlike the rest of the content on newspress.com, her rant is available without having to be a subscriber. I'd say that takes me off the hook from feeling obligated to summarize it for you. But if you do want a summary and some incisive analysis of what she said, check out George at I'm Not One To Blog But . . . My favorite line from her letter is; "We have a freebie tabloid here in Santa Barbara. It has delusions of journalistic grandeur . . . " And Wendy doesn't? My own opinion after reading her letter is that McCaw has gone off the deep end and around the bend. But you're free to draw your own conclusions. Read it and creep!
It's anniversary week and time to update my list of departed News-Press staffers. When I left you yesterday we were at 46 and counting. Let me add six more names to bring it up to 52.
Toni McDonald, the former controller and 25 year veteran of the News-Press. Toni quickly landed the same position, controller, with the Ventura County Star (which I've been erroneously referring to up until now as the Ventura Star Free Press.) The last four names are all individuals who joined the paper after the meltdown and who have since left. Stay tuned, more names will be added to the list tomorrow.
So what does former editor Jerry Roberts miss about the News-Press and what does he think the eventual destiny of the paper will be?
I miss terribly the great people and the high-energy spirit of our newsroom. In its best form, daily journalism is a team sport. For a time, we practiced and played it with a level of talent, collaboration, hard work, camraderie, caring and institutional knowledge about the community that is rare for a paper of that size, or of any size. I think Jerry must have picked up my used crystal ball at a garage sale. My print column in the Daily Sound today is devoted the reflections and thoughts of former News-Press staffers. And don't worry if you can't get a hold of a Daily Sound today. I will republish the column here tomorrow.
Turning to the never yell "fire" department, on Monday I pointed out that in addition to the News-Press, The Independent and Blogabarbara reported on the Ranch Fire. It's been pointed out to me that I should have also mentioned, Edhat, The Santa Maria Times and Santa Barbara Newsroom as having coverage of the fire as well. And speaking of Santa Barbara Newsroom, former News-Press senior reporter and current Newsroom staffer Melinda Burns notes that they could sure use a benefactor to help keep them alive. Wendy can bog down the labor board with appeals until 2009. Are there any angels out there? Have a safe and sane Fourth of July. (I always wanted to say that.)
Copy Editor Pulls News-Press' Bacon Out of Fire! Tuesday, July 3, 2007. Newspaper people work lousy hours. At a morning paper there's a lot of work to be done between 4 pm and midnight when the paper gets put to bed. And of course news doesn't just happen between 9 and 5, Monday through Friday.Last Saturday night around 6:30 pm when the Ranch Fire broke out there were no news desk editors and no news reporters on duty at the News-Press. Photographers had gotten out to the scene of the fire and brought back lots of pictures but there was no one around to write a story. Without being told or ordered to do so, because there was no one around who was in charge to give any orders, the copy desk jumped in to take up the slack. Jeff Craig, one of the copy editors on duty, volunteered to stay late and cover the story. Had he not done so, there would have been no article in Sunday's paper. That would have been quite an embarrassment when you figure that just about everybody who was in town on Saturday night had seen the smoke from the fire or witnessed the ashes falling. Copy editors are more than just proofreaders. They check facts and write headlines. Craig, who joined the News-Press after the meltdown has a lot of experience as a writer. According to his web page he's even authored a couple of books.
Yesterday I listed the names of 42 people who have left the News-Press in the year since the meltdown began. That initial list of names was taken from those posted at savethenewspress.com. Many of you reesponded to my invitation to send me omissions or corrections. Here are four more names to add to the list.
Randy Alcorn, chief financial officer (Lack Construction) That brings the total up to 46 and still counting. Still to be listed between now and the end of the week are the community columnists, the book reviewers and those who were hired after the meltdown who have since left.
I've asked a number of former News-Pressers about what life has been like since leaving, what they miss about the paper and what do they think will ultimately happen to it. Today, senior writer Melinda Burns who now writes for Santa Barbara Newsroom.
I miss the old newsroom because there were so many talented people who could fix your story or come up with a great headline or take a good photo, it made you look good. Writing for the Web, you're stuck at home alone without much help. We all know that McCaw has a lot of money. But I'll betcha Melinda Burns has more stamina.
If you're near a radio this afternoon Jerry Roberts and Lou Cannon will be interviewed on The Politics of Culture, at 2:30 pm on KCRW (106.9 in Santa Barbara) and streaming live on KCRW.com.
And yes, in case you were wondering, I will have a new blog post for tomorrow July 4th. No blogging holidays during meltdown anniversary week.
Anniversary Week. Monday, July 2, 2007. Don't expect too many jokes out of me over the next few days. This week marks the one year anniversary of the "meltdown" of the News-Press. Don Murphy, deputy managing editor resigned in the early afternoon of July 5, 2006. George Foulsham, the managing editor, quit later that afternoon.The following day, Thursday, editor Jerry Roberts, who had also tendered his resignation but had offered to stay on for 30 days to ease the transition, was escorted out of the building, having been barely given time to pack his brief case. By the end of the day, city editor Jane Hulse, business editor Michael Todd and columnist Barney Brantingham had also quit. Ever since then, scores of people have left the paper. Many voluntarily, some squeezed out, some outright fired. Each day this week I'll write about some aspect of this solemn anniversary. I thought I'd start by listing all of the names of the people who have left the News-Press. After each name I list the position they held at the time they left the paper and in parenthesis, what they are presently doing. And by the way, the names on the list are taken from savethenewspress.com which only lists those who were full-time employees and not contributors such as the community columnists or book reviewers. I will be doing updates on them later in the week.
Jerry Roberts, executive editor (publications director, Daily Nexus. UCSB)My thanks to Andrea Huebner for helping me with the information on people's current jobs and whereabouts. Feel free to send me your omissions or corrections.
An anonymous reader e-mailed me late Sunday to say; "It would be nice to recognize that the Newspress (sic) has the best coverage of the Rancho Fire. You can't deny that." Well, I don't know about that. The News-Press had an article of less than 400 words on the front page of Sunday's paper and several large photos of the fire on the back of the "A" section. The same story appeared on its website. The Independent had two articles on its website about the fire, the first one posted by J'Amy Brown at 10:22 pm on Saturday and then an update on Sunday morning. Blogabarbra also had a post on the status of the fire just after midnight Sunday morning. And of course KEYT and KSBY covered the story on their newscasts. And what about that by-line on the News-Press fire story? "J. Marshall Craig." Better known around the newsroom as "Jeff" he's not a new reporter but rather works on the copy desk and is a page designer. With no reporters on duty Saturday night, someone had to fill in and write the story. Fortunately the fire wasn't any bigger than it was. Had it been, the inability of the News-Press to cover a major disaster would have been badly exposed.
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