Posted on 07/06/2006 7:36:05 PM PDT by SmithL
Los Angeles -- Santa Barbara News-Press Editor Jerry Roberts, four other top editors and a columnist quit to protest moves by the owner that they say undermine the paper's credibility.
The editors, who resigned Wednesday and Thursday, said owner Wendy McCaw and her closest associates have become increasingly meddlesome. They also pointed to the appointment of Travis Armstong to acting publisher while he serves as editorial page editor.
"What we have as a paper to sell to people is our credibility," said Don Murphy, who was the paper's deputy managing editor. "On one hand you have someone writing editorials and on the other hand editing news stories. There is an inherent conflict."
Sam Singer, a spokesman for McCaw, said the resignations were due to differences of opinion about the paper's direction.
"She wants stronger and more local news coverage," Singer said. "They had different interests and chose to resign."
Roberts is a former managing editor and political editor of The Chronicle. In addition to Roberts and Murphy, managing editor George Foulsham, metro editor Jane Hulse, business editor Michael Todd and columnist Barney Brantingham resigned.
"I loved the job, I loved the paper and had no intention of leaving," said Murphy, who spent 19 years at the News-Press. "I just felt I had to leave."
The News-Press, founded 1855, publishes seven days a week and has a daily circulation of around 41,000.
McCaw, a local philanthropist active on environmental and animal rights issues, bought the paper from The New York Times Co. in October 2000.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
OK, I probably don't like her politics, but it's her paper, and she's free to run it as she pleases. And I'm free to ignore her and her paper.
Ping!
And the previous owner was the Slimes, so how much worse could she be? I wonder if she's related to the billionaire McCaw family...sold cell phone bandwidth or something, I believe.
Travis Armstrong is pending trial for DUI. Wendy hates hunters, calls hunting "blood sport." As if the meat on her table doesn't come from a dead animal. Yep, its her paper alright, but it sure is a mixed bag. I wish they stuck to local coverage, I personally have no need to read re-hashed NYT pulp.
Where do you begin?
That comment makes me wonder if the owners wanted the editorial staff to do boring things like attend city council meetings and interview members of the public, while the editorial staff just wanted to hang around the office and get the news off the fax machine and the AP wire, as usual.
Does that sound like sufficient justification for six employees to quit? There has to be more to this story.
Yes. Wendy received a settlement, reported at $500M, when she was divorced from Craig in 1997.
BTW - the or something is pioneered the cell phone industry.
>>And the previous owner was the Slimes, so how much worse could she be?<<
What if they let their editorial opinions effect their reporting the news - that would be awful.... :)
E & P's spin here:
Mass Exit at Santa Barbara Paper Causes Wild Scene
By E&P Staff
Published: July 06, 2006 8:45 PM ET
NEW YORK In a wild finish to a simmering "church-state" conflict, five top editors and a columnist have resigned from the Santa Barbara (Calif.) News-Press.
Editor Jerry Roberts, an industry veteran, was escorted from the building before noon, "as several staff members cried and others hurled epithets" at Travis K. Armstrong, the interim publisher who helps run the News-Press for billionaire owner Wendy McCaw, the Los Angeles Times reported.
On Wednesday, Managing Editor George Foulsham resigned, joined on Thursday by Roberts and three other editors, as well as longtime columnist Barney Brantingham.
"Journalists at the paper had greeted McCaw's purchase six years ago with relief, saying they welcomed the ascension of a local owner -- one known as an environmentalist and philanthropist," the Times' James Rainey related.
"But reporters, editors and some of Santa Barbara's most prominent citizens said Thursday that McCaw's tenure should give pause to many journalists around the country who have been pining for private owners to save them from publicly owned chains, which have been beset by budget reductions, layoffs and other woes."
Rainey quoted Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum: "When the newspaper was up for sale, we were wishing for a local owner. Now we have one, and all I can say is: 'Be careful what you wish for."'
McCaw, a strong environmentalist and animal rights backer, bought the 150-year-old paper from The New York Times Co. in 2000.
Editors who resigned this week accused her of improper meddling in editorial. "What we have as a paper to sell to people is our credibility," Don Murphy, who was the paper's deputy managing editor, told the Associated Press. "On one hand you have someone writing editorials and on the other hand editing news stories. There is an inherent conflict."
McCaw or her associates, the L.A. Times explained, "killed a story about a top editor's sentencing for drunken driving; reprimanded a reporter and three editors for publishing the address of actor Rob Lowe as part of a story about the star's attempt to build his 'dream house'; and issued a memo ordering journalists not to talk to outsiders about the newspaper's internal business.
"The ascension of a McCaw loyalist into the publisher's office late last week was the final straw for the journalists, they said in interviews Thursday."
Sam Singer, a spokesman for McCaw, said the resignations were due to differences of opinion about the paper's direction, the AP reported. "She wants stronger and more local news coverage," Singer said. "They had different interests and chose to resign."
Roberts is a former managing editor and political editor of The Chronicle. In addition to Roberts and Murphy, managing editor George Foulsham, metro editor Jane Hulse, business editor Michael Todd and columnist Barney Brantingham resigned.
"I loved the job, I loved the paper and had no intention of leaving," said Murphy, who spent 19 years at the News-Press. "I just felt I had to leave."
***
Other takes:
The LAObserved blog:
http://www.laobserved.com
The Santa Barbara Independent:
http://www.independent.com
E&P Staff
Editor Jerry Roberts, an industry veteran, was escorted from the building before noon, "as several staff members cried and others hurled epithets" ...
5 Editors Resign From Santa Barbara Paper
McCaw, a local philanthropist active on environmental and animal rights issues...
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nat-gen/2006/jul/07/070706294.html
Of course if the local coverage is nothing but biased swill, then that's not gonna help either.
It’s all fun and games until someone loses an ear.
This sounds better than all of the so called reality shows re rich enclaves in S California.
Keep us posted when more is found out.
But did he have to pay for the cardboard Kinko's box bought from CBS, used to put his pictures and personal belongings in, to be frog marched out of the building?
UPDATE: Mass Exit at Santa Barbara Paper Causes Wild Scene
By E&P Staff
Published: July 06, 2006 8:45 PM ET
NEW YORK In a wild finish to a simmering "church-state" conflict, five top editors and a columnist have resigned from the Santa Barbara (Calif.) News-Press.
Editor Jerry Roberts, an industry veteran, was escorted from the building before noon, "as several staff members cried and others hurled epithets" at Travis K. Armstrong, the interim publisher who helps run the News-Press for billionaire owner Wendy McCaw, the Los Angeles Times reported.
On Wednesday, Managing Editor George Foulsham resigned, joined on Thursday by Roberts and three other editors, as well as longtime columnist Barney Brantingham.
The newspaper, on its Web site on Friday, offered "A note to our Readers" from Armstrong, declaring, "We want to let you know that five of our editors and a longtime columnist of this paper decided to part ways with our publication." (More from the letter below.)
Journalists at the paper "had greeted McCaw's purchase six years ago with relief, saying they welcomed the ascension of a local owner -- one known as an environmentalist and philanthropist," the Times' James Rainey related.
"But reporters, editors and some of Santa Barbara's most prominent citizens said Thursday that McCaw's tenure should give pause to many journalists around the country who have been pining for private owners to save them from publicly owned chains, which have been beset by budget reductions, layoffs and other woes."
Rainey quoted Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum: "When the newspaper was up for sale, we were wishing for a local owner. Now we have one, and all I can say is: 'Be careful what you wish for."'
McCaw bought the 150-year-old paper from The New York Times Co. in 2000.
Editors who resigned this week accused her of improper meddling in editorial. "What we have as a paper to sell to people is our credibility," Don Murphy, who was the paper's deputy managing editor, told the Associated Press. "On one hand you have someone writing editorials and on the other hand editing news stories. There is an inherent conflict."
McCaw or her associates, the L.A. Times explained, "killed a story about a top editor's sentencing for drunken driving; reprimanded a reporter and three editors for publishing the address of actor Rob Lowe as part of a story about the star's attempt to build his 'dream house'; and issued a memo ordering journalists not to talk to outsiders about the newspaper's internal business.
"The ascension of a McCaw loyalist into the publisher's office late last week was the final straw for the journalists, they said in interviews Thursday."
Sam Singer, a spokesman for McCaw, said the resignations were due to differences of opinion about the paper's direction, the AP reported. "She wants stronger and more local news coverage," Singer said. "They had different interests and chose to resign."
Armstrong's letter to readers on Friday explained:
"It is important to note that newspapers, like all companies and families, have differences of opinion as to direction, goals and vision. Such was the case with our departing colleagues.
"We are fortunate in Santa Barbara to have local ownership and management under Wendy McCaw and Arthur von Wiesenberger. In far too many cities across the United States, a few newspaper chains dominate the marketplace. We are pleased to be an independent voice in Santa Barbara that provides varying and different viewpoints that are not called in to us from Back East, Down South or even another country.
"Our strength is our independence, and that independence doesn't always sit well with everyone....
"Not everyone -- journalists themselves, readers, elected officials and the public -- is going to see eye-to-eye with the manner in which news is reported by any news organization. We believe that the criticism that this paper has received, from all sides, is part of a healthy debate that is essential to providing the many different viewpoints of each and every story.
"The News-Press has thrived as a prominent institution serving this community for more than 15 decades. We intend to continue doing so."
This was interesting...
"two stories that they believe compromised the paper's ethics and pointed to the appointment of Travis Armstrong as acting publisher at the same time he was the editorial page editor...
One example the editors who resigned gave of alleged meddling was a story dealing with Armstrong's drunken-driving arrest.
The newspaper ran a story about his arrest in May over the objections of ownership, Murphy said.
A follow-up story was scrapped..."
Thanks for the link and ping:
"Jerry Roberts, a former star with the San Francisco Chronicle, has put together an impressive team of talented and hardworking reporters."
Star with the SF Gayhronicle! Give us a break. The Gayhronicle has been losing subscribers and ad buyers for a decade.
Any halfway qualified reporters were replaced by Marxist Homosexual Lunatic liars who get their wet dreams of hating Christians, Republicans and GW printed as news.
Abb, George, Liz, Milhous, Weegee, martin fierro, devolve and other MSM watchers, don't you just love a vicious cat fight between elite liberal mediots.
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