Top editors resign at Santa Barbara News-Press

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.

Everyone knows that blondes are more intelligent than mere blonds.

All the enlightened people know that if you don't use gender-neutral language, you're some sort of sexist bigot. So goodbye to blondes and brunettes, now we're all unixex blonds and brunets. The 'trixes are all 'tors, the gals are all guys. What was specific is now generic.

In every case that I can think of, the PC grammar nazis, in their desperation to avoid any hint of sexism, adopted its feminine counterpart.

At the last fulltime job I had at a magazine (hunting and fishing)one of the owners (had a small ownership interest) also owned a small chain of newspapers.

Their business was a family business. the son who will inherit most of the newspapers has a wife who is a card carrying member of PETA HSUS, and probably cheers ALF on every chance she can.

Their small daily newspapers were made to (her input into the journalism business) place a story about a lost cat, or someone abusing a dog, etc., on the front page, even if it meant a story about a sensational murder being relegated to page three or so.

Funny, though, she was opposed to animal use like hunting, eating meat, etc. (although she did enjoy the leather seats on her Mercedes), but they didn't hesitate to own a part of a fishing/hunting magazine.

Principles are very fashionable with her set, but hey, everything can be bought for the right price, eh?

So, this owner of the newspaper in this story will no doubt use this position to be an advocate for animal rights. I don't blame the staff for resigning. They probably knew a lot of embarrassment is in store for that publication in the future, just like the woman I mentioned above use to embarrass her inlaws regularly, in addition to running off a lot of advertisers.

Dave,
Saw this just now. Was out for part of the weekend.
abb

Sixth Editor Leaves Santa Barbara Paper in Raging Dispute

Published: July 07, 2006 10:00 PM ET

SANTA BARBARA Turmoil at the Santa Barbara News-Press continued Friday with the resignation of a sixth editor.

Five top editors and a longtime columnist quit earlier this week, accusing the owner of undermining the newspaper's credibility.

Sports editor Gerry Spratt, who worked at the paper for six years, stepped down Friday for undisclosed reasons, said Sam Singer, spokesman for owner Wendy McCaw. Spratt's move follows the departures of editor Jerry Roberts, managing editor George Foulsham and deputy managing editor Don Murphy, as well as the business and metro editors and a longtime columnist.

The editors said McCaw and her closest associates had become meddlesome. They cited 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.

``It's been a lot of little things that have cast long shadows,'' said Michael Todd, the business editor who resigned. ``The newsroom sanctity has been breached. We don't think it is or can be an ethical newsroom in the future.''

Singer 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.''

The newspaper acknowledged the resignations Friday in a published note to readers, signed by Armstrong.

The News-Press, founded 1855, has a daily circulation of about 41,000.

McCaw, a local philanthropist active on environmental and animal rights issues, bought the paper through her company Ampersand Holdings LLC from The New York Times Co. in 2000. Joe Cole, the newspaper's president and publisher, retired in April, and McCaw appointed herself and her fiance, Arthur von Weisenberger, acting co-publishers.

The editors who resigned cited a story dealing with Armstrong's drunken-driving arrest as an example of meddling. The newspaper ran a story about his arrest in May over the objections of ownership, Murphy said. A follow-up story was scrapped, he said.

``I loved the job, I loved the paper,'' said Murphy, who spent 19 years at the News-Press. ``I just felt I had to leave.''

Does that sound like sufficient justification for six employees to quit? There has to be more to this story.

The number is now at 8. This is a big deal here in Santa Barbara County. You are right on the money; there is so much more to this story.

I do not agree with the politics of the News Press but the way the owner is behaving is outrageous. She is an absolute tyrant.

Those who have been fired or quit have mortgages and car payments and children to support. They fully understand what they are doing.

I know who these people are and while they may be lefties they are professional journalists. The people in charge are silly mean amatuers who basically won the lottery via the owner's divorce settlement.

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