BlogaBarbara

Santa Barbara Politics, Media & Culture

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Take Action: News-Press Mess Calendar

From one of our faithful readers:
=======================
News-Press watchers will be picketing in front of the N-P building
today during the lunch hour. We’re there to pressure management to
comply with the NLRB rulings and to celebrate the fired reporters’
plans to launch a news website and Channel 17 TV show. Melinda Burns
and Tom Schultz said they would be there. They are getting ready to
unveil the details of their new projects at this Saturday’s big
rally.

Today, we’re also mad about how the News-Press has been covering the
youth stabbing death. Reporter Scott Steepleton misquoted and/or
twisted the words of city councilman Grant House to the point that
House had to issue a public statement to clarify his remarks and
actions after the incident.

Wednesday, March 21, 12noon to 1 p.m., De La Guerra Plaza
--- Wake-Up Wendy Picket by Community Members

Saturday, March 24, 1:30 p.m., De La Guerra Plaza
--- Rally Organized by Fired Reporters and Teamsters

Sunday, March 25, 3 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., First United Methodist Church,
305 E. Anapamu St.
--- Town Hall Meeting sponsored by Greater SB Clergy Assn.

Wednesday, March 28, 12 noon to 1 p.m., De La Guerra Plaza
--- Wake-Up Wendy Picket by Community Members

Labels: ,

12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

What a messy post... BUI?

3/21/2007 1:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

With no qualified news reporters left, the N-P has provided only skeleton coverage of the tragedy on our coast.

There's been little written to help the community understand what happened and take positive steps forward.

Instead, what we've gotten are editorial pages with Travis Armstrong's accuse, spin and blame attacks, and letters carefully selected that support his views.

The county's self-proclaimed newspaper of record promotes hate and discord. No wonder the blogs are so full of angry comments.

Wendy and Travis, you have done so much damage.

Is that really what you want?

To rip apart this community?

3/21/2007 1:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Speaking of Steepleton, I believe that it was his article on the youth stabbing that had Mayor Marty Blum's name as "Marty Bum" a few days ago.

I don't think they ran a correction and my hunch is that the error wasn't an accident.

So I guess I should mistype his name- Scott Simpleton?

3/21/2007 3:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The NewsPress has a long history of twisting words and selectively reporting - even in the Good Old Days.

Many have had personal experiences, so they remember vividly the frustration letting a newspaper define an event or a define a person.

It was always chilling to read an interview later or see a meeting reported when one was actually in attendance and wonder if the reporter and self were on the same planet.

This makes one wary of ever talking to the press. Ever again. Once burned, twice shy.

So the new NewsPress is no better; no worse. And I hope that is something young reporters appreciate - misquote or twist your sources and your material will dry up.

It seems like everyone wanted to be a Watergate era Woodward/Berstein and approached every story and every interview as if the interviewee was lying and the institution had something to hide.

But more often, a pipe was just a pipe. Until you read about it later in the old or new NewsPress, all the sudden it was a bong. At least we know where the current management is coming from and can adjust accordingly.

Are professional journalists as objective as they make themselves out to be - and what is the true price if they are not?

It is a pleasure to see the fervor many journalist posting here use to defend their professionalism. This is hopeful.

I wish them well and hope they find a medium in which to exercise their vaunted objectivity again. It is tough getting copy out 24/7 -when every day is a deadline and by tomorrow it is yesterday's news.

Odd elixir, that printer's ink stuff. The hash of House's alleged recent statements shows the power of the press ----- and that the readership of the new NewsPress is stronger than many here want to believe.

It remains a force to contend with and a force that still intimidates and eviscerates.

3/21/2007 5:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The NewsPress has a long history of twisting words and selectively reporting - even in the Good Old Days.

Many have had personal experiences, so they remember vividly the frustration letting a newspaper define an event or a define a person.

It was always chilling to read an interview later or see a meeting reported when one was actually in attendance and wonder if the reporter and self were on the same planet.

This makes one wary of ever talking to the press. Ever again. Once burned, twice shy.

So the new NewsPress is no better; no worse. And I hope that is something young reporters appreciate - misquote or twist your sources and your material will dry up.

It seems like everyone wanted to be a Watergate era Woodward/Berstein and approached every story and every interview as if the interviewee was lying and the institution had something to hide.

But more often, a pipe was just a pipe. Until you read about it later in the old or new NewsPress, all the sudden it was a bong. At least we know where the current management is coming from and can adjust accordingly.

Are professional journalists as objective as they make themselves out to be - and what is the true price if they are not?

It is a pleasure to see the fervor many journalist posting here use to defend their professionalism. This is hopeful.

I wish them well and hope they find a medium in which to exercise their vaunted objectivity again. It is tough getting copy out 24/7 -when every day is a deadline and by tomorrow it is yesterday's news.

Odd elixir, that printer's ink stuff. The hash of House's alleged recent statements shows the power of the press ----- and that the readership of the new NewsPress is stronger than many here want to believe.

It remains a force to contend with and a force that still intimidates and eviscerates.

3/21/2007 5:48 PM  
Blogger Sara De la Guerra said...

1:24 pm -- didn't write it so I do not know but doubt it.

3:00 pm -- I heard they ran a correction.

3/21/2007 6:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If the NP continues running their bully, spin and stall and finally are out of legal options? what next? will have BC have 'earned' his money? Will they bargain, do they know the concept of good faith ? I know this topic has been blogged here before. I'm not a lawyer or union guy, but it looks like NP position, has been denied. I read the judge's decision, and it's a real reach to understand the BC version. Although I believe in the 'power of the press' Is that the same 'meteor' hit media, that I've heard so much about? has the 'meteor' hit Santa Barbara ? and what are Wendy and crew thinking?

3/21/2007 10:40 PM  
Blogger Sara De la Guerra said...

Wendy and crew have not really commented have they? BC (Barry Capello) has said the NLRB decision is a "recommendation"....talk about spin! Our good friend Nelville does not tend to comment on items such as this and it's too bad, I'd really like to hear what h/she has to say.

3/21/2007 11:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Grant House's comments have not been explained away by his "clarification"....he just fills in the gaps---something news reporters often fail to do. I'm no fan of the N-P, but to try to weave them so deeply in to the post-murder discussion, is really inappropriate. City "leaders" WERE blaming everyone and everything but their own back yard. They kind of toned it down last night, though.

3/22/2007 7:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What were Grant House's comments? - What did the NP say he said? - and what did he say clarifying what he said?

inquiring minds (or at least those not getting the NP would like to know!)

3/22/2007 8:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It is entirely appropriate to "watch" what the News-Press does regarding the serious matter of youth violence.

Wendy McCaw saw fit to fire the reporters who would have done an excellent job covering this story -- Melinda Burns, Dawn Hobbs, Camilla Cohee, or Scott Hadly know how to research, interview, analyze, and write with insight. Imagine what their stories would have been.

3/22/2007 8:42 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Barry Cappello has nothing to say about the substance of Judge Schmidt's decision. He can claim it is merely a "recommendation", but what's wrong with what Schmidt wrote? Where's the error? Most lawyers, when they say they have grounds for appeal, have to produce the grounds, put up or shut up. The truth is, there are no grounds on which to base the NP's appeal from Schmidt's decision, and Cappello, Millstein, McCandless, McCaw, Nipper and the twin proven liars, Steepleton and Armstrong, all know it. But the NP will appeal anyway, just for the bad faith fun of it. And for their trouble, the NLRB in DC will confirm they are liars, and confirm the frivolousness of the NP's legal position. So, Millstein and Cappello, where are those helpful "facts" you kept promising people would come out?????

3/22/2007 1:06 PM  

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