Daily Sound Puts Craig Smith and Three other Columnists on "Hold"
It's an interesting euphemism to say that four columnists were "put on hold" at The Daily Sound yesterday. Craig Smith writes about it as honestly as possible considering the circumstances. He even shows a "jailbreak" screenshot of an email on his iPhone on T-Mobile.
Like Craig, I wish the best for The Daily Sound and hope this doesn't signal bad tidings for Santa Barbara's other daily newspaper.
Like Craig, I wish the best for The Daily Sound and hope this doesn't signal bad tidings for Santa Barbara's other daily newspaper.
Labels: Craig Smith, The Daily Sound
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 1/29/2008 08:30:00 PM
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22 Comments:
Loretta Redd and Cherie Rae are great columnists and the only reason I go out of my way to find a Daily Sound - the days the are in. (Tuesday and Friday)
Bring 'em back!
I think he did a photoshop number on that screen shot.
I think the sound did the right thing. More content and less hot air!
People who care if any of the several newer media blogs or electronic newspapers need to take a closer look. The Daily Sound, Noozhawk, edhat santabarbarablog, etc simply report the regurgitated news or start or repeat emotional and gossip-like "stories." There are no investigative reports published that mean anything to anyone and all are simply competing for their marketshare of advertisement dollars. There is no difference between the above mentioned "new media" or the "old media" know as the News Press and Independent.
Recently saw a Northern California freebie newspaper weekly using "news an review" in its title, just like the old Independent was the "News and Review".
Same format as our local Independent, same graphics and layout. Is our beloved Independent actually a chain newspaper? Do they buy the layout and fill in only local content? Or do they sell the layout to other papers. It was odd seeing this weekly look so familiar, so far away.
Walter C.:
That's not correct about Noozhawk only doing "regurgitated" stuff. On Sunday, Noozhawk had an excellent article by Rob Kuznia on the PC and the General Plan. ( click here ) There has been much more - Kuznia's writing is always good and interesting, often investigatory.
Colby Frazier at the Sound has also done some good reports. However, the Daily Sound is disappointing overall, imho. Cheri Rae asks important questions; Loretta Redd occasionally also - other than that it's weak, perhaps reflecting the original stated intention of having the Readers' Digest model of news. Only edhat is an aggregator, "regurgitator", of others's news items, leavened with pretty pictures. With so many different online reports it's important to have that source.
Paraphrasing slightly, we get the media we deserve - although what have we done to deserve Ms. McCaw and the newsless press and her Armstrong?! - and unless we support Noozhawk and the news at the Independent and Sound we will be ignorant and overrun, even more so, by special interests and "our" "leaders" and their staff.
City Watcher
Your characterization of the media is generally sound but you should have mentioned that Noozhawk is nothing more than a shill for the Chamber of Commerce. The biased reporting from that source needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
we will be ignorant and overrun, even more so, by special interests and "our" "leaders" and their staff.
Will be? You already are!
Please PLEASE, everyone, stop using the word "bias" AS IF...
For instance, for Kuznia to create well written and informative stories out of thin air every day on a deadline, which he does very well, disallows him from covering every single tiny angle. There just aren't enough hours in the day. If you were actually reading his stories, you'd recognize that in spite of the challenge, he presents zero bias, unless you really, really want to find it - and this can be said of anything ever written ever - (i.e. He didn't sit down and talk to X,Y,Z for three hours and include 1,600 words of history, etc.) IT'S A DAILY NEWS STORY. Learn how to read your news sources. If you want absolute, comprehensive tit for tat on every nuance, nook and cranny of a subject, read news reports and several thick books on said subject. But to call the reporting a very astute pro like Kuznia does biased is to comprehensively lack an understanding of his job - to provide accurate information every day - in the case of Noozhawk, for free, for you to absorb however you'd like - on a daily grind.
Two links below to substantiate Walter C and Anon 1/30 8:21 comments. The Noozhawk is doing it's job to fill the NewsPress post and pre-meltdown shoes. The continuing tradition of the Chamber's self congratulatory and wealthy ruling elite machinations must be reported in a good light.
http://www.noozhawk.com/local-news/unedited/csbia-honors-regional-business-movers-and-shakers.html
http://www.noozhawk.com/local-news/general-news/cottage-begins-push-to-finish-fund-drive.html
8:21, Didn't/don't know that about Noozhawk - I know that the owner MacFayden (not sure this is the correct spelling of the former Beacon owner's name) spoke in favor of the Bacara amendments in the Goleta Gen. Plan, that is, having the city of Goleta pay for what the Bacara wants.
However, I respect Kuznia's reporting and the other news stories also --- and have not seen a slant in the news towards the chamber of commerce.
Point it out, please?
anon. 1:25 - I don't think so or at least I hope and try not to be, although without consistently good, thorough press coverage, we're all ignorant of what's going on. You, too, unless you're part of that group and, even then, the parts can't know the whole. So, what's your solution or suggestion?
Personally, I think Craig Smith needs to be taken down a notch or two. His perception of his own importance is a bit off. I know we can choose not to read him, but it is like watching a train wreck in slow motion at times. The guy really has a pumped up idea of himself and how much people think his views really matter. I read him for the "what will this guy say next" entertainment value just like I read the Britney Spears reports.
The Daily Sound had such promise...an alternative to the NP, but with so many columnists (even after letting four go), there just isn't enough news to interest me. I pick it up for the crossword puzzle and rarely look at the other pages.
I like Craig Smith's blog (he's especially good at interpreting the legal implications of the McCaw-News Press freak show) but I would never confuse it with journalism. Craig's main flaw is that he's so desperate to be liked. I look upon him as the Bob Giuliano of SB bloggers.
I'm sorry. but I can't take seriously anything with a name as silly as NOOZHAWK.
Does anybody agree?
I agree with 2/1 9:16 The NOOZHAWK name is silly.
re: CS comments. If you can't say anything nice, perhaps not saying anything at all is the way to go? Smith does this community a great service, and is entirely uncompensated for it. Thanks, Craig!
Macfadyen, the Noozhawk guy, is a rabid conservative way to the right of even Bush. Plus, he's the chairman of the Goleta chamber, and has grabbed his ankles for Bacara and the rest of the developers waiting to rape the Good Land. He's a political hack first, a would-be master of the universe second and a journalist third. Never forget.
http://www.noozhawk.com/local-news/general-news/why-i-support-....html
The above link is a Kunzia credited article introduced by Macfadyen himself and he states that "Late last month, we sent out our Rob Kuznia to track down ordinary Democrats and Republicans" and the first "ordinary" is Karla Armendariz. Is Karla Armendariz not the wife of the Carpenteria councilmen and the leader of pro-growth associations that bestowed Macfadyen with an award recently (see the link self-congratulatory entitled link below.)
http://www.noozhawk.com/local-news/unedited/csbia-honors-regional-business-movers-and-shakers.html
Mr. Moreno has Macfadyen pegged. Except for one thing: He's not a journalist at all. Political hack? Probably. Entrepreneur? Certainly. Would-be master of the universe? Perhaps. But a journalist: No way. He survives on his family's money and has crashed and burned at everything he's undertaken.
About the "If you can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all" That is exactly why Craig Smith is a train wreck in slow motion. He often doesn't have anything nice to say, but yet he blogs on and on. Surely we can comment on that. As far as him doing this community a service, he does entertain us.
Craig Smith's column is more than just entertainment. He has had the courage to print the no holds barred truth about the Newspress mess. Many others, like Barney, have been forced to be silent but Craig has spoken out in the best Santa Barbara tradition. I am proud that we have an individual in town who can and will report the facts of this case. Of course, those with an agenda will then attack him, which is happening, but I hope he doesn't let the slimey ones discourage him.
To 6:53
Disagree here. Craig Smith seems like a journalist to me and he has not been silenced like so many others. I applaud his reporting of the Newspress mess and hope he keeps with all the insights and news.
Have to wonder if subtle influence has been brought to bear, as he must be a thorn in the side of McCaw and her sycophants.
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