Media
It’s rare that a news source becomes the news itself, but that is precisely what’s happened with Santa Barbara’s only daily newspaper, the Santa Barbara News-Press (steadily dropping circulation now at 25,563 compared to 41,000 a few years ago). In 2000, Santa Barbarans were thrilled when local billionaire and environmentalist Wendy McCaw purchased the paper from the New York Times Co., which had been running it since 1985. Changing ownership from a large conglomerate to an independent bucked the trends in media. But the change in ownership came at a cost, one that made national news (Vanity Fair wrote an exposé on it), and the story behind the squabble has been made into a documentary film.
The newspaper hit a snag, shall we say, when editors accused McCaw of meddling in editorial decisions. In less than a year’s time, over 35 editors and reporters quit or were fired, leaving a newspaper that is strangely devoid of journalists and news.
For years, Santa Barbarans have been proud of their hometown newspaper. Now locals are hoping the fracas will be resolved soon so they may enjoy their hometown paper once again.
Where this will end, no one seems to know, as the feud between the journalists and their union officials and Wendy McCaw and her company, Ampersand Publishing LLC, and her copublisher/fiancé, Arthur von Wiesenberger, is being dueled out in the courts.
Name: no value!
City: Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Media
Telephone: (805) 564-6001
Address: 411 E. Canon Perdido, Ste. 2
Insider Pick:
Description: When the big presses start having difficulty, the little presses have an opportunity to jump in. That’s exactly what Jeramy Gordon, president and CEO of NORDROG Publications and editor and publisher of the Santa Barbara Daily Sound, did. He launched the first edition of his tiny but mighty newspaper on March 23, 2006, and has successfully printed a free paper ever since. Delivered throughout town, this newspaper offers a quick snapshot of the daily news and includes favorite Santa Barbara journalists, including humor columnist Leslie Dinaberg and man-about-town Michael Bowker. The paper is published Tuesday through Saturday and can be found at local cafes and newsstands.
Name: no value!
City: Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Media
Telephone: (805) 564-6001
Address: 411 E. Canon Perdido, Ste. 2
Insider Pick:
Description: The Santa Barbara Daily Sound decided in 2011 to shake up the town of Montecito a bit by introducing a new weekly paper delivered to homes in the 93108 zip code. A roster of regular columnists and news reporting brings more news to this tony neighborhood.
Name: no value!
City: Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Media
Telephone: (805) 413-1141
Address: 3717 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Insider Pick:
Description: Although published out of Westlake, some miles down the road but also within the 805 area code, this attractive informative free glossy covers the best of the region, including Santa Barbara, Ojai, and Ventura, and their motto, “living the good life in the 805,” includes profiles in fashion, shopping, people, events, restaurants, home design, and more. Distributed free to shops and available at all Vons grocery stores.
Name: no value!
City: Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Media
Telephone: (805) 682-8335
Address: 1144 Edgemound Dr.
Insider Pick:
Description: This handy palm-sized magazine highlights Montecito’s scene with its well-written text and beautiful, full-color pictures. A quick thumbing through gives you a glimpse of Montecito’s history, real estate, shops, galleries, restaurants, and entertainment. It’s distributed free and is available by subscription.
Name: no value!
City: Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Media
Telephone: (805) 965-5999
Address: 2064 Alameda Padre Serra, Ste. 120
Insider Pick:
Description: Santa Barbara Magazine is a slick, five-issues-a-year glossy showcasing the well-to-do. In addition to several feature stories and columns about local people, celebrities, and events, you’ll find a large section of ads for Santa Barbara estates, private schools, art galleries, expensive automobiles, fine jewelry, and upscale shops.Its regular features, “SB Buzz,” “SB People,” “Art Scene,” “Bits + Bites,” and “Getaways” highlight people, fashion, places, and events the “average Joe” can only dream about. With its outstanding photography, it’s an excellent depiction of Santa Barbara’s elite.
Name: no value!
City: Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Media
Telephone: (805) 563-6780
Address: 1525 Veronica Place
Insider Pick:
Description: This well-written quarterly glossy Santa Barbara lifestyle magazine is always a welcome read. In addition to the buzz on the local dining and bar scene, the magazine presents entertaining articles on food and wine trends, family issues, and home improvement. It also profiles local artists and recipes from restaurants around town. Free deliveries to selected homes, bookstores, premium hotels, and bed-and-breakfasts in the greater Santa Barbara area and beyond. A new publication, Breathe In, debuted in 2011 covering fitness, beauty, health, and travel.
Name: no value!
City: Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Media
Telephone: (805) 564-8804
Address: 829 De la Vina St., Ste. 210
Insider Pick:
Description: The informative articles in this sophisticated quarterly spotlight Santa Barbara’s history, architecture, culture, and natural beauty. A multiple award winner, Santa Barbara Seasons has a circulation of 36,000 with an estimated readership of over five times that. You’ll see why when you pick up a copy for yourself.
Name: no value!
City: Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Media
Insider Pick:
Description: “Covering Santa Barbara Law and Media like a Wet Blanket” is Craig Smith’s tagline. His repartee and keen political conclusions are what has earned Smith, an attorney and professor, accolades in the community. He loves to give his perspective on events around town, with an emphasis on covering local media, but does go quirkily astray at times.
Name: no value!
City: Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Media
Insider Pick:
Description: Log on and you’ll get a very local glimpse of what’s happening in Santa Barbara, from the citizen’s point of view (ofttimes irreverent and wacky).
Name: no value!
City: Santa Barbara, CA
Category: Media
Insider Pick:
Description: Keep informed on what’s going on politically and culturally on this online news source. Good reporting from on-the-beat writers and photographers under the watchful gaze of longtime publisher/editor Bill Macfayden.