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Yahoo!"To further emphasize her commitment to provide more local news in her rapidly shrinking bird-cage liner, Wendy (McCaw) has canned her five community columnists," reports Bill Macfadyen, an editor who departed the News-Press a few years ago but keeps close tabs on the current meltdown. They are Bill Etling of the Santa Ynez Valley and father of NP reporter Leah Etling, Stephen Murdoch of Montecito, Amy Orozco of Carpinteria, Rochelle Rose of Goleta and Helen Ann Thomas of Santa Maria, Bill says. All, coincidentally, were hired by former editor Jerry Roberts, who tops Wendy's hate list. Contrary to her bogus assertions that Jerry somehow resisted local news, the community columnists he hired wrote over 1,000 local articles, according to Macfadyen.
The once-steamy love affair between the NP and KEYT is also on the rocks. At one time Wendy and the late Channel 3 owner Bob Smith were pals. But since the NP editorial page "accused KEYT of conspiring with the rest of her 200 million enemies to rain on her parade," Bill points out, dark clouds have formed. The Sky Tracker forecast has disappeared from the NP weather page and will reappear on the upstart, heads-up, Santa Barbara Daily Sound free daily.
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Bummer - that's like being shot on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg - all the good statue spots are already taken.
brother bert
August 16, 2006 at 7:55 p.m.
These five community columnists were told in a short email message on Monday that their work no longer was needed. That was it. No call. No explanation. I spoke with and/or received email from three of them.
They were considered as independent contractors, but perhaps they could have been eligible to become Teamsters, but were terminated first?
Someone who knows for real can comment here.
FOT, Friend of Truth
August 16, 2006 at 11:59 p.m.
She could make you laugh, and she could break your heart: her column about her step-father leaving deserved a Pulitzer. Yet on Thursday, August 18, Starshine Roshell was informed she'd lost her column. She is still a reporter. Hell hath no fury like a Wendy scorned.
bummed
August 17, 2006 at 2:51 p.m.
correction: should read Thursday, August 17
bummed
August 17, 2006 at 2:57 p.m.
I noticed at the web site that Starshine now wrote a mid-week feature story today.
Of course, this is a continuation of the harassment of the long-term staff, all in hopes they resign and the vote to support the unionization fails.
And the little details about the content and quality of the newspress obviously are totally irrelevant to The Wendy, despite the continual say-it-until-it-somehow-becomes-true claims.
Just maybe some people actually subscribe and buy the Sunday edition just to read its content in the Voices and Business sections, and the weekly Sunday Starshine column, and more. With the bevy of rookie reporters from other States and counties now hired and writing local government and courts beats, and now a popular columnist no longer one, the content and quality keeps slipping and slipping. And this is separate from their credibility and ethics problems there.
This is not a path to success under any definition except that the goal of the newspaper is to be personal propaganda sheet unfit for even wrapping fishes.
I so hope Nelville Flynn can explain this one again, how eliminating the 5 community columnists and now the Starshine column is supposed to make the Newspress a better publication with an emphasis on local news.
First District Streetfighter
August 17, 2006 at 3:34 p.m.
To be clear, the Voices and the Business sections NO LONGER EXIST in the Sunday edition of News-Press. And the Business section in the daily edition is just a repeat of national wire stories most of the days. Slipping, slipping, slipping.
First District Streetfighter
August 17, 2006 at 3:37 p.m.
Ferrari while Rome burns: Hot off the yacht, Nero and Marie Antoinette went shopping - Wendy bought a yellow Ferrari for her boy toy, and a new Porsche for herself.
quicksilver messenger service
August 18, 2006 at 7:18 a.m.
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