The Rest Of The Story

OH MY GOD. Is Vlad packing his bags for San Diego yet?

Shame on all of them. This paper has now reached unfathomable depths of incompetence and uselessness.

Oh, c'mon!

Just because Ahlman, the Fire Dept. Battalion Chief, sent his email message to the entire City Council and the City Administrator and his assistants does not mean this message has been forwarded to too many other people.

I anyone wants to discuss this with me, I will be in the cafe on the ground floor of the four-story mixed-use structure in the 100 block of De la Guerra Street.

I hope my GRE scores are still valid.

There it is, page 2, in today's N-P:

Correction:
Saturday's News-Press included an erroneous report on a fire in downtown Santa Barbara. The incident that took place was in fact a drill.

Problem solved! Thanks News-Press!

--virtual corrections in real time

Oops...

One obscure correction down, 23 to go. And hardly real time.

No one bothers to correct my incorrect names of people and groups, addresses, and conclusions of meetings.

Trick or Treat? Oh Val I knew you were just tricking us to see if we were paying attention, and "One person trapped inside and transported..." sure got my attention. Even on first read I thought, "Well, what's the rest of the story? Like who got transported? Where are they now? What's their condition? Where were they trapped? What happened to the building? How much was the damage? How many alarms? What do witnesses and firefighters have to say?"

But none of those Q’s answered, of course Val, because the TREAT you were planning for us was a big, huge, hilarious, laugh-out-loud Halloween guffaw! (…and, they fired Melinda?) Well, good job, Val, because we are laughing—unfortunately it’s AT you and the NP. The real trick, of course, is how you’ve kept ANY NP subscribers with this kind of jokester reporting. And, the real treat will be when you depart, having unmasked the total incompetence of the NP by displaying a new TEXT BOOK EXAMPLE of how NOT to report "Where's the fire?"

And don't forget that the "100 block of De La Guerra Street" (both of them) has no four-story buildings, although the new stucco monster on Chapala St. is getting close.

Sign Kogan "Clueless in Santa Barbara"

Once I complained about the copy desk missing corrections and typos galore were on the pages. I now long for those days because at least they got the news.

Hey people - This is shameful. Vlad is a young reporter - by all rights should be mentored by a seasoned veteran - like maybe Melinda Burns or Scott Hadly? How about taken under the wing of a real editor - Michael Todd or Jerry Roberts. Isn't that how young journalists learn their craft? Isn't the apprenticeship model one that has worked fairly well in newspapers all over the country? Hanging poor Vladimir out to dry is really cruel. Perhaps the management of this former award winning newspaper should pay more attention to developing their writers and less to trying to please their Hollywood friends.

Leave my Vlad alone and turn your bloggie attention to the real culprits - the management and the editors.

Vlad's mom,

Part of the mentoring process is also learning how much the public cares about what you write as a reporter for the local newspaper - not to mention the circumstances under which you came to the paper. In Vlad's case, he:

Made a decision to take a position of power at a newspaper in turmoil. We can only assume he was courted by management to tow the line, hence the decision not to vote in the union or otherwise engage the newsrooms struggle. I'm interested to know whether any of this assumption is true. The opposite would be that he came to the NP utterly uninformed, ignorant of the situation and thought himself such a bright star that he accepted the job offer as legitimate and fully justified.

A mixture of both is probably the case. Either way, I do agree our time is better spent ripping on Pork Sandwich Von Weasel Cracker and his lover – Scary Chicken Freak McCaw and her Shit Throwing Money Monkeys.

No faster way to learn than to have your readers hold your feet to the fire, if you will forgive the pun. Bet Val will do a bit more fact checking next time he smells BBQ smoke...

Wendy and the Dr.:

WENDY McCAW/LAURA SCHLESSINGER ONE VOICE

http://lolita-lolita17.blogspot.com/2006...

The lovers and co-publishers haven’t been “restoring” the paper’s credibility, as they claim, they’ve been destroying it.

They have moved from killing stories about McCaw’s Meltdown, to reporting on a false basil crisis, to actually making up a fire that trapped a victim – a new low in credible journalism.

Suing the Independent and firing Melinda Burns this week brings a new dark low to Santa Barbara media that will be long remembered.

They've trapped those who care in a burning building.

The 100 block of De la Guerra, hmmm. Isn't that the NP Building.

Is Vlady seeing things?

Everyone knows that the Fire Training Building is located on Old Salsipuedes (as in 'Get Out If You Can') Street.

There might be a connection to all of this.

Maybe, just maybe, good ole Vladdy's story was a cryptic cry for help. Think about it: burning building is on 100 block of De la Guerra (not quite where the N-P is, but darn close); one person trapped in burning building (Vladdy, crying for help); and puncturing a hole in the ceiling (near where the head honchos sit in the N-P building, to let out their bad smoke).
Could it be? Could someone from inside the N-P be using their own pages to publish cryptic cries for help? Maybe there is hope after all.

Maybe a Cryptic Cry for Help?, You could be onto something. Definently @ subconscious level. Who knows Vlad? A deep dream interpretation (medical&mystic)would be interesting. A legit shrink would have a field day with this whole situation and town. It's a textbook case. Mute-ish Wendy in her tower, Co-"writer"publisher and it just goes on. What's the Coolhand quote?..failure to communicate comes to mind. All these convoluted methods will continue until...?

Reinstate Melinda Burns Petition Site...
Go to:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeactio...

Please Go Now.

It's 4:10 p.m., Friday, in the News-Press newsroom. The witching hour. Who will be summoned to Yolanda Apodaca's office for the ax? Tune in at 5:00 p.m.

Let's hope none of the wretched souls who have persevered and are trying to work in the toxic dump formerly known as the N-P newsroom are canned by the dreaded Yo-Apo.

--virtual HR

Good grief... anyone notice the story on page C7 of the NP today? Headline says a former Navy football player is on trial for rape, then just below that a blurb says that a player named Colt Brennan now at Hawaii is getting national attention and there is a picture of Brennan at the top of the column just below the rape headline. Poor Brennan is not the alleged raper and has nothing to do with the headline story. Brennan is mentioned about 6 column inches down but the presentation is really skewed. A high school kid in a desktop publishing class would have done much better putting the graphics together.

Update on the Mess from the Pacific Coast Business Times.

http://www.pacbiztimes.com/index.cfm?go2...

read the last line of the article cited above... it is hilarious

Thank You to Al Bonowith for signing the Online Petition regarding Melinda Burns.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeactio...

Where'e the rest of you!

It's interesting to note in the Pacific Coast Business Times article that one newspaper -- the Santa Maria Times -- has actually gained circulation. It's also interesting that its news staff is made up of many former News-Press reporters, editors and photographers. Way to go Tom, Dave and all the rest!

Do see the Pac Biz Times article link above and here
http://www.pacbiztimes.com/index.cfm?go2...

This reveals more detail on the lawsuit where employees have not been paid overtime as required, especially that Newspress LOST THE RECORDS!

Circulation of Santa Maria Times also has increased substantially, contrary to national trends. Obviously gobbling up a bit of market share once held by the sad Newspress, but also showing that readers are welcoming the truly fair and balance treatment Santa Maria Times gives the news and opinion content, since Tom Bolton, another Newspress refugee, took over at chief editor.

Non-editing strikes again, so it's not just me.

My colleague Leana Orsua, taking a break from her chocolate fountain business, reports that Carlito's restaurant is located "on lower State Street". Here is an excerpt about this restaurant at 1324 State St., directly across from Arlington Theater:

Man arrested after restaurant incident
Leana Orsua
November 4, 2006 7:33 AM
SANTA BARBARA. A man who authorities have said has a history of run-ins with the law was arrested for the second time in two months on Thursday following an incident at a downtown eatery. An employee at Carlitos Restaurant, on lower State Street, said a man entered the restaurant Thursday...

"Lower" State, as in State goes almost to Goleta, and if you divided at about the 2000 block every address above that number would be "upper" and below that would be "lower."

Why don't we call this the "MapQuest" viewpoint?

But here is the problem: no one who has lived in Santa Barbara more than a year has EVER called anything above the 600 block "Lower" State Street.

--virtual line of demarkation

I'm with Nick, give Vlad some slack. Editors up have power. Dr. Laura gets a free pass as her moral advice is welcomed here. And her art columns show a whole new side to both Dr. Laura and Wendy. Now that they are doing local writing their influence will grow. Dr. Laura is reading and quoting theoretical physicist, Haim Harari while you discuss "upper&lower" State. Dr. Laura says "Because we are having elections that the Islamo-fascists believe will ultimately determine their hold on power, they are killing scores of their own people daily to influence the vote in the direction they believe is in their interests.(new paragraph) Make T-shirts about that!" if you read the whole piece you might get her take on what to do with art. At least, you can see her influence, Wendy, too! They're busy making tha world safe.

Craig Smith reports today that the chief editor, a Scott Steepleton, says he's not responsible for the fake fire story. Steepleton says a business editor, serving as the night editor, blew it. The "my dog ate my homework" excuse. Who's accountable to the public? The reporter? An editor? The buck ultimately stops with Wendy McCaw, who by all accounts is micromanaging from behind closed doors while remaining ever reclusive and hostile to her own employees. In the old days, the editor, meaning a real editor, maybe even the publisher, meaning a real publisher, would have written a "note to readers," explaining the screw up and promising to do better next time, to protect the newspaper's credibility. Now, what have we???

Small potatoes. Make a T-shirt!

NEWS-PRESS EMPLOYEES TO HOLD CANDLELIGHT VIGIL

Santa Barbara News-Press newsroom employees and friends will hold a candelight vigil outside the Biltmore Hotel on Saturday evening to protest the increasing attacks on journalists under the management of Wendy McCaw, the newspaper owner.
McCaw and co-publisher Arthur von Wiesenberger will be at the Biltmore on Saturday to give out “Lifetime Achievement Awards” to three Santa Barbara philanthropists. But what will be the lifetime achievement of Wendy McCaw?
In recent months, 28 journalists have left the News-Press because McCaw was interfering in the news and violating basic rules of journalism ethics. Thousands of readers have cancelled their subscriptions in protest.
Last month, McCaw broke the law and fired Melinda Burns, a 21-year veteran reporter, for leading a successful campaign in the newsroom to join the Teamsters. Through the union, the newsroom seeks to win a contract that will help restore journalistic integrity to the News- Press.
It is fitting that we hold this vigil on Veterans Day. Freedom of the press is one of our most cherished rights, and it is under siege in our hometown.
Saturday’s protest will begin at 5:15 p.m. along Channel Drive in front of the Biltmore. It will last approximately one hour.
To get to the Biltmore, take the Olive Mill Road exit off Highway 101 in Montecito and turn toward
the ocean. The road makes a right bend and becomes Channel Drive. The hotel will be on your right.

Contacts:
Melinda Burns 805-687-3130
Dawn Hobbs, reporter, 805-284-5351
Marty Keegan, Teamsters lead organizer 202-230-9794

Sara McCune is smart with loads of integrity. She’s a Trojan horse. Sara will get up to thank Wendy McCaw and the Academy and will talk about how many lives McCaw and her lover boy have wrecked and their “achievement” in diminishing truth in Santa Barbara. It’s why Sara accepted the “honor” at the Biltmore Saturday night; McCaw wouldn’t meet with Sara and her community leaders and it’s the only way for Sara to get a message across to The Wendy. McCaw will sit there, mute and steaming, and take another sip of expensive wine. The Baron will make a lame joke about the food and try to change the subject. Sara will be threatened with an insulting cease and desist letter after the fact. How could Sara do otherwise than speak the truth after passing by the reporters' candlelight vigil?

Our own media mongol continues to be the national poster child for the frights of local ownership:

From the Journalism Department of Temple University:

http://murlbuildingblocks.blogspot.com/2...

An excerpt:

“Stephen Burgard, director of the Northeastern University School of Journalism, pointed to Santa Barbara, Calif., as an example of the vulnerability of locally controlled
newspapers. At the News-Press, at least five top editors, including the editor and managing editor, resigned over interference by the wealthy copublisher, Wendy McCaw, who
bought the paper from Times Co. in 2000.

Among the incidents prompting the resignations was when McCaw stopped the publication of the drunken driving conviction of one of her loyalists at the paper. McCaw said
in an e-mail that she was merely following the paper's policy of not reporting drunken driving convictions unless injury or death was involved. They weren't in this case. "Local ownership is potentially wonderful and potentially
disastrous," Burgard said. "The question is, what is their sense of community stewardship?"”

Regarding Ms. McCune's integrity and the fanciful imaginings of commenter "Saturday Night..." above:

The rare occasions in which a person steps beyond their vanity to do the right thing brings to mind the old bromide "when pigs fly..."

--virtual aphorist

Notice Dawn Hobb’s number at the bottom of the candlelight vigil press release? Probably won’t escape Wendy’s attention. Anyone up for starting a pool about how long Dawn Hobbs will last? $10 a throw to the journalist’s fund, with the pot split with Dawn??

First spot: 4:30 p.m., Friday.

New thinking from Doc Searls about the Santa Barbara News-Press’ ignorance of the transformation of newspapering, using the Fort Myers “News Press” for comparison:

http://doc.weblogs.com/

Doc neglects to mention Wendy McCaw’s contribution in training the entire central coast how to use alternative electronic information media, including this blog.

In response to Same Old Same Old's post of Nov. 6th @ 8:14 a.m. Although I did post a correction on my blog saying that it was not Scott Steepleton who said to go with the fire drill story, I want to make it clear that Steepleton was not my source. The information came from elsewhere

It’s contagious:

"Editor Is Forced Out at Los Angeles Times"

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/07/busine...

SANTA BARBARA, CA - Nov. 7, 2007

Business Section Editor Edmond Jacoby was 'Released' from employment - Reason "I can't tell you" said Scott Steepleton.

All of the Bets on Dawn Hobbs are OFF!

I went looking for a fire but did not find one. But Jacoby made me write up a story anyway about a fire drill.

I will be gone by the end of the week too.

Word from a NP ex is that we can give Vlad his bon voyage gift(how about a fire hat?) and maybe another will walk this week too--it's about politics!

This is crazy. Mistakes happen. Yeah, we have given the newbies a hard time on the blogs but whatever happened to giving people a slap on the wrists by writing them up and giving them the opportunity to redeem themselves? Wendy has hired a bunch of kids out of college who need mentoring and the mentors have left or been fired. These kids don't have a prayer.

sorry, ex-inmate; but I have no sympathy for the "newbies" who chose to ride the tide of scabism this past summer. They can't be given the same wide berth as other entry--level folks. Vlad especially. Good riddance.

To No Tears: I speaking in terms of management policy regarding a specific incident. I was not making judgement calls regarding whether someone is a scab or not. As most of these people voted for and the Union, I really don't think you can call them scabs anyway. Are you calling the few "old timers" left, scabs? You are losing focus on the issue which is the despotic management that has caused all this. Not everyone has the freedom to just pick up and leave, even if they really hate the situation and journalism jobs are hard to come by. Just ask some of the long term employees who are trying to get out! Think of it this way, Wendy doesn't care who you are or whose side you are on, if you screw up or disagree with her, you are out of a job.

I feel so much better now that I have a Nipper keepsake.
http://www.west.net/~smith/blog/index.sh...

So will the Santa Barbara City beat now be watchless?
Independent: now is the time to hire Melinda Burns if know what is good for you!

Vlad grabbed himself by the balls, said what he had to say to craig smith, and moved on... I wish the paper could be sold so everyone else (who doesnt have vlad's maturity) could stop sitting online all night and just move on, too... I want a better paper!

The only way that will happen is the community keeps a lot of pressure on her and does not become apathetic. Sign the petition for Melinda, stop advertising in the NP, attend the vigil, keep writing in the blogs. Grass roots campaigns are powerful but only if the community has a loud, unified voice and does not become apathtic. She may have lots of money but not enough to fight a community. For those who can remember back that far, it is what made GOO so powerful so that the big oil companies had to become more enviornmentally aware. Wendy is counting on the fact that as time goes by people will lose interest and the issue will just fade away. If you care about the quality of your local paper, don't let that happen.

Except I think Spendy is narcissistic. Every time the stories starts to simmer down she does something REALLY stuuupid and re-ignites the flames.

Found this in the Nov. 9 Montecito Journal. The online version is strategically placed on the same page with a lovely photo of the Dr. Laura Action Figure.

A Reassuring Thump
At the darkest moments during the recent mass walkout and union-organizing unpleasantness at the Santa Barbara News-Press, acting publisher (at the time) and editorial page editor Travis Armstrong was under the kind of pressure few ever go through. Acknowledging the pressure was indeed intense, Travis revealed during a recent short conversation that he “put in a lot of hours” during the imbroglio and was exhausted from the effort but couldn’t sleep. “I tossed and turned until I heard the thump on my front door [of the latest edition of the paper being delivered],” he said. “As soon as I heard that,” he continued, “I knew everything was OK and was able to turn over and go to sleep.”

Travis couldn't sleep? Hmmmm, musta been worried he didn't screw up the edition enough. It's a fact he sure didn't improve it.

Travis couldn't sleep? Wasn't that what sent him the wrong way down a one-way street all those months ago?

N-P Files Another NLRB Claim; Steepleton Slags Burns

November 11, 2006 12:18 AM Eastern Time

Santa Barbara News-Press Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge against Teamsters Union for Secondary Activity

Smart Multimedia Gallery
Unfair Labor Practice Charge (Document: Business Wire)

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Santa Barbara News-Press has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the Teamsters Union for threatening and coercive secondary activities directed at its distributors in violation of the National Labor Relations Act.

The charge states that the union, through its representatives, engaged in, or encouraged others to engage in, secondary activities directed at independent newspaper distributors whose livelihoods depend on selling individual copies of the News-Press from newspaper racks. Banners calling for the cancellation of the News-Press have been placed on a local newspaper rack. Single copy newspaper racks have also been vandalized with anti-News-Press graffiti, and newspapers have been stolen from the racks.

Based on the union’s concerted and public campaign urging subscribers to cancel the paper, the News-Press believes that this theft and vandalism, which hurt its distributors, are attributable to the union.

The union's campaign against the News-Press most recently included reporter Melinda Burns’ claim that she was fired from the paper in retaliation for her role in the union campaign. This claim is absolutely false. Ms. Burns was terminated because she violated journalistic standards by repeatedly injecting personal bias into her reporting. She continued to do so for at least five years, in spite of repeated warnings by her editors that this was unacceptable. The specifics of Ms. Burns’ actions are outlined in her termination letter from Associate Editor Scott Steepleton.

Mr. Steepleton wrote, “Despite counseling, admonishment and warnings over the past five years, you have ignored this duty and consistently produced biased and one-sided reporting which promotes your own personal views. You have been given repeated warnings, and every opportunity to improve, however, you have chosen not to do so.” It is this well documented history of biased reporting that resulted in the termination of Ms. Burns.

One of the latest examples of bias includes an article Ms. Burns wrote on ballot Measure D which ended up in a campaign mailer that was distributed to thousands of voters and made it appear that the News-Press was endorsing the measure.

The News-Press has an obligation to its readers to have unbiased news reporting and could not in good faith continue to tolerate such lack of balance in reporting, particularly where it would impact an election campaign.

Contacts

Agnes Huff Communications
Agnes Huff, PhD, 310-641-2525

This is the most asinine charge I have ever read. To call Melinda Burns a biased reporter is a classic example of stupidity. I do not know Scott Steepleton, but from what I have seen he is incapable of judging the work of others, especially that of a total professional like Melinda Burns.

And just who is biased here? Melinda writes a balanced pre-election story about Measure D, a issue the News-Press editorial opposed. Who's biased?

So her story got picked up by Measure D supporters. How many candidates tout newspaper endorsements in campaigning? It is common practice for campaigns to quote from newspaper articles. The bias would fall to the supporters of the issue, not the reporter who has presented both sides.

My guess is that Wendy knows she messed up in firing Melinda so now she starts a campaign to discredit her and save herself. Well, I got news for you Wendy. It's too late.

Come on…accusing the Teamsters Union of street graffiti? Looks like an excuse to dump on a dedicated 21-year employee just before a fancy dinner, with candlelight both inside and outside the Four Seasons. Employee matters are “internal,” Wendy insists, unless she wants to slam someone unfairly, without opportunity to respond, by releasing excerpts from an employee’s confidential personnel file in a national press release. But if an employee speaks up against her publicly in a newspaper like the Indy, where Wendy can respond, bam…a lawsuit. Sick. Does the union mean anything? Isn’t the union supposed to protect employees from this kind of abuse?

A few points ...

Yes, a union is very good at protecting from this sort of illegal firing a) once its presence is certified by the feds and b) through a contract.

The newsroom has neither so far. Wendy is stalling, stalling, stalling contract negotiaions by objecting to the landslide election with the NLRB.

So... SB, cancel your subscriptions. If this downward spiral continues, you'll be doing it anyway. Do it now and you've got a chance to help end that spiral.

Secondly, this asinine charge that the union is responsible for vandalizing a newsrack is patently absurd, unless they've got some hard evidence (doubt it, where's the police report then?). These boxes are planted on friggin street corners. The whole concept behind a newspaper machine is that it's ACCESSIBLE TO THE ENTIRE POPULATION.

Note to Santa Barbara: Only an idiot would take your entire town for idiots. That's the writing to be found between the lines of that press release.

And btw, since when does a company put contents from somebody's personnel file online? In a national press release, no less. Actionable?

As a longtime observer of labor disputes, I can tell you the Teamsters have a few far more tried, true and effective -- and legal -- pressure tactics to fall back on, rather than vandalism and graffiti. Why would the Teamsters risk taking to the streets with a Sharpie?

Prediction: Charging Melinda with bias is incredibly subjective. You can't prove it. The paper is going to lose a round in firing Melinda, who will be reinstated and justly compensated.

I am amazed and astonished by the latest posting by Agnes Huff. I hope someone from the legal community can comment on the legality of publishing an excerpt from an employee's file, without fear of reprisal. I believe that there are laws regarding this and it would be a service to everyone to know these facts. What is also amazing is that this release is not only unprofessional, it shows the world how vindictive and immature Ms. McCaw is. Melinda Burns has over 20 years of experience and has won numerous awards for excellence for her writing. I don't know of any awards Ms McCaw has won for her journalistic skills. This is just another "personal" vendetta thinly veiled by Ms Huff's spin doctoring. I hope the citizens of SB will turn out in force tonight to support Melinda and the rest of the employees.

and one more thing ...

If Melinda's "bias" issues were an ongoing 5 year problem, why terminate her just days after she successfully led a union drive to victory?

I'm calling b.s.

This was a vendetta, plain and simple. Payback from Wendy for DEVALUING her "shop" as it shall soon be known by, I'm guessing, millions of dollars.

The McCaw News Press:

bling -> blang -> blop -> thud.

Kinda like the rest of her business endeavors.

Congrats to the newsroom for your 33-6 defeat of Wendy's McNews machine. I have no doubt that in due time you will reap many rewards - both journalistically and financially.

from todAy's NewsMcMess:
Turkey donations slow, Foodbank says

November 11, 2006 12:00 AM

Foodbank of Santa Barbara County has been accepting turkeys for nine days, but only 10 have been donated, officials say.

Does anyone know what happened to Scott Leyva?
He passed away in late October. Just a auntie that needs to know