Travis Armstrong Is Outta There

I am glad to see Travis go and sorry to see what has happened to the News Press. I also get a little disturbed everytime I see people at the Indy get on a moral high horse about the News Press over "committing the journalistic sin of mixing the opinion side of the paper with news".

There's a lot of reasons to dislike Wendy and the going ons at the NewsPress, but people in glass houses like those who work at the Independent should be careful about which stones they throw.

Armstrong may have been passionate, but he was factually and analytically challenged, and not a particularly good writer. Poison pen tirades are a lot more persuasive and worthwhile if they are delivered with eloquence, wit and originality. Trav was oh for three. If he were the least bit fair-minded, he would have had to at least raise questions about the benefactor Randall von Wolfswinkel's largesse lavished upon the conservative candidates in the City race, and he took a pass. He was a conspiracy theorist of the worst sort, and two NLRB administrative law judges found him to be a liar under oath. He will not be missed.

A dark cloud hanging over the cities has been lifted, hopefully to never happen again.

The News Press is and was biased, the Independent is biased. But we need an alternative to the Independent that does not blame all the problems in Santa Barbara on evil "Anglos". Noozhawk is doing a much better job than the Independent or News-Press in covering both sides of controversial issues like immigration and environmental regulation.

... and with a more judicious use of language.

There is a awful lot of vitriol and sulfurous hot air here. Methinks maybe the man protesteth too much ?

It would be nice if we started getting along with the people at the local level leading the way. I think all media is too polarized but I guess that is what sells.

Right on! This supporter of animal rights and wildlife protection has been almost silenced by not wanting to be in the same company.

Those who hail the Jerry Roberts era forget that an awful lot of people then criticized the News-Press; that was when the term "News-Suppress" was first used. It was just that the voices belonged to different people. Criticism goes with the media territory.

Sorry citti, I've been reading the N-P since 1964, and that "News-Suppress" trope was around decades before Jerry Roberts was hired, from at least the McLean (sp?) days.

But I'm with JoeHill: Travis was a particularly inept writer, a flimsy editorialist, but a devoted lap dog. And I thought Wendy was an animal lover!

Wendy McCaw still owns the paper and is calling all the shots. What makes those who are celebrating Armstrong's departure think that whoever she puts in his place will be any different from him?

I was on the ground floor (literally and figuratively) when all this misery started with McCaw's firing of Allan Parsons. Amazingly, some of the News-Press people who were later fired didn't see it coming despite the signs having been there from the day McCaw took over the paper.

"Schadenfraude" is the word that comes to mind when I see the cheering that is going on with Armstrong's departure.

Perhaps the Santa Barbara News-press end of De la Guerra Plaza should be renamed "Peyton Place," or "The Bully Pulp-ette," in keeping with the oppressive management and ever-waning circulation.

Thanks "web admin" for pointing out "the wall"...lots of folks don't know about it.
See "Citizen McCaw"...the film...nice doc about all of this...and description of "the wall" is quite informative.
My family was once attached to the News Press....what a stinking-crying shame...we should call it the "SB Fishwrapper"
At least then it would be useful!

Bill Clausen, you say Schadenfreude, I say come-uppance.

But I think Joe Hill hit the nail on the head. Armstrong's vitriol and venom played smokescreen to his shocking mediocrity as a writer and serious shortcomings as a local citizen.

I think it's sad that there were still people in town who were fooled, likely by virtue of having a similar agenda, into thinking that he ever really had anything intelligent to offer.

In a larger town, he'd never have had the chance to write more than one or two of his "articles" before being run out on principle....pick ANY principle. That he was able to last so long here says a lot about the SBNP, McCaw and even those among us who still supported this mess of a paper.

It is happy news he's leaving. Watch out Palm Springs!

I was motivated to write something because TA bothered me so much but JoeHill said all I could so just "ditto."

@Binky - thanks for the correction. I liked the NP very much during the Roberts' several years and was surprised at those calling it News-Suppress and thought it started then.

As for the line between editorial/news, it seems to be fuzzy for most newspapers, unfortunately. Surely, when Nick Welsh writes the Poodle and also writes news analyses/stories, there's a question raised. That's certainly so for those who do not share the Indy's editorial viewpoint. But I think it's a given: I gave up my subscription to the News-Press because of the one-sidedness of it.

Where Armstrong and the paper went over the line was in such sneers as recently against Pritchett and all the time against the female politicos, Iya excepted, and the refusal to publish all the news (as the massive amount of money by Wolfswinkel) and opinions. I am glad he quit but, indeed, he was but McCaw's servant and whoever comes next will say similarly but, hopefully, less nastily.

Webadmin: I know all about the lines of journalism and could point out examples of the straight reporting and opinion mixing at the Independent. You also should consider the code of ethics put forth by the Society of Professional Journalists as a useful tool.

I in know way consider the Independent to be as bad as the News Press, but I also won't give you a pass just because you have been the opposition to the News Press. The situation at the SBNP is sad because it had some very talented writers and used to be a much better publication, while its good Travis is gone I am dubious about how much real change it will bring.

Here are two articles written by Independent staff that are clearly biased, the first in favor of illegal immigration, the second against whites. The first article lacked balance in that it interviewed a select group of illegal aliens whose stories are certainly sympathetic, but made no mention of the broader adverse impacts of illegal immigration on crime or our educational system. The article about Harding school was especially noxious because it accused white parents of racism, without interviewing any who had chosen to remove their kids from the school.

http://www.independent.com/news/2008/nov...

"the racism-loaded reality of being abandoned by families that live within walking distance of the school’s front doors"

http://www.independent.com/news/2009/jun...

I realize the interviews in the article "Voices rarely heard" were taken from a book, and not conducted by the Independent. But the intro is written by Independent staff, and the article is labeled as a "Cover Story" and not as opinion.

Ms. McCaw seems to work hard at making people not like her. That said, shedding dead wood like Barney was not a bad move, unionizing a newspaper is hardly in the best interest of its readers, and Mr. Armstrong's willingness to take on issues like abuse of taxpayers' $$ is something I wish I had thanked him for. It's a good point made, however, that Armstrong tended to personalize issues. Not that anyone pretends any longer that there is objectivity in journalism...

Is McCaw going to voluntarily reinstate all those who were fired?...Is she going to compensate all who were fired for the inconvenience of having their lives disrupted? Sure, it's a rhetorical question.

This reminds of all those who gave tons of energy venting against Karl Rove. When Rove left the White House nothing changed and those who didn't like Rove were hit with the reality that Bush was still in power.

It would be one thing if McCaw had fired Armstrong because of public pressure demanding change in policy, but from what I see, this is simply of case of internal politics and/or personalities clashing and in no way reflects and substantial change at the News-Press.

Pretty soon the racial problems of Santa Barbara will be no more when the oceans rise running out the humans and we sea creatures will take over. Enjoy it while you can people because you have really made a mess of things!

P.S. Q: Why are we dolphins so smart?
A: Because we always travel in schools.

I dont agree with Revisionists above's comments on the first story as the article was clearly coverage of the book that was being published, and therefore the emphasis should be on that not on the wider debate about immigration.

The second article though the revisionist does makes a valid point about attributing behavior not in evidence. That line should have either been backed up or edited out. While I would tend to disagree on Revisionists point of view in many of their postings, I do think its a valid criticism of bad writing in the second instance.

I'm surprised Webadmin couldnt acknowledge that was a poorly written choice, choosing instead to attack the commenter reminding one of Travis perhaps with the "pretty sure you have their number" dig. Whether or not you you have their number or they proved their point to your satisfaction perhaps you should consider and be concerned by the fact that line was included in the story in the first place. While I agree it would be erroneous to imply the comment was a attack on Anglos, IT DID however IMPLY that those who had withdrawn their children did so for racist reasons whatever race, color, or creed the nearby parents are.

In terms of your statement to me I said, "I" meaning myself personally do not give the Indpendent a pass for bad journalism or flaunting the rules simply because its not as bad or as flagrant a offender as the SBNP. I am referring to staff adopting that posture in print of a moral highground when referring to others "journalistic sins". I would like to see better adherence and quality from both publications. Here is a few items for your consideration:

The SPJ's code of ethics states:
"Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing" The KEYT bashing story that ran after the fires about residents being upset Palmenteri was doing liveshots from their house. Yes the Independent retracted/clarified it after the fact but not with the same prominent placement it gave the story initially. I find it impossible to believe that no one at the Indy had JP's or other staffers cellphones and couldnt have just called him, or that the article even went to print without a editor verifying the original article.

Another specific of their code of ethics: "Journalists should:
-Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
-Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
-Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity."

It does not seem the has Indy been vigilant about enforcing those rules among staff. They even had (recent past tense at this time) a writer on the news side who has been active in local campaigns and who the Independent itself described as "half of a activist power couple". Refer to the above three points...not adhering to those is just not done by papers who subscribe to the ethical guidelines, the AP has gone so far as to tell its people not to tweet, or post facebook personal comments about politics and other such subjects.

The Poodle which I enjoy, as it always seems to be a well sourced, not meanspirited column is not so great when its reporting straight news as the barking tends to carry over. Is he a columnist or a reporter? If there was such moral outrage that Travis could straddle the line you would think the Independent wouldnt cross that or would at least clearly identify the difference? And Nick isnt the only one where barking can make it into what should be a straight news story. (cont)

(cont)

I like the Independent, sometimes there are some real home runs, not just in story choice but in the overall writing, and quite a few fine columnists at the paper. However there seems to be a disregard at times for the basic ethical standards which is why it would seem hypocritical to attack the News Press on those grounds (there are lots of other reasons to attack them). I would hope the News Press improves, and while the Indy has far less improvement it would be nice to see some closer adherence to the rules of journalism rather than just point out the News Press's failings.

Sewanee, you are wrong to say that unionization is not in the best interests of readers. Reporters, copy editors, photographers and other newsroom staff who are confident that they will not be trifled with, threatened or fired for fictional and illegal reasons (as has happened with no fewer than nine pro-union reporters in the last three years), and don't have to worry about the politics of the editorial page while doing their jobs, are more likely to conscientiously produce a quality product. The News-Press management has repeatedly made public statements about how important it is that the owner and co-publishers stay the heck away from the news-gathering and writing, only to come down with a heavy and arbitrary hand whenever the mood strikes them. Woe unto any reporter who seems to Wendy to favor City government over business, immigrants, traffic-calming strategies, or measures to protect babies from coyotes in Hope Ranch. If the journalists at the News-Press had basic union contractual protection as is enjoyed by most major newsrooms in this country (e.g., WaPo, Baltimore Sun, NYT, etc. etc. etc.), the readers as well as the reporters would benefit.

If ONLY someone else would buy out Miz Ex-Trophy Bride and return the NP to its former, reliable state. I suspended our family subscription of 55 years because I couldn't bear the Armstrong vitriol nor the McCaw bullying. I learned to read on the NP and I miss the poor old thing terribly. But McCaw certainly doesn't need _my_ money, and I have better things to do with it. Poor Old News-Press. . . I mourn for what we have lost.

The sad fact is that the News Press is on a continual downward spiral that cannot be stopped... declining circulation, declining advertising sales, virtually zero employee morale or loyalty, poor upper management whom have almost zero communication with the owner... it's very sad to see an icon of Santa Barbara slowly disappearing.

Remember that Wendy's decisions have negatively affected so many peoples lives...many whom once cared deeply about the place they once worked.

She cares so much about animals....what about the human beings she hurts?

This bitter and rambling ( where has the art of precis gone?) article, echoes the small minds of a town that has grown but can't throw off it's provincial shackles. I'd take an animal over a human being any day.

"great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people". Eleanor Roosevelt.

When will Wendy finally get the point that she's not liked at all here in S.B.County and that she is solely to blame to turning a once viable local paper into the "fish wrapper" it is today?

Time to sell, Wendy!

Take the small amount you'll get, buy some holiday decorations for the yacht and sail off to wreck another community, but Get the Heck Out of Santa Barbara!

The demise of the NP has moved Santa Barbara more quickly to what appears to be the future of journalism. I have been forced to rely on the web to get my news.

The Independent has done a fabulous job with its web coverage, and it's now the first place I turn. Then I consider other news sources to balance Indy's point of view to form my own opinion. This includes (non-exhaustive list), the wonderful EdHat aggregation for source material, Noozhawk, several bloggers and Daily Sound.

Kudos to all local media sources who have stepped up to the plate to give us news when the NP imploded!

I miss the print media, but then it is inevitable that it will go away, and the Indy is well positioned for web only journalism.

Webadmin, you're being awfully defensive. While the Indy has improved dramatically over the past several years, you really do exhibit bias in some articles. No, I'm not going to quote specifics to you - others have already done so. Just admit you're not perfect and move on.

my, my fellows...i have enjoyed reading all this and wonder how you all have the time?! (i know, you ask, what about the time i took to read it all...)

just say GREAT that Travis is moving on! and re-read sbron: "...Kudos to all local media sources who have stepped up to the plate to give us news when the NP imploded!" well said

i am hoping for a new owner one day to bring back the NP so i can re-subscribe and be up to date on local goings on

Webadmin, this kind of arrogance - your categorical "you are wrong..." is what is so frightening about what passes for journalism these days. You illustrate my points right on cue.

I would love to view the Independent as a credible news source as much as anyone else, but the sour, biased, knee-jerk anti-McCaw (hey, she does seem determined to be a neo Margaret Hamilton but you should be better than that!) continues to rule the day and waste the young talent that comes your way.

In YOUR opinion, I am wrong as regards unionization. You - and I - are entitled to our opinions, but opinion should not pass for journalism, and that is the folly that will keep the Independent (sadly) mired in a B- grade tabloid-grade category for this reader.

Really, there's only one thing left to say. In the immortal words of Jane Hulse, "F&%$ you, Travis -- and goodbye."

The most hated man in town? Let's think outside the play pen. Clearly there are a few before Travis eligible for this new category in the Independent's yearly exercise. Newspapers are supposed to relate the news, and even retired semi- reporters can quit chewing over the tired old stuff and get off their behinds now and again.

If Wendy is cleaning house, Arthur better watch his back!

HAHAHA! :) henry

Travis...don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out.

Good riddance!!!!!

I second Samuel:

"This bitter and rambling ( where has the art of precis gone?) article, echoes the small minds of a town that has grown but can't throw off it's provincial shackles. "Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people". Eleanor Roosevelt

SB looks great from the outside but it needs a lot more than Botox these days to keep her (ideas) beautiful.

Wendy McCaw: The Maleificent of journalism. Evil personified.

Simple enough. Travis's mood changed when he and his friend decided to move to Palm Springs. He realized he was leaving. He got fired so he could collect unemployment insurance. Who will hire the guy now? Good planning. This paper could contact him to see if he would write about his past experiences with the News Press. It would be nice to hear from another rebel.

Instead of concentrating on McCaw bashing why not do something useful for a change?
The owner of a newspaper has right to run it the way he or she seems fit. They have the right to control it's content and personnel under the guarantees of the First Amendment. [ McDermott v. Ampersand Publishing LLC, Central District of California, No. CV08-1551 (2008) ] Appeals failed.
In her editorials in the News-Press, Mrs. McCaw is a strong defender of animal rights, arguing against whaling operations and a federally funded hunt to kill feral pigs on the Santa Barbara Channel Islands. In recognition of her work, Ms. McCaw has received several awards including the 2004 Michael Douglas Philanthropist of the Year Award and in 2005 the Humane Society of the United States honored her at the Genesis Awards for "Outstanding Newspaper Editorials," citing an outstanding collection of 44 editorials presenting important animal issues in need of public attention and effecting change in the process. Obviously Mrs McCaw does not waste her spare moments on idle mendacity. She leaves that to the local experts.

WebAdmin - How about a few facts on which way the Indy swings politically. Lets look at the past 4 years of Indy political endorsements:

Nov 2009: Dem 4, DTS 0, Rep 0
Nov 2008: Dem 15, DTS 1, Rep 1
Nov 2007: Dem 3, DTS 0, Rep 0
Nov 2006: Dem 11, DTS 0, Rep 2

4 year total: Dem 33, DTS 1, Rep 3

That is pretty consistently one sided...surprise us every once in a while!

This chestnut still running on the front page? Guess the small minds need their moments of glory. Kick around a man long enough and who knows, one day it could make one look really good. Only by then the object of one's gall has happily moved on and out of the mud puddle. And then guess who is trapped in the quagmire of his own making ?

On the first anniversary of Obama's landslide, Hope comes once again to Santa Barbara.

"Wendy, I'm home." -J. Nicholson, "The Shining"

Goodbye and good riddance, Twavis. As one responder far above alluded to: He was an amateur writer at best.

I would add that he was a sophomoronic poo-flinger happy to smear whatever his laptress Wendy McCaw ordered him to smear, ingloriously covering himself in its clingy scent.

I will continue NOT to buy or read the SBNP so long as McCaw and her juggling gigolo, Artie von Weaselburger, have anything to do with it.

Her paper is a joke.
They are a joke.
And all HER money can't rewrite the punchline.

Let us hope that Weaselburger is appointed the new SBNP editor so he might wow us with his underwhelming prowess as he transitions from badly reviewing where to get a decent taco al pastor to wrongly assessing the viral distemper among the restless natives of Santa Barbara.

Enjoy the festooned desert slums of Palm Springs, Twavis. Say hello to the ghost of Ol' Blue Eyes and anyone else who thinks that Disneyesque town still has some measurable cachet. You'll thrive quite well there, I'm sure.

Well, at least he won't have to pack up his dignity. Who will Wendy find for her next lapdog? Now the paper has even lost some of it's comic relief with the departure of Travis. Maybe if he goes to work for AP we will see him back on the pages of what was once our flagship rag...

Word has it, Wendy caught Travis teaching Arty how to "drive" down one-way streets.

Let's take the political bias argument to its logical conclusion: How often do you see The Independent, the L.A. Times, the News-Press, or any other paper endorse candidates from anything other than the Democrat or Republican parties?

I read the NP nearly everyday, and I'm not sure why. Today I picked it up and as I do everyday I just shook my head at the lack of local news coverage. I am an ardent reader of the opinion pages, but once or twice reading Travis' peices was enough, although like many his work on officials salaries was a good one and was the only instance that I thought he did a good job. And dear Lord, all the animal stories and animal editorials are driving me nuts! The other day they had an animal story (concerning killing of the bear) that jumped to three pages! I mean, animal rights is cool and all, but is that the most pressing issue in our community? I think Barney is dead on when he compares McCaw's paper to the early Chandler's LA Times - but McCaw's legacy will never be as profound as the Chandler's.

anyone else notice that webadmin is as wedded to his views as Travis was?

Yes, it's called freedom of the press. :-) However, after reading through this rambling column,a clumsy coup de grace delivered with a hack saw; and the even worse comments it attracted from a cross section of this town I plan to renew my subscription to the News Press and take my chances. It cannot be worse than this. General Harrison Gray Otis purchased the LA Times in 1881, after his failed attempt in 1876 as Editor of The Santa Barbara Press. The biggest crook imaginable he was the great grandfather of Otis Chandler and hated the unions. Otis Chandler himself, sadly unable to control his warring relatives retired, ushering in the end of a dynasty and the eventual demise of the Los Angeles Times as we knew it..

"Anyone else notice that webadmin is as wedded to his views as Travis was?"

Yes this is true, but to The Independen'ts credit they allow those of us who have different views to post our feelings where (as far as I know) the News-Press has never done that.

"Twavis"? Nice gay slur, Draxor.

Since some of you have made reference to articles about animals. I suggest sending out a Dolphin Whisperer to interview us...THAT would be compelling news. Since we're speaking about animals, if the owner of the News-Press were a bird, would she be named Wendy Macaw?

" 'Twavis"? Nice gay slur, Draxor. ' "

I say Draxor is innocent until proven guilty. When I see "Twavis", the only thing that comes to mind is the speech impediment of cartoon character Elmer Fudd. " Be vewy vewy quiet, I'm stalkin' da wabbit, hu hu hu".

For the sake of it's moment of glory this promising paper, encouraged by a few bitter and easily forgettable has-beens and wanna-bees who clearly reached the level of their incompetence decades ago, has slipped into the mire of stale journalism. Dredge the bottom and up comes the last resort,snarkey sexual slurs and innuendoes. Get over it and move on. You can do better.

Having personally written many letters to the SB that disagweed with their party line and never seen one of them published, I'll take a leap and agwee with billclausen.

Who knew Elmer Fudd was gay?

The News Press is irrelevant. Their online version SUCKS. And since we all know news is moving to the Net, their death knell is near. Why don't all you "journalists" stop arguing about BIAS and admit you are biased, but also stand up for your "principles" and protect the freedoms of media outlets that just might have a different bias (i.e, for instance the Fox News debacle created by our ultra-sensitive President... as if Bush was never lambasted!)

Let US--the readers--decide what is relevant, and stop spinning the facts to fit your agenda.

"The wall" has long been breached by the liberal MSM. The News Supress did that for years... the Indie just carries it on... If I can respect McCaw for one thing (and it would only be one thing) it's that she has the GUTS to publish things that necessarily don't "go along to get along" in this liberal bastion of unreality called Santa Barbara.

Ms. McCaw's masturbatory ego flauntings of the last few years (on her ex-husband's cash) make Mick Jagger look more like Mohandas Gandhi.

Perhaps Ms. McCaw appears to be suffering from delusions of grandeur (a form of paranoia), probably because she has become utterly filtered from reality by her vast, acquired riches. (She's got plenty of company in this town!).

Ms McCaw seems unable to even acknowledge (let alone admit) her own errors (read absolute incompetence and inability re. ownership of a small local newspaper), to the point that no matter how wrong she is, she is always right.

Ms McCaw has become addicted to the ability that huge wealth has given her in the ability to wield power and lord it over her underlings; it gives her a sense of somewhere to hang her hat. The old adage (credited to Lord Acton) that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" is brought to sharp focus in the McCaw SBNP fiasco.

The sole beneficiaries in Ms. McCaw's trail of destruction (regarding the total mismanagement of a company) are the army of lawyers she employs in maintaining her obsession with suing anyone who dares cross her path.

An interesting thought experiment: News Corp's Rupert Murdoch steps down to be replaced by Ms. McCaw. If only! If only!

It's not fair to blame Wendy for the NP being a 3rd rate paper. I've been here since 1975 and the NP has always been an embarrassment.
She made it worse, and she makes a great target, but let's lose the rose colored glasses and admit the NP has sucked for decades, and now it just sucks a little more.
What's wrong with the Daily Sound?

Yes, the NP has been inadequate for decades and for most of those years a safe haven for third rate journalists who are now clearly eager to use Wendy as their whipping girl. If this is not so why has this piece of egregious non- news been running on the front page for so long? There has been real news happening that one can even catch on Edhat!

The Sound is good. At least they have figured out how to print an appealing front page occasionally without consistently stale news and pictures ! It's Monday morning guys and the front page is boring and still running old chestnuts. Time to wake up and get out there. I like the The Independent,it's good, but way too eager to gnaw over a very old bones for much too long. Bury them and move on.

How is Armstrong's departure going to change things in the way the paper is being run?

Remember people, McCaw still runs the paper.