Is Murdoch the World’s McCaw?

"Is McCaw the Murdoch of the Central Coast? Are the comparisons just?"

Why yes. And the notion that the "media" has a left wing slant is ridiculous. The blaring bullhorns in the media are obviously right wing corporatist. Even the Independent can't get pure messages out because it relies on advertising dollars. That is the problem.

But the unabashed maligner Murdoch is the creator of this conservative worldwide media hostile takeover. And followers of journalistic incompetents, small i 'independents' like this McCaw organization, is the local counter-part unabashed maligner. The evidence of that is what we see on the city council in Dale Francisco, Michael Self, Frank Hotchkiss and the resulting and cleverly appointed Mesa Rat 3 fingers down gang member Randy Rowse. It is a right wing take over of our U.S.A including the City of Santa Barbara.

"Successful news media can’t play fast and loose with ethical standards. At least they can’t do it forever."

No? When was the last time you saw a mainstream newspaper run an investigative piece critical of the duplicitous, unethical and altogether sleazy sales tactics used by automotive dealers advertising in their newspaper?

How about never? And you never will, because new car dealers buy more full- and half-page display advertising than any other category of local merchant and newspapers will not expose the dealers' bait-and-switch tactics for fear of losing the advertising revenues. Accordingly, the dealers take out ads, week after week, advertising new car prices thousands of dollars below the invoice price. They do this in an attempt to lure away their competitors' customers, with no intention of selling the cars for the advertised price.

I certainly agree with agree with Starshine, with the exception that I think the appropriate term for News Press journalism is propaganda, rather than merely censorship.

Hmm, Murdoch was illegally invading people’s privacy as far as I can tell. It seems McCaw was trying to invade people's opinions. When someone gathers enough money that they think they can take over the content of the news paper by putting their own endangered animal front page grabbing headline glasses on us to look thru, while many other issues are ignored, I think it's lame. The conservation of nature certainly has its place in the news, but I often wonder about the New Press's choice in top headlines.

On the other hand, I applaud the News Press for calling out the Cops. Who else is doing it? While they are running around town becoming celebrities on ON PATROL(gag!) there are some people’s lives/reputations who are being wrecked . If the suspects did something wrong, fine they can pay their debt to society, but how long will the quality footage from that show follow them around this little town? But if some Cops are just trying to further their careers or pad their coffers to make sure they keep their jobs, something needs to be done about it. Hopefully something comes out of the News Press series. Something like video cameras in cars to start.

And the battle for fairness and decent treatment for the newsroom continues; McCaw has spent millions on union busters and managers to make cynical dishonest arguments, tell lies, and delay justice and a fair contract.

There is a rally at De La Guerra tomorrow at noon to remember the last five years and renew resolve to make progress and achieve justice. Hope to see you there!

bimboteskie: The fact that the News Press published Peter Lance's series is amazing, and hopefully will be the first step in exposing extensive SBPD corruption that's been rubber-stamped by our city administrator and our political endorsement-and-campaign-contribution-oriented mayor and cc. I don't believe that the responses to Lance's articles published in NP letters to the editor reflect the general opinion of letter-writers, and believe that they've been chosen for publication with the intention of reversing the spin of the articles' content and defusing Lance's allegations.

Calling the News Press a respected community newspaper is like describing a greeting card as literature.

"The power of the press belongs to those who own one" by A.J. Liebling is the exact quote. Learned that while living in NYC, where I worked with a few of the men who created "Pie Kill" - the act of tossing a pie into the face of those who most deserved it. Getting cream pied is a peaceful protest - but oh, so sticky and boy, it does get attention - think of the photo opp! It was @ Obscenity Hearings in D.C. (late 60s early 70s) where one of the first pies hit the targets and got press. Delighted to see the art of "pie kill" lives on !

Starshine ,all my respect your way . Lets not forget the long list of others whose lives were upended by McCaw , Armstrong and the "fiancee/co-publisher" (ha !).
My apologies to those that I may miss on this list - Jerry Roberts , Barney, George Foulsham , Dawn Hobbs, Rob Kunzia, Don Muurphy, John Zant , Melissa Evans , Barny McManigal, Tom Schultz ,Jane Hulse and many others.All people who put their integrity on the line and paid for it with the loss of their jobs. McCaw can never be allowed to forget the awful things she has done to the paper and to these people.
Thanks Starshine for keeping this debacle in our memory!

14noscams: Wow, I haven't seen the editors. What a great way to CYA and not take any heat. But if the NP was trying to avoid accountability, then why would they continue the series?

I certainly agree that a lot of really great reporters got a really bad deal, not only by McCaw, but by the NLRB that STILL won't grow some.....well lets keep it clean and say teeth, and somehow enforce their ruling.

Where is the pie!?

When we quit the SBNP it ended at least 90 years of family subscription to our formerly great newspaper. It was not a decision easily reached , even though I was rightously pissed at McCaw and Co. for their handling of the newsroom meltdown .
The final factor that contributed to cancelling our subscription was a major home invasion crime in our neighborhood that went unreported in the SBNP for 4 days , even though it was on the net the evening that it happened. Doesn't McCaw think that we deserve timely reporting of events that could potentially affect us? Pooh on her , forever.