Fighting to gain traction in SB's Wild West media landscape, the upstart digital start-up gets a boost from a celebrated liberal donor - and the back of the hand from an exclusive local social club.
Textbook example of a narcissistic small-time media publisher throwing his weight around in an attempt to sabotage what he perceives as a rival. It's also a sour-grapes potshot at Joshua Molina, a former Noozhawk employee, now Editor of the News-Press and building it into a solid "real journalism" online news organization. Unfortunately for Macfayden - who aspires to be a local bigwig (prez of the SB Club and the Montecito Assn., 'Spotlight' lecture series) - his efforts always fall short because he cannot respect nor uphold the ethics, values, respect for truth, and moral judgment at the heart of "real journalism." Somebody please send this to the Laurels & Darts newsletter at CJR.
The “print archives” of the Santa Barbara News-Press were not donated to the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. The Museum purchased the physical archives from the bankruptcy court at auction. The archive included the photo morgue, microfilm, bound editions and various historical materials. Major contributors to the purchase and monumental preservation efforts included the Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation, WWW Foundation, NP 2024 LLC, and several generous members of the Historical Museum.
"Unbeknownst to Belfiore, his appearance had been targeted by a last-minute flurry of complaints from members, including Macfadyen — among the most consistent public critics of the News-Press’s return, who has sniped at it in his weekly column while urging community leaders not to support it."
a desire to deny a public platform to a competitor? Alas, Bill was not interested in answering my questions...perhaps he'll tell us himself in his own column...
Wow. Blow me over with a feather. I'm surprised at Macfayden, freedom of the press means press for everybody, and press supporting each other. But sometimes fear of competition makes people do strange things, and usually it doesn't bode well for the fearful person/company working that hard to exclude others.
The high road would have been for Macfayden to organize, for the SB Club, a news panel, or individually; Lauren Bray from Edhat, Marianne Partridge from the Independent, Gwyn Lurie from the Montecito Journal, and so forth. Wisdom would have told Macfayden that his post at the SB Club should never be used as a personal/political hammer to exclude others that happen to be in his own line of business.
Textbook example of a narcissistic small-time media publisher throwing his weight around in an attempt to sabotage what he perceives as a rival. It's also a sour-grapes potshot at Joshua Molina, a former Noozhawk employee, now Editor of the News-Press and building it into a solid "real journalism" online news organization. Unfortunately for Macfayden - who aspires to be a local bigwig (prez of the SB Club and the Montecito Assn., 'Spotlight' lecture series) - his efforts always fall short because he cannot respect nor uphold the ethics, values, respect for truth, and moral judgment at the heart of "real journalism." Somebody please send this to the Laurels & Darts newsletter at CJR.
I shared this across my social media. I personally will be boycotting Noozhawk going forward.
I think you burried Josh's name too far down, as one doesn't need to read too much between the lines to see possible motives here.
You may be right, though the ill feelings towards Will started before Josh's hiring...
Just a point of clarification:
The “print archives” of the Santa Barbara News-Press were not donated to the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. The Museum purchased the physical archives from the bankruptcy court at auction. The archive included the photo morgue, microfilm, bound editions and various historical materials. Major contributors to the purchase and monumental preservation efforts included the Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation, WWW Foundation, NP 2024 LLC, and several generous members of the Historical Museum.
Dacia Harwood, Executive Director
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
dacia@sbhistorical.org
Still have no idea. W H Y was the talk cancelled?
"Unbeknownst to Belfiore, his appearance had been targeted by a last-minute flurry of complaints from members, including Macfadyen — among the most consistent public critics of the News-Press’s return, who has sniped at it in his weekly column while urging community leaders not to support it."
W H Y ?
a desire to deny a public platform to a competitor? Alas, Bill was not interested in answering my questions...perhaps he'll tell us himself in his own column...
Wow. Blow me over with a feather. I'm surprised at Macfayden, freedom of the press means press for everybody, and press supporting each other. But sometimes fear of competition makes people do strange things, and usually it doesn't bode well for the fearful person/company working that hard to exclude others.
The high road would have been for Macfayden to organize, for the SB Club, a news panel, or individually; Lauren Bray from Edhat, Marianne Partridge from the Independent, Gwyn Lurie from the Montecito Journal, and so forth. Wisdom would have told Macfayden that his post at the SB Club should never be used as a personal/political hammer to exclude others that happen to be in his own line of business.
Barbara Ann Clark
What is the correct address to donate to the resurrected Santa Barbara News-Press, please?
See if this link works:
https://newspress.fundjournalism.org/santa-barbara-news-press/?campaign=YLBDU3LB33Kvv8cds0&mc_cid=480b1bc261&mc_eid=d1c8dd868f
https://newspress.fundjournalism.org/santa-barbara-news-press/?campaign=YLBDU3LB33Kvv8cds0&mc_cid=480b1bc261&mc_eid=d1c8dd868f
Not sure - I'd contact Will Belfiore - William.Belfiore@newspress.com - for best way to do that...
Unbelievable. I have always supported Noozhawk and had a great deal of respect for Bill MacFadyen. This is so disappointing.
Ironically, Macfadyen did his journalistic teething at the News-Press, where he headed the copy desk.
…hard to believe this club is so exclusive & petty. Lovely building though.