"When You De-invest in Local News, the Rats Come Out to Play"

An architect of the project to re-start the Santa Barbara News-Press provides a behind-the-scenes look at strategy, time line - and challenges ahead

Mi-Ai Parrish, a veteran news executive and journalism educator, says there is one fundamental reason why she and her colleagues have made it a mission to reinvigorate local news efforts around the nation.

“When you de-invest in newsrooms, or titles close, the rats come out to play,” Parrish said. “If nobody’s watching, crazy stuff happens, and we need to get back in there…it’s really, really important to have local boots on the ground, shining a light.”

(SB special: “Crazy stuff” like county supervisors writing a scandalous cannabis ordinance with industry lobbyists behind closed doors).

Parrish, after a celebrated career in daily journalism, now teaches at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where she also chairs the board of a new non-profit called Newswell. Amid the bankruptcy wreckage of the Santa Barbara News-Press, Newswell has just been gifted the remaining business assets of the shuttered paper, with plans to re-launch the historic title as an online news operation.

In a conversation with Newsmakers on Friday, she discussed the ways and means Newswell was formed, how it connected with Santa Barbara, the local news operations it already supports in Stockton and San Diego, and preliminary plans for getting the new, all-digital News-Press off the ground, hopefully this spring.

Their first step is asking people in the community what they want in local coverage.

“As a publisher, each time I went in (to a new paper), I was parachuting into a community that had its own whole set of things. And the first thing we do is listen - just got to have some humility in the entire situation.

“And I know some people will be like - ‘listtening tour?’ - but for real, just be journalists, be reporters,” she added. “Get in and talk to people who know, and build relationships and sources and really rely on people…who have been there…We have professional experience but we don’t have that local experience.”

As an overall strategy, Newswell tackles publishing functions — finance, marketing, HR, legal, IT, and other necessary backend responsibilities - in support of local editorial operations. (editor’s note: online they tend to spell it NEWSWELL, with all caps, but, hey, we’re old…).

Parrish emphasized that the group considers it crucial to hire a chief editor who is based in Santa Barbara to manage news gathering assignments.

“Local editor, full stop. Local editor,” she said.

She also said that Newswell intends its version of the News-Press to be “additive,” and not to compete directly, or to harm, existing news outfits, like the Independent or Noozhawk.

“We are not in it for the profit. We don’t have a profit motive,” she said. “Our motive is to have as many people as possible read and consume as much journalism knowledge as possible,” she said. “So to that end, nothing is behind a paywall. Anyone can republish with giving us credit. It’s out in the world and we’re not looking to compete.

“So part of what we’re doing is, we’re listening to - where are the gaps in coverage? Where are the gaps in the types of coverage?…and being thoughtful about where the existing media is, and hopefully be good collaborators and good partners where it makes sense.”

“You deserve to have a newspaper back,” Parrish added.

Check out our full interview with Mi-Ai Parrish about the new News-Press via YouTube below, or by clicking through this link. The podcast is on Soundcloud, as well as on Apple, Spotify and other platforms. TVSB, Channel 17, airs the show every weeknight at 8 p.m. and at 9 a.m. on weekends. KCSB, 91.9 FM, broadcasts the program at 5:30 p.m. on Monday.

(Full disclosure: After Newswell’s News-Press announcement this week, the genial host met with three leaders of the group, over fish and chips and chowder at Harry’s. They asked Newsmakers to join their advisory board and we accepted. So there is such a thing as a free lunch).