|
Re: News Press: Cancellation Letter
|
Robert Bernstein
|
Sep 10, 2006 16:04 PDT
|
Thanks, Mark, for reminding people to cancel. Last Tuesday 5 September was
the official day when the staff did call for cancelling subscriptions. They
officially have said their demands have not been met.
Below is the letter I sent to cancel, including a number of reasons.
At http://www.sbindymedia.org/newswire/display/3657/index.php you can read
my Indy Media article back in July during the start of these protests. And
at www.swt.org/act you can see photos I took at the protests, including
this latest one.
Best wishes,
Robert
At 12:30 PM 9/10/2006 -0700, Mark Bradley wrote:
| | As usual, the News-Press ran a letter today against Measure D that
contains at least one inaccuracy per sentence. (I cancelled my
subscription a couple of months ago, but I still look at the Op-Ed page in
the coffee shop sometimes in order to work up some motivating anger for
the day)
A real newspaper the LA Times ran a very good article about the News-Press
fiasco in yesterdays California section text below. The article also has
a couple of photos that arent in the on-line version one photo of our own
Alex Pujo carrying a protest sign, and then another (smaller) photo below
that of Wendy McCaw looking worried.
If any of you still have a subscription to the News-Press, what are you
waiting for? CANCEL NOW before it sucks your intelligence away!
Mark
|
=============================================
[Also sent by physical mail to Ms McCaw and to the Circulation Department]
| | Date: Wed, 06 Sep 2006 20:58:21 -0700
To: Wendy McCaw <wmc-@newspress.com>
From: Robert Bernstein <ali-@swt.org>
Subject: News-Press Cancellation Request and Reasons
Cc: Arthur von Wiesenberger <av-@newspress.com>
|
Wendy McCaw - Owner
Santa Barbara News-Press
P.O. Box 1359
Santa Barbara, CA 93102
Re: Please Cancel My Subscription and Reasons for Doing So
I have lived in Santa Barbara and have been a News-Press reader for 24
years ever since coming here as a physics grad student in 1982. With my
graduate advisor Virgil Elings and other former students we built one of
the biggest local industries, Digital Instruments.
Keeping up with local news is important because of my involvement in the
community. Beginning several years ago, I discovered that my letters to the
editor and guest columns were being censored by the new editorial editor,
Mr Armstrong. Not only was it frustrating to have my outreach to the
community blocked. It also made me realize I was probably not hearing views
of other members of the community who were being censored as well.
There also appeared to be no accountability for Mr Armstrong at the paper
as I discovered when trying to talk to him and to other senior staff
members. Apparently, the only accountability was to you.
When the staff finally admitted there was a problem and began to work to
improve the situation, I was happy to support them. They requested that we
keep subscribing while they worked from the inside. Well, those efforts
apparently have been rejected by you. And therefore, canceling
subscriptions seems to be the only message left for the community.
Here is a short list of some of the key reasons I hereby request to cancel
my subscription to the News-Press:
1) Your interference in the news reporting as owner of the newspaper.
2) No attempt to keep or bring back the reporters and editors who were
forced to resign in protest, including Barney Brantingham.
3) Solidarity with the remaining reporters who are being harassed and
intimidated by you.
4) Mr Armstrong censoring letters and guest columns.
5) Mr Armstrong's arrogance and unaccountability and his escalating
viciousness.
6) Replacing Barney's middle-of-the-road column with the ultra-right
wing Dr Laura.
7) Editorial positions defying solid science on preserving local
ecosystems.
8) Your support for right-wing candidates over progressives and
environmentalists.
9) Finally A protest against your destruction of our Goleta Valley
Voice Newspaper.
Restoring trust at this point is going to be difficult. A solid first step
would be to get rid of the incorrigible Mr Armstrong and another would be
to recognize the right of the staff to vote to join a union. I would also
like to see those who left being invited back. If I see these things
happen, I will be happy to re-subscribe and will trust that the paper is on
the road to recovery.
With best wishes,
Robert Bernstein
Robert Bernstein
448-B Mills Way
Goleta, CA 93117
|
|
 |
|
