News-Press opinion page editor Travis Armstrong resigns
Travis Armstrong, the controversial opinion page editor of the Santa Barbara News-Press, has resigned from the newspaper.
Word spread Friday afternoon after Armstrong reportedly met with News-Press owner Wendy McCaw behind closed doors.
Although there were various reports that Armstrong had decided to move out of the area, the exact details of Armstrong’s departure are unknown.
The News-Press published a sentence on the topic on its Web site Friday evening. Details about the resignation were scant, though News-Press insiders say it appeared to be unexpected.
Calls and emails to Armstrong and Human Resources Director Yolanda Apodaca Friday night were unreturned.
Armstrong joined the paper’s staff in 2002 after he worked as an editorial writer for the San Jose Mercury News.
During his time at the News-Press, Armstrong became a lightning rod for controversy. Some community members and elected officials perceived his editorials to be unnecessarily vitriolic and toxic in their tone.
Over the years he frequently criticized Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum, Mayoral candidate Helene Schneider, Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, and former state assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson, among other targets.
“Don’t you feel like a whole burden has been lifted off our city?” Blum said. “It has been a difficult time these last eight years.”
Blum, who recently appeared on Armstrong’s radio show, heard the news late Friday.
Last year, he wrote columns suggesting that Blum was going to resign, without identifying any of his sources. Blum, who said she never intended to resign, and that such a thought never even occurred in her head, said she took him even less seriously after that.
“I would have hoped he would have said something nice before he left town because he never said anything nice to me,” Blum said.
Since July of 2006, when many of the paper’s top editors and reporters resigned in protest of what they felt was unethical meddling in the newsroom by McCaw, the paper’s owner and publisher, Armstrong has been a vocal champion of McCaw’s rights to run her business as she sees fit.
Armstrong was at the center of turmoil in the newsroom the day several of the editors resigned. When he attempted to escort former News-Press editor Jerry Roberts, who had just resigned, out of the building, many of the reporters got upset that Roberts was being asked to leave the building.
In that moment, then-Metro Editor Jane Hulse, who was typically low key, famously yelled out, "Fuck you, Travis, haven't you done enough already?"
In the wake of the mass resignation, a successful attempt by the newspaper’s thinned staff to form a union led to Armstrong writing columns in opposition to the Teamsters and their tactics.
In his, and the paper’s official editorial columns, he often bemoaned the union’s tactics.
Despite the many enemies he made in the community, Armstrong had his share of supporters, who believed that he was a necessary voice in the community, pointing out perceived problems in government, and acting as a voice for some neighborhoods.
A person who considered himself a “good friend” of Armstrong’s, but spoke on condition of anonymity, didn’t know of the resignation until being told by a Daily Sound reporter.
Armstrong also made headlines himself when in 2006 he was arrested and convicted for drunken driving. He was pulled over by the Santa Barbara Police Department after going the wrong way on a one way street in downtown Santa Barbara.
Comment on this article
A coupla points : 10/31/2009
Travis Armstrong's drunk driving became part of the problem when News-Press management killed the follow-up sentencing story to protect him from embarrassment. That was yet another example of management shading the news for non-journalistic reasons, fueling the reporters' reasonable fears that they would be judged not on how they covered the news, but whether they toed the party line, whether that meant not giving Marty Blum too much play, or sucking up to current or potential advertisers, or being consistent with the paper's editorial stances. Needless to say, as it has played out, management tried to use its power both over its employees and in the community to run roughshod over employee rights, labor law and constitutional law, ethics and morals be damned. Typically, the News-Press offers no "news" in its treatment of the Armstrong departure, but good riddance to an editorial page editor who combined paranoia, lack of analytical or writing skills, and vitriol into a wretched and tiresome brew.
Buh-bye
Travis Gone!!! : 10/31/2009
Well said by "A coupla points." If only the News-Press would now begin to actually report news. They've lost so many subscribers that the only readers left are the politicos who want to read about themselves and whether they've received a favorable rating in the paper. So long, Travis. I hope you're retiring rather than just moving your hatred to another unsuspecting community. Any chance you could take Andy Caldwell with you? You'd make a great pair.
Don't Let The Door Hit You In The...
Travis Was Tough : 10/31/2009
After becoming familiar with both sides of the warring factions at the News Press, including watching Citizen McCaw and all the local coverage from adversarial news agencies, I have to say that Travis and his opponents made a pretty good pair. Yep, Travis was nasty and vindictive but the people he was calling out were every bit as nasty and vindictive as Travis and they certainly had a big army of haters backing them in their anti-Travis army. Travis just fought back like many of us would when we are hopelessly out-numbered and have our backs to the wall. I for one will miss the lone Santa Barbara voice with the guts to stand up to the corrupt local politicians. Safe travels Travis.
T-Arm Secret Admirer
THE FACTS ARE THE FACTS- LIKE IT OR NOT : 10/31/2009
Travis leaving will be a huge loss to Santa Barbara. Whether you like it or not, Travis told us the truth and that's what we need to hear. Don't fear the truth, it's a good thing. I personally don't like hearing all the one-sided, self serving reporting that has gone on quite rampantly here. I wish Travis happiness in his future and hopefully he will continue spreading the truth everywhere he goes. He will also be missed immensely here because no one else seems to be able to just report the facts without tweaking them 180 degrees. He's not scared to tell you the facts, like it or not.
Take care Travis!
She did resign... : 10/31/2009
I don't know, but I think he call that right... Why do we consider "no sale" Dale as pro temp? She's been no help resolving this On patrol issue or my boycott of Sampanis Cont and COX cable. Unethical... I really can't remember the last time I've heard this paper use that term!
Boycott Boy
Watched It Happen : 10/31/2009
Where will I get my material. I have been channelling Travis for years and now, no Travis. I am heartbrokern!! Life is just not fair. ! Ah, Destiny!!!!
Madame Stella
Travis more right than wrong : 10/31/2009
Nobody is ever 100% right but Travis was more right than wrong. He is right about city hall and spending. He is right on the candidates for this election. He was wrong to be so pro-Chumash.
taxpayer
Travis's depature : 10/31/2009
The question we should be asking is why would he "resign" with no notice right before the most meaningful election in recent history. THis is the stuff editorial writers live for, and he's walking away? Something else is up, and you gotta wonder if it has something to do with all the animal editorials in the past couple of weeks; commendable, but the election issues may have taken priority...in any case, the story will likely stay under wraps of a cofidentialtiy agreement. But if Travis finally walked for editorial reasons, the problems with the News-Press will just continue. Time may tell. Good luck to us all, including him.
concerned
a couple more points : 10/31/2009
That seemed to be a very fair and pleasant interview that Armstrong had with Marty. Seems a rather graceless comment of hers. That said, the editorials were well-written, often interesting and focused; too bad there was such a strain of maliciousness. Maybe Ms McCaw cut his salary; maybe she plans to kill the paper.
CRE
armstrong resignation : 10/31/2009
Learning of the T.Armstrong resignation has been the most uplifting news for the city of Santa Barbara in ages. The past negative tone and the tainted news coverage has comproimised the town's spirit and feeling of community. He has been a damaging divider using the newspress for his own means. He instilled fear in his staff. He used his position in a self serving manner and misuse of power. Lets hope the integrity of journalism will be restored. Lets hope the voices of the people of Santa Barbara will once again be heard in a fair and open minded manner.
Carried Away : 10/31/2009
Travis told the truth? I think not. Travis had a few themes he liked to repeat, but forget getting the other side or actually accepting that maybe the City occasionally had reasons to do what it did, and that City workers deserved respect and appreciation for the jobs they do. On union issues, he was a flat-out liar, and was always willing to assume -- and that's all he did was assume -- the worst based on no more than a thimbleful of facts. For an editorial writer -- whose writing should be sharp, concise and persuasive -- his skills were poor and persuasive power negligible, though that was more a function of his unwillingness to marshal and account for facts than it was a matter of style. And let's not make more of this fortunate departure than it is -- he was the mouthpiece, but not the engine. He didn't set policy, he just tried to sell it. Barney Brantingham reports that Travis was dumped because he wasn't slamming the usual SBNP enemies during this last week before the election, instead extolling the virtues of bobcats and horses. Maybe so, but the corruption remains, until Wendy keeps her oft-made promises to leave news reporting to the pros, and until she treats her staff with a modicum of dignity and respect.
What me worry
Hip Hip Hooray : 10/31/2009
This is almost as good as when Dorothy splashed water on the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz. This is a special day for all Santa Barbara, we ought to have a ticker tape parade! Goodby and good riddance, and we will see you writer's hell Travis!
zagreb
Newspress : 10/31/2009
Tomorrow is Sunday- My dog is the ONLY reason I still keep the Sunday Edition of the Newspress coming- It gives my dog joy to run down the driveway and bring it inside... That being said, it takes me about 4 minutes to read the Sunday paper. I am sick of Peter Horwith and the Ocean updates about seals and whales. I no longer read the editorial as it's ALWAYS about animal rights. The local news is about 3 days old and the State/ National /World news is older.... I 'm only absorbed by the Real Estate Section to see how I overpaid for my Santa Barbara House and I'm praying it will at least return to my purchase price so I can get out of here!
Sunday morning dog biscuits
War Hoop & Battle Cry : 11/1/2009
My memory is old and foggy; but I remember a day when lots of newspapers were full of the Trav' type of mongering. In the little sleepy burgs of the county, they would find a Trav' to trumpet news, even when there wasn't any. God did not hand Gabriel his horn so that he could quietly hum. Nope, the big guy handed Gab his trumpet to knock the stars from the sky. Trav was an old fashioned editior. Never whisper anything you can shout. Never let a weak clutch of facts get in the way of a surging story. I think Trav is going to work for the famous Palm Springs War Hoop and Battle Cry. And by-the-by, SB is not a sleepy little burg. It is solidly in a coma.
Mid-Town Bob (MTB)
Footsteps : 11/1/2009
After reading these comments.. i was actually in disbelief that there are people out there who think he told the truth and facts all the time? What dispensary are these people visiting? I don't mind that he was in opposition or stood up for what he thought, but he was such a let down for me, as he consistently spewed lies, misquotes, and inaccuracies on such a regular basis, that it was tragic how people would have to spend all of their time correcting and contesting him. I wish someone would have made scrapbook of how bad it really was. I guess since there are people who have no clue how bad he was.. looks like the Newspress will have no problem filling his footsteps. ( all Newspress needed to do was clean house of these people, and make their online version FREE and accessible, and they could actually make a come back.. sigh... yawn.
Pop that Bubbly
R.I.P. Santa Barbara Newspress : 11/2/2009
Let's just call this thing done. SB has been a laughing stock in the literary world with this sorry sack for a newspaper. McCaw should simply cut her loss, take the remainder of her small fortune (which was a large fortune prior to purchasing and then destroying our hometown newspaper) and go do something else.
Daily fan
A Beep from the Provinces.. : 11/2/2009
It is astonishing that this town would give this forgettable piece of no news the time of day. It belongs to the village of the middle ages with the town crier bellowing out" Farmer Giles' heifer runs amok in the Squire's field " . All this good publicity may give Travis an entry into the real world of journalism.
Aries
Somolent Santa Barbara : 11/2/2009
War Hoop & Battle Cry. Bravo and Amen! Time for Travis to leave the hayseeds to sort out their own chaff!
Aries
Who living here full time actually reads the SB News Press?? : 11/2/2009
I haven't picked up a copy of the SB News Press or cared about it since they fired all the reporters. Who actually reads the thing or cares what they say?
What SB News Press?
Later! : 11/4/2009
Let's hope Wendy picks up her fishwrap and leaves SB... Gotta love the Daily Sound!
Lovin' the SOUND
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