We wanted to keep you informed about NEWSWELL’s work in Santa Barbara as we reimagine the Santa Barbara News-Press.
We’ve concluded seven listening sessions with residents in Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Santa Maria. We just posted a story on those sessions, and you can read it here. Additional listening sessions that will focus on the county’s Spanish-speaking community are planned. We are finishing up our analysis of the community survey and will be back in touch when those findings are ready to share.
The conversations we’ve had were designed to bring people together to share how they get their news, what information they feel is missing and what they wish they had from a local nonprofit newsroom. The meetings helped us better understand the needs, concerns and hopes of Santa Barbara County communities when it comes to trusted, meaningful local journalism.
With that information, we are creating a framework that will help shape the News-Press. And we have taken the first step in that process: We posted a job opening for General Manager of the Santa Barbara News-Press, a crucial leadership role.
This person will be the local leader for the News-Press, working to uplift and strengthen the entire Santa Barbara media ecosystem and striving to add to the overall journalism footprint in Santa Barbara County.
We’re incredibly grateful for your interest in the News-Press. You can find out more about our ongoing journey at newspress.com, and we’ll continue to update you via occasional email updates.
This is only the beginning, and we look forward to continuing this journey with you.
This update originally appeared in our June 6, 2025, newsletter, which came from Nicole Carroll, NEWSWELL executive director, and B.J. Terhune, NEWSWELL managing editor for California.