Here's another post for the why-is-this-front-page-news? category.
Today's edition of the Santa Barbara News-Press has a five column wide story on the bottom of page A-1 about the opening of a "new" restaurant in town, The Marquee which is located next door to the Granada Theater.
Actually, The Marquee is not so "new" having opened in early February of this year, which pretty much takes the "new" out of "news." And, The Marquee, which offers small plate appetizers as the only food item they serve is really more bar than restaurant.
Which raises another question. Should the opening of a bar ever be front-page news?
Unless it is located next door to a high school, probably not.
Of course this is a great free publicity for The Marquee but who is exercising the news judgment here?
For an answer to that question you probably only need refer back to that infamous angry memo News-Press owner Wendy McCaw sent to then publisher Joe Cole.
In that April 2006 memo she complained to Cole:
NO mention of the Home Design Store opening, still NOT ONE word, this IS news after all. It wouldn't surprise me if we have offended what might have been a good advertiser.
That tapping sound you hear is that of the News-Press ad sales staff dialing The Marquee.
