The 2006-03-02 front page of the Santa Barbara Independent |
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| Type | Community journalism |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Publisher | Randy Campbell |
| Editor-in-chief | Marianne Partridge |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Headquarters | 122 W. Figueroa St. Santa Barbara, CA 93101 United States |
| Circulation | 40,000[1] |
| Official website | independent.com |
The Santa Barbara Independent is a news, arts, and entertainment newspaper published every Thursday in Santa Barbara, California.
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The paper was founded in November 1986. It is owned by four people within a corporation — Marianne Partridge, who came to California from New York in the 1980s and is the editor-in-chief, Randy Campbell, who grew up in Santa Barbara and is the publisher, and two silent partners from New York and Boston — Rick Grand-Jean and Richard Parker.
Partridge filed a lawsuit February 11, 2010, against Campbell, alleging breach of contract after Campbell allegedly did not sell his shares to her under a buy-sell agreement. Campbell filed a cross-complaint citing breach of the agreement when Partridge obtained outside financing.[2] In November 2010, Campbell added Joseph L. Cole as a defendant and two new causes of action against Cole only: breach of fiduciary duty and injunctive relief prohibiting Cole from participating in, financing, or advising Partridge in her attempt to purchase Campbell’s shares.[3] Cole was formerly Campbell's attorney.
In 2010 the Independent had a circulation of 40,000, the largest circulated newspaper in Santa Barbara County.[1] A December 2004 report by the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies reported that the paper's audience was 68 percent female and that nearly half the readers were over 45 years old.
The paper includes news stories, arts, music, book, and film coverage, an entertainment calendar, a lifestyle section, and reviews of restaurants and culture. The Independent also does investigative reporting on a variety of issues, from the environment to local politics.
After the beginning of the Santa Barbara News-Press controversy in 2006, the Independent implemented Web-based columns and news articles at independent.com. The internet edition is updated daily, and more frequently during some local events, such as the 2008 Gap and Tea brush fires and the Jesusita fire in 2009. A community-alert system called IndyAlert has also been developed to send out e-mail and cell-phone messages during disasters and community emergencies.[4] The website, independent.com, was deemed the most-visited news website in Santa Barbara County.[5]
In 2008, the newspaper industry magazine Editor & Publisher named independent.com[6] the Best Weekly Affiliated Website in the United States. In 2008 the Independent was named one of "10 That Do It Right,"[7] for exemplary newspaper publishing.
The paper has been described by editor-in-chief Marianne Partridge as somewhat liberal.[8]