Santa Barbara News-Press relaunching as a nonprofit

January 22, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

After closing in June 2023, the Santa Barbara News-Press will begin publishing again, this time under as a nonprofit under the NEWSWELL umbrella.

Previously known as the oldest daily newspaper in Southern California, the News-Press began publishing in 1855. In 1962, editorials published by the News-Press that called out the John Birch Society won a Pulitzer Prize.

Businesswoman Wendy McCaw, the ex-husband of mobile phone industry entrepreneur Craig McCaw, purchased the News-Press from the New York Times in 2000 for $110 million. McCaw was previously accused of interfering in newsroom editorial decisions, prompting the resignations of News-Press staffers.

Three months before she closed the paper, she filed bankruptcy.

In April 2024, a Santa Barbara group won a portion of the bankruptcy auction with a bid of $285,000 for the News-Press’ archives, website, trademark and social media accounts.

In 2025, the group donated their News-Press holdings to NEWSWELL.

NEWSWELL, a nonprofit based at Arizona State University, “provides back-end operations and business strategies to help news sites become or remain sustainable,” with local journalist covering the news.

Before NEWSWELL relaunches the News-Press, it plans to look into how it can best serve Santa Barbara County residents.