A Newsroom Fight Spills Into the Streets of a Once-Peaceful Town (NYT)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/15/business/media/15paper.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin

A Newsroom Fight Spills Into the Streets of a Once-Peaceful Town

By SHARON WAXMAN
Published: January 15, 2007

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — A nasty fight between the news staff and the owner of a local paper here has created some new casualties: readers.

Take, for example, Eric Zahm, a hairdresser who hung a sign in his window taking Wendy P. McCaw, owner and co-publisher of The Santa Barbara News-Press, to task for not recognizing a vote to unionize her news staff.

Within days, Mr. Zahm got a letter from a lawyer for Mrs. McCaw, warning him that the sign — which read, “McCaw Obey the Law” — could get him sued for defamation.

“It freaked me out a little bit,” Mr. Zahm said.

FULL story at link.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Scary stuff!!!

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. McCaw Obey the Law.

Okay, sue me.

[flamingyouth]

3. Not surprised here.

Let's just say Ms. McCaw has a reputation for being a tad intense, and I'll leave it at that. (Hopefully her lawyers won't be contacting me tomorrow.)