'SB News-Press' Investigates Blog Item -- But Was It Real?

By: Joe Strupp Two days before newsroom employees at the embattled Santa Barbara News-Press are set to vote on whether to formally unionize, the newspaper claims to have been threatened by an anonymous blog posting that it describes as "a thinly veiled solicitation for criminal acts."

Agnes Huff, a spokeswoman for the paper, says the posting has since been removed from the local "Blogabarbara" Web site. But she contends that it amounts to a threat and hints that the Graphic Communications Conference of the Teamsters, which is seeking the union representation via Wednesday's vote, may be involved.

"While the identity of the writer isn't yet known, activities of this nature are involved in union corporate campaigns and are used when attempting to improperly force a company to give in to union demands," Huff said in a statement released this past weekend. "This sort of campaign is most often used to circumvent the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) procedures and secret ballot elections."

Union attorney Ira Gottlieb staunchly denied any union involvement, adding that "the person or entity [responsible for the posting] was clearly trying to harm the union, not the News-Press."

Several other postings on the Blogabarbara site questioned the validity of the original posting, claiming that it could be a News-Press plant aimed at gaining anti-union sympathy. "That is totally ridiculous," Huff said. "We wouldn't be taking the steps necessary if it wasn't something we felt threatened by."

Huff said the posting, dated Sept. 11, was removed without prompting from the paper. But she said the News-Press is conducting its own investigation to determine who placed it.

"It is five-point [plan] for what people should do to impact the operations of the News-Press," Huff said about the posting. "I don't think it was [Blogabarbara] putting it up. I think it was just someone anonymous."

According to a copy of the posting supplied by the News-Press it stated:

"It is time to commence Phase 2 of our operation against the News-Press. Management has continued to exhibit intransigence in the face of our initial efforts, so it is time to step up the pressure."

The posting then goes on to urge that staffers: boycott advertisers, including classified advertisers; disrupt the paper's operations through "cyber-sabotage" that "could be escalated to delete stories" and hacking the Web site; stealing newspapers from newsracks and boxes; leafleting homes of subscribers to cancel; and even a non-specific targeting of the paper's printing plant.

"The Santa Barbara News-Press takes these threats seriously and intends to cooperate fully in any law enforcement investigation," the paper said in a statement. "The company is committed to prosecuting any criminal activities directed towards the paper and its employees to the full extent of the law."

But Huff said no outside law enforcement agencies had been contacted yet, although she would not rule out a future criminal complaint.

The blog controversy is the latest in a string of disputes at the paper dating back to the July 6 resignation of several top editors, including former Editor Jerry Roberts, who had complained that owner Wendy McCaw had been meddling in newsroom decisions. McCaw has defended her actions, claiming that some news coverage had been biased.

In the ensuing months, at least 24 newsroom employees have resigned and the remaining staff has sought representation by the GCC unit. That vote remains set for Wednesday.