I am home.
Nearly 20 years after I handed in my resignation letter and walked out the back door of the News-Press building, a remarkable turn of events has brought me back.
Right where I belong.
I am honored to be the new editor of the Santa Barbara News-Press. It’s my hometown paper and where I got my start in journalism. It’s a place I never wanted to leave.
The News-Press was once one of the best mid-sized newspapers in the country, but as it devolved under previous ownership, I knew it was time to leave. Now that it’s back and I’m here again, my goal is to return it to that standard of excellence and create something new that’s bold, daring and powerful.
The organization is reemerging as a nonprofit news source, with support from NEWSWELL, whose mission is to transform local news. The intent is to add to the area’s journalism landscape and amplify the needs, ideas and voices of its people.
I’m excited to get started. But first, I want to share a bit about my background.
▶ Joshua Molina takes helm of Santa Barbara News-Press as editor
I grew up in Goleta and Santa Barbara. The first home I lived in is now a cannabis dispensary on Daley Street. We moved a lot when I was a kid. When the rent went up, my family found a new place to live. I attended five elementary schools because we moved so many times.
My father was a handyman, a plumber, someone who could fix things. My mother was a caregiver for developmentally disabled adults. I have two siblings, but they have a different dad.
My parents always worked hard, but I grew up poor. No summers in Hawaii, trips to Disneyland or hanging out at the cabin in winter.
We didn’t have many books around the house growing up, but we did have something equally important: the Santa Barbara News-Press. My father bought it everyday — dropping 25 cents, 50 cents, eventually 75 cents to buy the newspaper. It was a thrill when I got to drop the change into a newsrack or when I saw my dad walking through the front door with a paper he’d purchased.
The News-Press united us. We could talk about the news, sports, the comics, the features, and it was a conversation-starter. It told us what was happening.
The newspaper also made us smarter. It taught us words, sentence structure and the power of the pen. Through stories and photos, I was able to experience the incredible world we live in.
The paper meant something to us. It held status and prestige. It was informative and educational. It was special.
Of course, our world has changed since then. Everyone lives on their devices. But something hasn’t changed: We are still hungry for news — the type of news that makes our communities stronger.
The News-Press will strive to tell in-depth, investigative stories across multiple platforms. You’ll see news in words, photos, audio and video at newspress.com and on our social media channels.
We will focus on the issues that thread our community: housing, development, transportation, education, business and state and national decisions that affect us locally from food, health care and deportations to the economy and the environment.
We plan to provide daily content. News happens every day, and we intend to bring it to you on the issues you care about the most.
We will tell these stories through the people who are living them.
I’ve been a reporter for the entirety of my career, and I plan to continue my coverage of the most important issues of the day. If you have enjoyed my reporting, it isn’t going away; you’ll find it here at newspress.com going forward.
General Manager William Belfiore and I are building a team from the ground up. We bring fresh eyes and wisdom to the media ecosystem of Santa Barbara County. We’re energetic and experienced. We are ambitious and optimistic. And perhaps most importantly, we are both locals. We know this town, this county, and what news it needs.
Most importantly, we believe in the importance of journalism and empowering a community through storytelling to make meaningful change.
I hope you’ll join us as we celebrate our history and legacy, and also be part of something dynamic and innovative as we reimagine the News-Press.
I am home. The News-Press is back. Great things are ahead.